Elections 2019: From Pulwama to MSP, in west UP, the devil is in the detail

In UP’s Jat belt, closer to Delhi, it’s Pulwama, Modi but in the hinterland, it’s back to economic basics

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Jawli village in Ghaziabad district is about 34 km to the east of Delhi and Khanupur in Muzaffarnagar district is 133 km away. The distance is a signifier at least in one aspect: closer to Delhi, the inhabitants of the rural pockets had the “national” picture in mind when they discussed elections. Pulwama, the air strikes and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘valour’ occupied the mind space. 

Further away from the National Capital Region (NCR), the issues were basic, impinging on people’s livelihoods and quotidian concerns. Although both the districts — Jat-dominated Muzaffarnagar more so — have families with historical links to the military and one or more members working in the armed forces, the perceptions about the India-Pakistan conflicts varied.

If Jawli celebrated Modi’s “courage”, at Shahpur Badoli, nearly 50 kms away, the students of Baghpat colleges asked tough questions. Amit Tomar, a 21-year Commerce student, said, “Till today, the government has not showed proof that 300 persons were killed by our Air Force in Pakistan. I have two brothers in the military, one in Srinagar and the other on the Punjab border so nobody can accuse me of being anti-national.”

Gyanendra Kumar and Bijendra Kasana are farmers from the Gujjar backward caste, owned land and a small dairy business in Jawli. “Note ‘bandi’ has finished off the once prosperous real estate business in these parts. Everything is done in white (money) so nobody wants to buy or sell property. Didn’t you see hundreds of unoccupied apartments in Ghaziabad?” asked Kasana.

Yet none of them blamed the Modi government for the market stagnancy. “We are looking only at Modi. Demonetisation was good because it eliminated the fly by night operators and dubious dealers. They thrived in our region, living in huge mansions with a fleet of SUVs. Where did the money come from? Modi wiped it out. It gives people like me who earn modestly, a good feeling,” said Sardar Singh, a Jawli diary farmer.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: How to check voter information on computer, phone

Voting to elect the 17th Lok Sabha will be held over seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23. Here’s how to check if your name figures in voters list

The Election Commission (EC) of India on March 10 announced the  Lok sabha Elections 2019 schedule. Polling will take place in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. With elections around the corner, you might like to check if your name figures in the voters list and verify your voter information, such as name, father’s name, address, constituency, booth and polling station. This information can be checked online on a computer or on a mobile phone. In case of information mismatch, you can also raise a request for changes from the comfort of your home.

Here are the steps for checking voter information online:

On a computer

Step 1: Open your internet browser and go to the National Voters’ Services Portal’s electoral search page (https://electoralsearch.in/).

Step 2: On the welcome page, the portal shows the facilities that you can avail of using the portal. These include searching your name in the National Electoral Roll. Click on the continue button at the bottom to go to the search window.

Step 3: The search window has two provisions to retrieve voters’ information. You can either fill in some basic details like name, date of birth, state, district, etc, to retrieve information, or use your EPIC card number (Voter identity card) to search for details…

Read Full Story: How to check voter details online

Lok Sabha elections : Rahul attacks PM over ‘missing Rafale files’

The campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections is set to get further steam on Thursday.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: For the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting in North Goa. Party chief Amit Shah will address workers from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be meeting booth-level party workers in Goa on Friday.

Meanwhile, the speculation over Hardik Patel’s entry into Congress has got more intense. Citing sources, PTI reported on Wednesday that the Patidar leader is likely to join the party on March 12. He is expected to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Jamnagar constituency in Gujarat.

Probe everybody including PM Modi in Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi

Accusing the government of manipulating institutions to “save” Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said it has spoken of investigating the media over the theft of Rafale documents but has not probed those involved in the “scam of over Rs 30,000 crore”. Investigate everyone but probe Modi as well, Gandhi told a press conference, accusing the prime minister of performing a “bypass surgery” in the purchase of the fighter aircraft for corruption, including benefiting businessman Anil Ambani. In defence ministry files, it is written that the Prime Minister’s Office carried out parallel negotiations in the fighter jet deal, then why can’t the PM be investigated, he asked…(Read more)