India General Elections 2024 updates | Highlights on May 21, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ‘boys will be boys’ remark while lauding the Yogi Adityanath government on women safety in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing a women’s conference in his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, Modi said women were neglected during the Congress and Samajwadi Party rule.

The controversial remark was made by Mulayam Singh Yadav a decade back while opposing capital punishment for rape. Modi said men can’t dare to repeat such mistakes in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

- PTI

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “five PMs in five years” remark, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said today that similar things were said even in 2004 but the UPA government completed two full terms under one PM, Manmohan Singh.

Addressing an election rally at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh on May16, Modi had said the INDIA bloc wants to make five Prime Ministers in five years and claimed that it will disintegrate after June 4.

Kharge responded by rejecting Modi’s claims.

“In UPA I and UPA II, we were supported by other parties and we completed full term,” Kharge said.

For 10 years, there was one Prime Minister, a person who came from the land of Punjab, ran the country and changed its economy, he said about former PM Manmohan Singh.

- PTI

Two polling booths in the Jhansi Lok Sabha constituency, where elections were held in the fifth phase on May 20, have recorded 100% voter turnout, officials said today.

According to a statement issued by the District Election Officer and District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi, all 375 voters — 198 men and 177 women — at booth number 277 in Saulda of Mehrauni Assembly cast their votes. Similarly, at booth number 355 in Bamhora Nagal village, all 441 registered voters — 235 men and 206 women — participated, it said.

Both these booths are located in the Lalitpur district.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have competed in the appeasement of their vote bank and called both parties “anti-development”.

“The SP and Congress are more concerned about their vote bank than Kumbh (mela),” he said, addressing a rally in Prayagraj, the region known for the Kumbh mela and the ‘Triveni Sangam’.

“This election of 2024 will decide the direction in which the Triveni of India’s future will flow,” Modi said.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should walk the talk and quit public life for indulging in Hindu-Muslim rhetoric everyday and “fostering hatred” in society, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said.

Read more here. 

The Congress on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a controversial remark on Lord Jagannath made by BJP Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra.

Mr. Patra while talking to reporters on Monday, had said that the State’s most revered deity “Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Later, Mr. Patra clarified that it was a “slip of the tongue” and he wanted to mean that the PM was an ardent ‘ bhakt’ (devotee) of Lord Jagannath and not the other.

Talking to media persons in front of Puri Jagannath temple on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “If Sambit Patra was in the Congress party, he would have been immediately expelled from the party for playing with the faith of crores of devotees of Lord Jagannath. The Prime Minister should expel Sambit Patra from the party.”

- PTI

Claiming that the NDA has already bagged 310 seats after the completion of five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged the people of Odisha to free the state from “babu-raj” and allow the BJP to form government at the Centre and also in the State.

Addressing two election rallies in Sambalpur where the BJP has fielded Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr. Shah said this time lotus, the party’s symbol, will bloom in Odisha.

“After the fifth phase of polls, the NDA has already bagged 310 seats. We will secure 400 plus seats after the sixth and seventh rounds of polls,” Mr. Shah claimed.

- PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was heartbroken over the plight of women in Sandeshkhali but asserted that the BJP should not have played with the dignity of women in the trouble-torn area as the “saffron camp’s conspiracy now stands exposed”.

While addressing a rally in Basirhat, Ms. Banerjee slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking to Sandeshkhali protester and BJP candidate Rekha Patra over the phone, alleging that the country has the “worst track record in terms of women’s safety and security under the BJP rule”.

Sandeshkhali falls under the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Pargnas. district.

“I am sorry for whatever has happened to the women of Sandeshkhali and the way they have been humiliated. I express my sadness from the core of my heart. Nobody should dare to play with the dignity of women,” Ms. Banerjee said.

- PTI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday slammed Congress leaders for spreading lies that the NDA intends to change the constitution and said leaders of the grand old party should stop talking about such things as they “failed” to protect the constitution of their own party just to promote one family.

“Congress and RJD leaders are spreading lies that the BJP-led NDA would change the Constitution after coming to power. Congress leaders should stop talking about protecting the Constitution. How can they talk about such things, when Congress leaders failed to protect the constitution of their own party? They must remember how former Congress president Sitaram Kesri was locked in a room to prevent any obstacle in Sonia Gandhi’s elevation in the party”, she said while interacting with media persons in Patna.

- PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said former Pakistan Minister Fawad Hussain, who stated that terrorists of his country were behind the Pulwama and Uri attacks, was praising Rahul Gandhi, and sought to know whether such a leader, who was being hailed by an “enemy”, should be “allowed” to form a government.

Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Bokaro, he said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was, is and would always remain India’s.

“Ex-Pakistan minister Fawad Hussain has said that Pakistani terrorists were behind the Pulwama and Uri attacks. Same Fawad Hussain does not praise PM Modi but he is praising Rahul Gandhi with comments such as ‘Rahul on Fire’. I want to ask you whether such a leader who is praised by enemies should be respected. Should he be allowed to form the government? Which direction they want to take the country? I appeal to you to save the country,” Mr. Singh said.

- PTI

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been indulging in polarisation throughout the election and preparing a “communal pitch”, but it refused to play on that and pursued its ‘paach nyay’ agenda.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh’s attack came over Modi’s remarks in an interview with PTI in which he had said that he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them.

Mr. Ramesh claimed that Prime Minister Modi’s entire campaign from April 19 has been based on “communalisation” with the Hindu-Muslim rhetoric throughout and “no talk of Viksit Bharat, Modi ki guarantee, or issues of the farmers, youth, women, workers, SCs, STs and OBCs”.

Asked about the remarks, Mr. Ramesh said, “What nonsense is he talking about. This prime minister is fast losing his memory. He has never had any adherence to truth. He is ‘jhoothjeevi’, but now what he says today, he forgets tomorrow and says he never said it.” 

“Of course he has been attacking the Congress party and has been talking of Hindu-Muslim,” he said.

- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘ Jhoothon Ka Sardar’ and claimed that the BJP wanted to end democracy.

Addressing his first rally in Haryana, Mr. Kharge said people are fed up with the BJP.

“There are a few people who say ‘Modi, Modi’. He is a ‘ jhoothon ka sardar’ (King of liars). Still you say ‘Modi Modi’. I do not want to abuse anyone and I am not against Modi. But I am certainly against Modi’s ideology and am fighting against it,” Mr. Kharge said in the Haryana’s Jagadhri city.

- PTI

One person was killed and three others injured in post-poll violence in Bihar’s Saran district on Tuesday morning, police said.

The incident happened in the Bada Telma area near Bhikhari Thakur Chowk, they said.

An altercation broke out between two groups, said to be supporters of the BJP and RJD, over allegations of irregularities during polling that happened on Monday in the area, amid which shots were fired.

One person was killed on the spot, and three others were injured, a police officer said.

The deceased was identified as Chandan Yadav (25), he added.

- PTI

Ruling DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the missing keys of Lord Jagannath’s treasury in Odisha have gone to Tamil Nadu, alleging it was an attempt at maligning Tamils for the sake of votes.

Mr. Modi should stop making such maligning remarks against Tamils, he said in a statement, a day after Mr. Modi’s comments came at an election rally in Odisha.

While lashing out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha on Monday, the PM had said that “even the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri is not safe in the hands of this government,”, expressing concern over the missing keys of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury) for the last six years.

- PTI

The Election Commission of India has censured former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP candidate from Tamluk in West Bengal Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his remarks against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and barred him from campaigning for 24 hours from 5 p.m. today.

Read more here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday alleged that the INDIA bloc was communal, casteist and dynastic, and all constituents of the alliance displayed these evils to a “severe” degree, “cent per cent”.

Mr. Modi launched the blistering attack at rallies in Mahrajganj and Purvi Champaran Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, where he also predicted a “big blow” for the opposition alliance that stood for corruption, appeasement politics and “perverted anti-Sanatan mindset”, on June 4 when Lok Sabha poll results would be out.

The PM, who is seeking a third consecutive term in office, also underscored that he was leaving no “viraasat (inheritance)“ since he considered the people of the country as his only “waaris (successor)“.

- PTI

Despite fielding her party’s candidates against the National Conference on three Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said her party continues to be a part of INDIA bloc on ideological basis and agrees with it on the need to safeguard the Constitution.

The NC, also a part of the INDIA bloc, has put up three candidates on Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats after reaching an agreement with the Congress, which has put up its candidates in Jammu, Udhampur, and Ladakh.

The PDP, however, was not given any seat and the party subsequently decided to fight elections against NC on the valley seat, while extending its support to Congress in the Jammu region.

- PTI

People’s Conference leader Imran Ansari has been booked for allegedly manhandling a police officer and a polling official while voting was underway at a booth in the Baramulla district in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday, officials said.

P.K. Pole, Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir, said he has sought a report from the Baramulla SSP over the incident.

The incident took place at a polling station in Baramulla’s Pattan area where Ansari allegedly assaulted a polling official and a police officer, the officials said.

Two separate first information reports (FIR) have been registered against him under relevant sections of the Representation of People’s Act, they added.

- PTI

Former AAP leader Jagbir Singh Brar joined the BJP here on Tuesday ahead of the remaining two phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Brar, a former Punjab MLA, joined the BJP here at the party headquarters in the presence of senior leaders, including party national general secretary Tarun Chugh.

Before joining the AAP about a year ago, Brar was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

He had won the Jalandhar Cantonment seat on a SAD ticket in the 2007 assembly elections.

He also served as president of the Congress’ Jalandhar district unit in the past, BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla told reporters at a press conference at the party headquarters.

- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said with the completion of each phase of the Lok Sabha polls, it is becoming clearer that the Narendra Modi government is on its way out and the INDIA bloc is coming to power on June 4. 

Addressing a virtual press conference, Mr. Kejriwal said the INDIA bloc will give a stable government to the country. “With each passing poll phase, it is becoming clearer that the Modi government is on its way out and tge INDIA bloc will come to power on June 4,” he said. 

The Chief Minister claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath abused him in their poll rallies held in Delhi on Monday. .

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 21 slammed the Opposition Congress party INDIA (Indian National Development, inclusive Alliance) bloc, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) while raking issues of corruption, reservation, inflation, abrogation of article 370 and construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya. 

“Congress party wants reservation based on religion. Had Baba Sahib Ambedkar not been there, former PM Nehru would have not made reservations happen for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)”, PM Modi said at a public meeting in Motihari of the East Champaran district. He is to address another public meeting at Goriakothi in Maharajganj of Saran district later in the day. 

Mr. Modi reached Patna, on May 20 evening and visited the residence of senior State party leader and former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi who passed away recently, to offer his condolences to the bereaved family. After that, he also visited Bihar BJP party headquarters to address party leaders and stayed at the Raj Bhawan at night. 

They (Opposition) want to snatch SC/ST/ OBC (Other Backward Class) reservations from you for the jihadis (those who pursue militant Islamic movement). For this they want to change the constitution”, alleged PM Modi, adding, “but not to make it happen, you have to give a strong government at the center”. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday alleged that the INDIA bloc stood for corruption, appeasement politics and a “perverted anti-Sanatan mindset”, all of which would receive a “big blow” when the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on June 4.

Addressing an election rally in the East Champaran Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, the PM also launched indirect attacks on leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, who he said were “born with silver spoons”.

“The nation cannot move forward with the sins of the INDIA bloc, which stands for corruption, appeasement politics, represents the ‘ tukde-tukde’ gang and a perverted mindset that heaps scorn on Sanatan Dharma,” he said.

“This is the reason why the INDIA bloc was exhausted in the very first phase of the elections. In the subsequent phases, it was battered. In the remaining two phases, the trend will continue and on June 4 when votes are counted, the results will come as a big blow to the intentions of the opposition alliance,” he claimed.

Mr. Modi alleged that Congress wants to change the Constitution to “snatch” reservations from SCs, STs and OBCs, and hand it over to those who indulge in “vote jihad”.

“If Ambedkar was not there, Nehru would not have allowed reservation for SCs and STs,” he claimed.

Mr. Modi also bristled at the opposition parties’ criticism of welfare schemes run by his government, claiming his opponents had “bundles of notes stashed away in Swiss banks” and could not understand the plight of the common people “the way I do, having been born in a poor family”.

“They were opening accounts in Swiss banks, while the people of India were starving,” he alleged.

Referring to Tejashwi Yadav, whom he did not mention by name, Mr. Modi said, “I am told that the ‘waaris of jungle raaj’ has been saying I will be advised bed rest after the Lok Sabha elections. The ‘ shehzada’ of Congress says he wants to see me in tears. His party openly chants slogans like ‘ Modi teri kabr khudegi’ (your grave will be dug).” “These people have a counterpart in Uttar Pradesh (an allusion to Akhilesh Yadav) who says I have reached the end of my life and hence contesting from Varanasi,” said Modi, adding that the remarks betrayed a lack of sensitivity on the part of those “born with silver spoons, who have never known what is a life filled with struggles”.

In his speech, Mr. Modi also made a reference to the much-talked-about feast Gandhi had enjoyed at Lalu Prasad’s residence last year.

“Those who refused the invitation to the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya had no problems in sharing a meal with the corrupt,” he said.

Modi also referred to East Champaran as Mahatma Gandhi’s “karma bhoomi” and his own roots in Gujarat “the janmabhoomi (place of birth)“.

“The Congress betrayed his ideals upon coming to power and devoted itself to promoting the interests of one family,” he alleged.

“I have spent my first 10 years in power filling the potholes left by the Congress. I intend to speed up progress in the next term,” said Modi as he spoke about his thrust on welfare measures like toilets for women “who had to suffer physical ailments because of the absence of this very basic of all amenities”. 

PTI

Addressing a rally in Bihar’s Motihari on Tuesday, Mr. Modi said India of the 21st Century cannot move ahead with INDIA bloc’s sins. 

“Entire world will witness how the INDIA bloc is routed in this election by people,” he said. 

He alleged that the Congress forgot Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology and put all efforts into promoting one family and wasted India’s 60 years. 

“They opened accounts in Swiss banks, while people of India starved,” he said. 

He further said that the Congress leaders stating that ‘Modi’s grave will be dug’, they don’t have any agenda other than abusing me. 

Attacking the Congress and the RJD, Mr. Modi said, “They don’t have time to visit Ram temple, but they have ample time to visit a convicted person’s house and cook food.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slapped a show cause notice to former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha for not showing interest in “organisational work” and “election campaigning” ever since the party fielded Manish Jaiswal as the candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. 

“You have not taken any interest in organisational work and election campaigning ever since the party declared Manish Jaiswal as the candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. You did not even feel the need to exercise your vote. The party’s image has been maligned because of your conduct,” the notice from the Jharkhand unit of BJP read. 

ANI

An average voter turnout of 54.33 per cent has been recorded in 13 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra during the fifth phase of polling, as per the latest data available with the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer.

The final figures will be declared later, an official from the CEO’s office said on Tuesday.

During the voting held in the 13 seats on Monday, six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai recorded an average turnout of 52.27 per cent, compared to 55.38 per cent in the 2019 general elections.

The ST-reserved Dindori constituency (in Nashik district) recorded the highest turnout at 62.66 per cent while Kalyan saw the lowest polling at 47.08 per cent - PTI

Police have registered an FIR against a 39-year-old woman for allegedly creating nuisance at a polling booth in Bhiwandi area of Maharashtra’s Thane district, an official said on Tuesday.

The woman entered the polling booth set up at a zilla parishad school at Govegaon in Bhiwandi at around 8.15 am, the official from Kongaon police station said.She allegedly violated the instructions displayed outside the polling booth and created nuisance there. The woman, resident of Bhiwandi area, shouted loudly and posed hurdles in the work of the polling staff, he said.

Based on a complaint by a poll staffer, an FIR was registered on Monday against the woman under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), and provisions of the Representation of the People Act-1951, the official said. 

The FIR did not specify if the accused was a voter.The police have issued a notice to the woman who has not been arrested so far, the official said.- PTI

For the traders and industry in Amritsar, resumption of trade with Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route is a key poll issue. They say reviving cross-border trade will also benefit farmers, transporters and labourers. The volume of trade between India and Pakistan through the land route used to be around Rs 5,000 crore per annum before the bilateral trade ties were suspended in 2019.

Resuming trade with Pakistan will not only boost the economy of Amritsar but it will also create more employment opportunities, the traders said.

The local industry has made it clear to the candidates of all major political parties that the revival of trade was necessary for the betterment and development of Amritsar.

Amritsar along with 12 other parliamentary constituencies of Punjab will go to polls in the final round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on June 1.

“The government must resume trade with Pakistan because in Amritsar there is no manufacturing industry,” said Amritsar-based industrialist Rajdeep Uppal. “A pillar of Amritsar’s economy was the Indo-Pak trade which benefitted not only economically but was the largest confidence-building measure for peace in the region,” said Uppal, who is the former chairman of CII Amritsar Zone council.- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday asserted that the response of the people towards his party and INDIA bloc has changed significantly and there is a big undercurrent in favour of the alliance which will be able to stop the BJP from getting the majority numbers in Lok Sabha polls. 

In an interview with PTI, he said it is the people who are now fighting for them and against the ideology of the BJP and the RSS which spreads “hatred and division” in society.

The Congress chief said people feel the fight is now to save democracy and the Constitution and have extended support to the party. 

Mr. Kharge also accused the BJP of repeatedly instigating people and “emotionally looting” them in the name of Ram Temple, Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan and claimed they have now understood their true colours.

“After travelling across the country, we are getting the sense that there is a big undercurrent in our favour. The Congress party and coalition partners of INDIA bloc will get more seats this time. We will be able to stop the BJP from getting the seats required for coming to power. I feel the BJP will not be able to form its government,” he said. - PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, May 21, 2023, hailed the people of Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency as it recorded its highest-ever voter turnout, and said such active participation is a great trend.

The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which was once militancy-infested, recorded its highest-ever voter turnout at 59 per cent on a violence-free polling day on Monday. Read more

Bansuri Swaraj, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday expressed confidence in India’s continued progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.”Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India will continue to progress and advance,” Ms. Swaraj stated. 

After visiting the Hanuman temple for the Mangal Aarti on the auspicious Tuesday, Ms. Swaraj shared her gratitude and optimism. 

“Today, I visited the Hanuman temple for the Mangal Aarti. I did not ask for anything; I just thanked Baba and sought the blessings of Balaji Maharaj. It has been around 78 days of campaigning, and I am here to express my gratitude for the love and blessings from the people. With Hanuman Ji’s grace, we will surely achieve victory in this race, and the people of Delhi will give BJP all 7 seats,” Ms.Swaraj said. - ANI

Halfway through the Lok Sabha election in West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee has opened a new front, that against Hindu monks, stirring the poll pot in the State.

For the second time in three days, the Chief Minister targeted a prominent monk of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) and blamed him for the riots at Beldanga in Murshidabad during Ram Navami processions last month. Read more

As polling for parliamentary elections in Haryana draws closer, the Bharatiya Janta Party’s (BJP) campaigning efforts are reaching a peak, with top leaders hitting the ground with back-to-back rallies.

With less than a week left for the State to go to the polls on May 25, the BJP has deployed a battery of prominent leaders to garner support. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that people have decided they want a strong BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, saying the wave in its support is “getting stronger and stronger”.

He posted on X following the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls a day earlier, expressing gratitude to those who voted.

“INDI Alliance can try any sort of votebank politics, the people will not believe them. They are totally discredited and dejected,” the prime minister said in the post.

He added, “The wave of support for NDA is getting stronger and stronger. The people of India have decided that they want a strong NDA government at the Centre.” Over 59 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union territories in the fifth phase of the general assembly elections. - PTI

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the Congress would win at least 15 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the State.

“We will win a minimum of 15 seats and the maximum will be 20 seats,” he said while addressing a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Bengaluru to mark the completion of the first year of the Congress government in the State. Read more

In contrast to the voting trend in the State in general and the majority of Assembly constituencies of Tirupati district in particular, the Tirupati and Satyavedu Assembly segments have shown a peculiar dip in the polling percentage this year compared to the previous elections.

Although the dip in the Tirupati Assembly segment’s poll percentage is attributed to the general trend of prevailing disinterest in voting among urban voters, the reason for the declined polling percentage in the Satyavedu segment, a reserved constituency with a predominantly rural background, remained a puzzle for the poll pundits. Read more

The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat recorded 67.15% voting, till 5 p.m. on May 20, in its first-ever election since the region was made a Union Territory in 2019.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer of the Union Territory, Leh district, where Buddhists are in majority, recorded 62.5% polling, and Kargil, Ladakh’s Muslim-majority district, recorded 71.45% voting. 

Over the years, there has been a downward trend in Ladakh’s voting. From 73.52% polling in 2004, it touched 71.05% in 2019 and dropped further this year. Ladakh has witnessed growing outmigration of local students and businessmen.

That said, many see this election as crucial for pushing the demands of Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.