The Election Commission on India (ECI) on Wednesday said that the bypolls will not be conducted for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency after the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s membership from Lok Sabha last week.

Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar said they are not in a hurry to conduct bypolls at Kerala’s Wayanad. Kumar indicated that the Election Commission would wait as Gandhi has been given a 30-day window to challenge the conviction in the court.

Kumar said there is no need to hurry to conduct bypolls at the Wayanad constituency because as per Section 151 of the Representation of People’s Act, the Commission has six months to hold polls in this constituency. The Act says that anyone convicted of an offense and sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more stands disqualified.

Read Also: Karnataka Assembly Elections: ECI announces single-phase polling, result on May 13

Congress said Rahul Gandhi will get his membership back if the sentence is put on hold.

Gandhi has also been asked to vacate his Tughlaq Lane bungalow by April 22 which was offered to him by the government after he won the election from Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Congress workers and other opposition parties have criticized the Centre, including Prime Minister Modi for playing petty politics and accused the government of trampling democracy.

In the middle of a huge political row over Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, the Lok Sabha membership of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal was restored today after his conviction in a criminal case was put on hold.

Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Surat court in the 2019 criminal defamation case.

Bombay HC refuses to grant any relief to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in National Anthem case

Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal’s Lok Sabha membership restored ahead of SC hearing

The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Wednesday, announced the schedule for assembly elections in Karnataka. According to the schedule of the assembly elections, the polling will be done on May 10, whereas the vote counting will be done on May 13.

Karnataka Assembly elections is anticipated to be a big showdown between the two national parties in the country: BJP and Congress. BJP are hopeful to retain incumbency, whereas the Congress have shown confidence to unseat the BJP.

The polling will be done 224 Assembly constituencies and over 5.21 crore people will be eligible to vote in the election due on May 10. As per the reports, out of 5.21 crore voters, 9.17 Lakh will be the first-time voters. The polling across the 224 seats will be done in a single phased manner.

BJP emerged as the leading party Karnataka in 2018 by being the single-largest party. The BJP claimed majority by sweeping 104 seats out of the 224, whereas, its counterpart Congress trailed behind by winning 80. Janata Dal (Secular) bagged 37. However, Congress and JD(S) alliance led to the Congress-JD(S) alliance to form a government.

Subsequently, in 2019, rebellion leaders jumped ships to the BJP which led to BJP coming in power. BS Yediyurappa was entrusted with the Chief Ministorial role who was later in 2021 replaced by Basavaraj Bommai.

Read Also: India records over 2,151 new Covid-19 cases in single day, highest since October 2022

Congress on Karnataka Assembly elections

Congress’s state chief DK Shivakumar spoke to the media and asserted confidence in unseating the BJP. Shivakumar, in his statement to the media, said that this election will be development-oriented and for a corruption-free state.

The Congress recently also released the first list of 124 candidates ahead of the polls which also had former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar.

BJP on Karnataka Assembly elections

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also spoke to the media on the Karnataka Assembly elections and said that the BJP are prepared for the elections. He also claimed that the BJP will return to power with a huge majority.

JD(S) role in Karnataka Assembly elections

The role of Janata Dal (Secular) can be crucial one if the result become a hung election. The JD(s) can prove to be the kingmaker in the state if the situation arises.

Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal’s Lok Sabha membership restored ahead of SC hearing

PM Modi hits out at Opposition unity amid Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification row, says coming together of corrupt on one stage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come to the fore to target the new-found unity of the Opposition parties after Congress leader’s Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha. PM Modi termed the unit by the Opposition to be a coming together of the corrupt on one stage and further countered the claims made by the Opposition on the central agencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while delivering an address at the inauguration of the new party headquarters in Delhi, said that the country has a strong foundation of constitutional institutions and further alleged that in a bid to stop India, constitutional institutions are being attacked.

PM Modi in his scathing attack on the Opposition also countered the claims made by the Opposition and further levelled allegation by saying that agencies are being targeting for taking action. He further said that questions are being raised in courts as well, implying at the petition filled in the Supreme Court about the arbitrary use of central agecies.

The Prime Minister, in his address, also alleged that some parties have initiated Bhrashtachari Bachao Abhiyan, taking a dig at the Loktantra Bachao Mashal Shanti March that the Congress was taking out in Delhi.

Read Also: AAP MP confirms Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadha’s relationship

He also claimed that the BJP confiscated approximately 10,00,000 crore under the PMLA, and further claimed that during the Congress rule, that number was 5000 crore. PM also claimed that twenty thousand economic offenders who have fled, were caught by the BJP.

PM Modi also attributed the attack by the Opposition to be inspired due to BJP’s alleged crackdown on the corruption. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took a jab at the Opposition and said that the BJP’s crackdown on corruption will upset many, however, won’t be stopped based on Oppositon’s false allegation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeting the Opposition comes amid the recent coming together by the Opposition parties following Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the parliament. The Opposition parties also accused the Centre of arbitrary use of the Central agencies.

Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed handed life-sentence in Umesh Pal kidnapping case; brother Khalid Azim acquitted

Salman Khurshid confident on Rahul Gandhi’s return to Parliament, says he will be back soon