Daily Briefing: Voting for Phase 4 of Lok Sabha Polls begins; a slice of Paris in Haryana; Heeramandi’s ‘injustice’; and more

As the second phase of Lok Sabha elections begins, 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories are up for voting today. Last time, NDA won 47 seats, regional parties got 35, and INDIA Bloc parties secured 11. Take a look at key candidates, their pending criminal cases, and who among them is the richest as we analyse the data.

Follow our live blog to catch all the latest updates from polling booths across the country.

On the eve of voting in Srinagar, two prominent Valley parties, the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference, alleged that the J&K administration was intimidating and detaining their workers to favour a specific political party. As the Election Commission denies these claims, here’s all you need to know about the controversy.

Only in Express

At the Idea Exchange this week, Sajad Lone, president of the People’s Conference speaks to the Indian Express on fighting the Lok Sabha election after 15 years, contesting against Omar Abdullah, his arrest post the abrogation of Article 370 and being called a ‘BJP proxy’. 

From the Front Page

With the organisational structure for the creation of integrated theatre commands, likely to be headquartered in Jaipur, Lucknow, and Coimbatore, now in place, the Armed Forces are now looking to appoint a Vice Chief of Defence Staff and a Deputy Chief of Defence Staff.

“These are not the days of Robin Hood,” says Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in an interview with Financial Express. Slamming the Congress, she said that the party’s idea of wealth redistribution was nothing but robbing Peter to pay Paul, something that was not only an outdated approach but also an irresponsible one.

Must Read

In our latest series tracking the history of Lok Sabha elections in India, we take a look at why the Congress hit ‘400 paar’ in 1984 elections, and how Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure was marred by struggles.

In our Opinion section, Manjari Chaturvedi writes on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest, ‘Heeramandi’: “Great directors and artistes reclaim lost histories to give credit to the vilified and the misrepresented. Instead, Bhansali cemented an injustice.”

And Finally

In a corner of Haryana, there will soon be a small slice of central Paris. While it won’t be an exact replica of the iconic gardens of Les Invalides, the lawns of the sports’ body in Sonepat will be “very similar”.T he preparation for the Paris Games, isn’t merely about the look and feel. In Sonepat, the archers are also getting a helping hand from a top name from the most successful archery nation, South Korea. Read Mihir Vasavda’s report.

Delhi Confidential: The sudden demotion of Akash Anand in the BSP has affected the pace of party chief Mayawati’s Lok Sabha poll campaign. Earlier, Akash, as the national coordinator, was addressing rallies and holding meetings with local party units. But after removing him from these positions, Mayawati is holding the responsibility of all the states herself.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail, why the Kargil unit of the National Conference resigned collectively, and the forest fires in Uttarakhand.

Until next time,

Sonal Gupta and Aradhana Kalia

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