Today in Politics: EC to announce Lok Sabha poll schedule 3 pm onwards, PM Modi on Kharge turf

In West Bengal, there is a possibility of the voting again being extended over several phases. In 2014, which was a 10-phase election, the election in Bengal was held over five phases, among the highest behind UP at six. This time, West Bengal is a crucial battleground and the EC has sanctioned 920 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for deployment in Bengal. It is the highest among all states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur. Elections in West Bengal often tend to witness widespread violence. Both the 2021 Assembly elections and the three-tier panchayat polls last year saw violence.

According to sources, the poll panel has sanctioned 635 CAPF units for Jammu and Kashmir, 360 for Chhattisgarh, 295 for Bihar, 252 companies for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, 250 for Jharkhand, 200 for Manipur, Gujarat and Rajasthan, 150 for Maharashtra, and 113 for Madhya Pradesh.

Follow the election announcement live from 3 pm onwards:

Where Modi is today

An hour before the poll schedule is out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s home turf Kalaburagi to address a mega public meeting.

Kharge represented the Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency for two terms starting in 2009 but lost five years ago to the BJP’s Umesh Jadhav by 95,452 votes. It was Kharge’s first electoral loss. The BJP has once again fielded Jadhav from the constituency but, according to reports, it is not Kharge but his brother-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani who may get the Congress ticket. Kharge, 83, is learnt to be not too keen on contesting the election as being the Congress president warrants him to take a lead role in campaigning for candidates across India. It is to be seen if PM Modi brings this up in his speech.

Later in the day, the PM is scheduled to address the India Today Conclave on “Redefining Bharat”.

Rahul yatra draws to an end

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will conclude his two-month-long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, in Mumbai on Saturday. How successful this second edition of the Congress yatra has been will be apparent in due course of time. For now, the question remains: would not the Congress have been better served if it had concentrated on formulating alliances and strategies to mobilise quicker against the BJP and its allies on the ground rather than spending its energy and resources on this yatra?

For instance, in Maharashtra, the seat-sharing agreement in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has been hanging fire for over two months now. Though the BJP has already declared 20 of 48 Lok Sabha candidates, the MVA is stuck. As Alok Deshpande reported earlier this week, “According to Congress insiders, the talks are stuck because the others in the alliance and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) of Prakash Ambedkar. which is in talks with the MVA, have staked claim on seats the party wants. According to the VBA, the differences between the Congress and the other parties extend to at least 15 constituencies.”

Around 1 am on Saturday, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal posted on X, “On the eve of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra culmination, had extremely fruitful INDIA alliance discussions with esteemed leaders from Shiv Sena and NCP in Mumbai.”

On the eve of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra culmination, had extremely fruitful INDIA alliance discussions with esteemed leaders from Shiv Sena and NCP in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/47FtIb6xmo

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) March 15, 2024

Along with him, the party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala and general secretary Mukul Wasnik, state Congress president Nana Patole, and senior leader Balasaheb Thorat met NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad and Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) that had earlier participated in talks was absent.

Before the meeting, Raut said the VBA had been offered four seats and indicated that Ambedkar was creating hurdles in finalising the seat-sharing agreement.