Breaking News Live Updates: PM Modi to begin BJP’s Lok Sabha poll campaign in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan today | India News

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that he will not fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Badal said this after holding a day-long meeting with the party leaders, district party presidents and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members here to discuss candidates for the parliamentary seats of the state

The Congress will release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections here on April 5 with its top leaders addressing mega rallies in Jaipur and Hyderabad the next day. “After vast deliberations with people from across the country, the Congress will be releasing its vision document, the manifesto, on 5th April at AICC headquarters. Subsequently, we will hold two Mega Rallies on 6th April – in Jaipur and Hyderabad,” AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said in a post on X.

In Jaipur, he said, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will release the manifesto and address mega rallies.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday accused the BJP of wanting to impose President’s rule in Delhi by poaching its MLAs and breaking the party, even as its Kirari MLA Rituraj Jha claimed that he was offered Rs 25 crore to join the saffron party. The BJP hit back and said that Jha, who represents the Kirari Assembly constituency, should disclose the name of the person offering bribes or be prepared to face legal action.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the country’s defence exports have scaled to “unprecedented heights” and crossed Rs 21,000 crore for the “first time” in the history of independent India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “monumental achievement” in the defence sector and “manifestation of our nation’s growing capabilities”.

The defence ministry in a statement on Monday said defence exports have touched a record Rs 21,083 crore (approximately USD 2.63 billion) in the financial year 2023-24, a growth of 32.5 per cent over the last fiscal when the figure was Rs 15,920 crore. The recent figures indicate that defence exports have grown by “31 times in the last 10 years as compared to FY 2013-14”.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday announced public holiday on poll dates in the union territory’s five parliamentary constituencies.

According to the order, April 19 will be a holiday in Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, April 26 in Jammu constituency, May 7 in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, May 13 in Srinagar constituency and May 20 in Baramulla constituency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll campaign in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan on Tuesday by addressing a rally in Rudrapur and Kotputli respectively.