Daily Briefing: EC order to BJP, Congress; questions in Pune Porsche crash; and more

The Election Commission has ordered BJP star campaigners to “refrain from utterances along religious/communal lines” and Congress star campaigners to not spread the “false impression that the Constitution may be abolished”.

Meanwhile, the poll panel told the Supreme Court — in a plea for uploading voter turnout data at the close of polling day — that it cannot upload Form 17C, which is the record of votes polled at a polling station, because there is no legal mandate to give it to anyone other than candidates and their agents.

As the long-drawn summer election stretches on, drawing on the last reserves of candidates and voters, political parties have relied on a key weapon in their arsenal: the political meme.

And lastly, continuing our series on the history of Lok Sabha polls, we take a look at the 1996 elections, following which India got three Prime Ministers in two years.

Only in Express

Ever since the Agnipath scheme was launched, it has been embroiled in debate. The Army is conducting its own survey to assess the scheme’s impact on its recruitment process so far, based on which it is likely to draw up recommendations for the incoming government on possible changes.

In the ongoing probe into the allegations of rape and sexual harassment against Prajwal Revanna, the Karnataka Police’s team has heard details from “20 to 30” people, men and women, that back its case against the MP.

From the First Page

An MLA who landed up at the police station past 3 am, a blood alcohol test conducted after over eight hours, and allegations of leniency by the Juvenile Justice Board — as the death of two youths in the Pune Porsche accident draws national attention, questions are emerging on whether there were attempts to shield the accused.

Nikhil Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities at the request of the US government. Almost a year later, the highest court of the country has cleared the decks for Gupta’s extradition to the US to be tried for allegedly plotting to kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun at the behest of an Indian government official.

The Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India has approved a highest-ever surplus transfer, or dividend, of Rs 2.11 lakh crore to the Central government for the accounting year 2023-24. The bumper dividend payout is likely to help ease FY25 fiscal deficit by around 0.2 per cent of the GDP, say analysts.

Must Read

In our Opinion section today, Shyam Saran writes on India’s reconnect with Iran: “In recent years, India-Iran relations have been marked by a certain wariness and even distance. Iran has been disappointed by India’s unwillingness to risk its strategic and economic interests with the US and the West in general while pursuing closer relations with Iran.”

The India Meteorological Department has forecast above-normal rain in the upcoming monsoon season in India, with “favourable” La Nina conditions expected to set in by August-September. Another recent bulletin from the IMD noted how the strength of El Niño conditions has weakened now. We explain why the withdrawal and onset of El Niño or La Nina conditions matter, and how it impacts the world.

And Finally…

IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore ended losing streak with a nervy chase last night, after virtuoso displays from Ashwin and Boult of Rajasthan Royals. We recap the action-packed game.

Delhi Confidential: Campaigning for Preneet Kaur, the BJP candidate from Patiala Lok Sabha seat, Union Minister Hardeep Puri told her that her Patiala royal family’s Moti Bagh Palace was no match for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s “sheesh mahal”. Don’t miss today’s column for more!

🎧 In the latest episode of our ‘3 Things’ podcast, we discuss the biggest narratives dominating the Odisha polls, why India’s wheat production has hit a 16-year low, and the Election Commission notices to the BJP and Congress Party. Tune in!

Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta and Ayesha Jain