Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Mayawati not to contest polls, PM Modi amps up 'chowkidar' campaign - 20th March election wrap

BSP chief Mayawati Wednesday announced she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls but hinted she could still be in the running for the prime minister's post.

The statement announcing her decision pointedly mentioned that a minister or a prime minister has six months to become a member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

Here are major election headlines from March 20:

'Don't get disheartened': Mayawati

"In view of the present circumstances and the need of the country and the interests of the party, the movement and the public, it is the need of the hour that I do not contest the Lok Sabha polls, she said.

But she told party workers to not get disheartened with her decision.

"When I became the UP chief minister the first time in 1995, I was not a member of either the UP Assembly or the Council, she said. It is a similar provision at the Centre, where a person has to become a Lok Sabha or a Rajya Sabha member within six months of holding office of a minister or the prime minister, she added.

"Don't get disheartened by my decision to not contest the Lok Sabha polls now," Mayawati tweeted.

PM Modi interacts with 'chowkidars'

Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday, interacting with 2.5 lakh watchmen as part of a new campaign.

The BJP launched the "Mei Bhi Chowkidar" campaign to blunt Congress President Rahul Gandhi's "Chowkidar Chor Hai" slogan, targeting Modi over alleged corruption in the Rafale deal.
Some people are abusing 'chowkidar', bringing every watchman under cloud. They lacked guts to name me, Modi said in an attack on Gandhi. 

The PM interacted with the watchmen in various parts of the country through audio.

PM should stop thinking people are fools: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through everything

The Congress leader, who is in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, is on a three-day boat journey down the Ganga, meeting people living on the banks of the river as part of her outreach ahead of the elections beginning next month.

"The prime minister has attacked every institution in this country for the last five years, including the institution of which all of you are a part," Priyanka Gandhi told reporters.  "So I think the PM should stop thinking that people are fools and understand that they see through all this," she added.

"Even if anything is done, and we are harassed, we will not feel afraid. We will continue our fight against them. The more we are harassed, the stronger will be our fight," she said.

BJP's election panel meets

The BJP's central election committee (CEC) met Wednesday for a third time to deliberate on the names of its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and is believed to have finalised candidates for most of the seats going to the polls in the initial few phases.

It has so far not released any list of candidates for the seven-phase polls starting from April 11.

The CEC, whose meeting was attended by Modi, party president Amit Shah and its other members, held a long meeting with top BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh. It later met leaders from other states.

The party sources said names of candidates for a large number of seats is final and could be announced soon.

Nirav Modi's arrest in UK plays up in poll campaign

The BJP hailed the arrest of jeweller Nirav Modi by the London police and credited it to the work done by Indian investigative agencies and the Narendra Modi-led government's "political authority". 

Senior party leader and Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government is following the plea for the fugitive diamantaire's extradition in right earnest and asserted that India's global stature will be an "important factor".

Opposition leaders, on the other hand, attacked the ruling BJP and termed his arrest as a "pre-planned drama" by the government to derive a political mileage in view of the next month's Lok Sabha elections.

Railways to withdraw tickets carrying pics of PM 

The Railway Wednesday decided to withdraw tickets carrying photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was part of an advertisement campaign by a Union ministry.

The "suo motu" decision of the Railway not to use the tickets came a day after the Trinamool Congress approached the Election Commission, alleging that the use of such tickets was violative of the model code of conduct, which came into force on March 10 following the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, sources in the Railway said.

They pointed out that nearly 1 lakh such tickets were printed and a few were remaining in the lot. 

BJP asks EC to take action against AAP for violating poll code

 A delegation of Delhi BJP Wednesday met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and demanded "strong deterrent action" against the Aam Aadmi Party for violating the model code of conduct by allegedly playing the religious card to disturb communal harmony. 

The delegation comprising the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta, party MP from South Delhi Ramesh Bidhuri and other leaders including Subhash Arya, Subhash Sachdeva and Rajiv Babbar submitted a memorandum against the "misinformation campaign" by the AAP through its call centres. 

Congress, NC finalise alliance in J&K

The Congress and the National Conference Wednesday announced an alliance in Jammu and Kashmir for the Lok Sabha polls, saying it is in national interest and will help strengthen secular forces.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and NC patron Farooq Abdullah jointly told the media while the Congress will contest the Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha seats, National Conference will fight from Srinagar.
 
There will be a "friendly contest" between the two parties on the Anantnag and Baramulla seats, they said.