NewDelhi: With exactly a week to go for the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019 on April 11, the political battle heated up on the ground. Amid a series of poll campaigns and filing nominations, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. Nearly 90 crore people will elect the members of the 17th Lok Sabha, polls for which will be held in seven phases on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The results will be announced on May 23.
Here are the top developments on April 4, Thursday:
* Actor Rajpal Yadav arrives at Delhi Congress Chief Sheila Dikshit’s residence in Delhi, fuels rumours of joining Congress.
* Congress President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary UP-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach Wayanad, from where he’ll file his nomination. Hundreds of supporters have gathered to welcome them. The duo will now embark on a mega roadshow.
* Rahul and Priyanka leave for Wayanad from Calicut in a chopper.
* Political parties have spent more than Rs 37 crore on 831 election advertisements since February 19 on Google platforms.
* The BJP the top advertiser with a total advertisement expense of Rs 1.21 crore for 554 ads, accounting for 32 per cent of the total ad expenditure on Google. At the second position is Jagan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party, which spent over Rs 1.04 crore on 107 Google ads. Pramanya Strategy Consulting Private Limited and Digital Consulting Pvt Ltd, which promotes the Telugu Desham Party (TDP) and its chief Chandrababu Naidu, ranked third and fourth on the list respectively. Congress ranked a distant sixth with an expenditure of Rs 54,100 on 14 ads, accounting for a meagre 0.14 per cent share.
* Google releases Indian Transparency Report ahead of Lok Sabha Election 2019, detailing the amount spent by political parties on election advertisements since February 19.
* Body of a 42-year-old man was found hanging at the booth office of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in West Bengal’s Siliguri on Thursday morning.
* Election Commission of India has seized Rs 377.511 crore cash, Rs 157 Crore worth liquor, Rs 705 Crore worth drugs & precious metals worth Rs 312 Crore till date:
* Rahul and Priyanka will embark on a massive road-show at around 9.30 am before filing the nomination papers from Wayanad.
* Congress President Rahul will file his second nomination from Wayanad around 11.30 am on Thursday. Rahul arrived with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, in Kozhikode on Wednesday. The Gandhi scions were greeted by hundreds of UDF supporters, who had been waiting hours to see them. Rahul will also contest from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, his traditional stronghold.
* BJP president Amit Shah to hold roadshow in Andhra Pradesh’ Visakhapatnam on Thursday. Shah will also address public meetings in Telangana.
* The Congress will hold press conferences in 22 states and Union Territories across the country on Thursday to unveil its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While senior leader Anand Sharma will address a press conference in Mumbai, Kapil Sibal will address a press conference in Bengaluru, Sharmishtha Mukherjee in Chennai, Pawan Khera in Kolkata and Rajeev Gowda will hold a press conference in Hyderabad.
* BSP chief Mayawati and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan, who formed an alliance for the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, will campaign in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
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