Elections News Digest: Pinarayi Vijayan Slams Amit Shah

Wayanad:Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for calling Wayanad, from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections, as Pakistan.

Shah, while campaigning in North India, pointed out that Wayanad resembles Pakistan as he referred to the innumerable green flags of the Indian Union Muslim League, the second biggest ally of the Congress, during Gandhi's visit.

Speaking at an election rally here, Vijayan said it was strange that Shah had no clue about Wayanad and its historical relevance.

"What does he know of Wayanad? It's here that the legendary warrior king Pazhassi Raja staunchly fought the British. And without knowing history, he (Shah) relates this place with Pakistan," said a fuming Vijayan.

Kerala goes to the polls on April 23 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. --IANS

Anti-BJP Voters' Names Removed: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that names of BJP's opponents across India were removed from the voters' list.

"Reports coming from all across India say votes have been deleted on an unprecedented scale," the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted.

His another tweet read: "Anti-BJP votes deleted all across India."

Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeted that her mother's name was deleted on a "flimsy excuse that there was a report that she no longer lives at her address".

Shobana Kamineni, daughter of Apollo Hospitals Founder Prathap Reddy, said she felt cheated after she was told by a polling official that her name was deleted from the voter list. --IANS

‘Namo Food’ Packets in UP Polling Booth

New Delhi: Voters who were in queue on Thursday in a polling booth in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Budhh Nagar, bordering New Delhi, saw saffron coloured food packets from ‘Namo Foods’ being distributed. Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is referred to a ‘NaMo’ in many poll campaigns and posters.

Videos and photos of ‘police’ vans carrying such food packets went viral on social media, after which UP’s chief electoral officer has asked for a report on this by the Gautam Budhh Nagar District magistrate, keeping the model code of conduct in minds.

According to a report by News18, the areas’ police officer concerned denied any link of the food packets with the Bharatiya Janata Party, though he did not deny that such packets were seen near the booth.

“There is some misinformation being spread that some policemen have been distributed food from a political party. This is absolutely wrong. At local level some food packets were procured from Namo Food Shop and not from any political party. Some people are spreading wrong and politically motivated rumours. And there is no official order to procure food from any particular food outlet,” SSP Vaibhav Krishna told News18.

Interestingly, News18 said when it reached out to Namo Foods, the food shop said they did not supply any packets. “We did not supply any food packets. Our shop is closed since Wednesday evening. We don’t know about any order,” said a staffer of Namo Foods. -- Newsclick

Nizamabad May Enter Guinness Book with Record EVMs

Hyderabad: The Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, where polling was underway on Thursday along with 16 other constituencies in Telangana, may make it the Guinness World Records for the maximum number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used.

With 185 candidates, a majority of them farmers, entering the fray, the Election Commission is using 12 EVMs in each polling station.

Nizamabad not only created the record for the highest number of candidates but also became the first constituency in the country to witness polling with EVMs for such a large number of candidates.

As many as 178 farmers filed the nominations to highlight the demand for remunerative prices for turmeric and red jowar, posing a challenge for the Election Commission. -- IANS