Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday quoted a Caravan report titled ‘Yeddyurappa Diaries’ and alleged that the former Karnataka CM paid ₹1,800 crore bribe to BJP’s national leaders. Surjewala said it mentions names of senior BJP leaders from Rajnath Singh to Arun Jaitley. “The diary with BS Yeddyurappa’s sign was with the Income Tax Department since 2017,” Surjewala added.

Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir joined the BJP on Friday, in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections 2019. Gambhir joined the ruling BJP here in the presence of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad. Speaking on the occasion, Gambhir, a former Test cricketer, said he would like to thank the BJP for giving him an opportunity to do something for the country. Gambhir said he was impressed by PM Narendra Modi and his vision and decided to join the BJP.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s current net worth is ₹63.87 crore, he owns a 1980 model Ambassador car worth ₹8,905, and his income rose to ₹21.17 lakh in 2017-18 from ₹12.65 lakh in 2013-14, as per affidavit filed by him. He has just ₹25,000 cash in hand. Naveen Patnaik has been Odisha CM since March 2000.

JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda’s faith in gods and astrology is all too well-known. The family performed a special ritual at Sringeri temple where it placed all the eight ‘B’ forms for a pooja. Three of those belonged to Gowda and his two grandsons. Gowda can’t take chances: the election results have the potential to make or break Karnataka’s coalition regime.

BJP leader Anil Vij has said that Congress workers should add the prefix ‘Pappu’ to their names. “We have added ‘Chowkidar’ to our names and you have a problem with that. You should add ‘Pappu’ and we’ll have no objection,” he added. As part of BJP’s #MaiBhiChowkidar campaign, numerous BJP leaders prefixed ‘Chowkidar’ to their names on social media.

Actor Akshay Kumar has denied rumours which said he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the BJP. “Politics is not on my agenda. I feel what I am doing through my films, I will never be able to do that through politics,” he said. There were rumours that BJP will field him from Amritsar.

Union culture minister and BJP MP Mahesh Sharma referred to Congress president Rahul Gandhi as “Pappu” and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as “Pappu ki Pappi” during a poll campaign in Gautam Buddh Nagar, drawing flak from the Opposition party which termed his remarks condemnable. A purported video of Mr Sharma’s speech is circulating on social media.

The political circle is curiously observing how former PM Manmohan Singh, after rejecting Punjab Congress’ offer to contest LS polls, is not making any statement about his “lack of interest” in fighting another Rajya Sabha poll. As AICC can’t deny him another berth — both out of respect and fear of MMS loyalists launching more pamphlets about “Gandhis suppressing” him — many in the Congress read his silence as a sign of his lingering Upper House interest despite pressure on the AICC to use the few available RS seats for pre-poll local political adjustments.

Telagana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said that once the Lok Sabha election results are out, if the need arises, he will form a ‘national party’ and get people to come together. He made the comments during a public meeting. Telagana chief minister KCR on Sunday said that once the Lok Sabha election results are out, if the need arises, he will form a ‘national party’ and get people to come together. He made the comments during a public meeting.

According to data by the Election Commission (EC), the country is having a total of 2,293 political parties registered till March 9. The data revealed that 149 political parties were registered with the EC between February and March. However, these registered but unrecognised 149 political parties don’t have the privilege of contesting elections on a fixed symbol of their own.

The BJP has chosen “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai” as its slogan for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said. Jaitley further claimed that PM Modi had an “indefatigable approach” and worked round the clock for the past five years, achieving results that would not have been possible otherwise.

Amid demands from party activists, Congress President Rahul Gandhi may contest the Lok Sabha polls from a seat in Karnataka apart from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh where his candidature has already been announced. There have been demands from Congress activists that Gandhi should be a candidate from a seat in southern India too. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested from two seats: Varanasi and Vadodara.

After Rahul Gandhi claimed PM Narendra Modi was scared of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Your tweet must be headline news in Pakistan.” Prasad asked, “Why’s Rahul in a celebratory mood when India is pained by China’s attitude?” Rahul made the statement after China blocked India’s bid to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told students here not to address him as “Sir” but by his first name. Gandhi, sporting a jeans and a T-shirt, surprised the students of Stella Maris College for Women with the request. The Congress leader told the gathering that he was still a young politician.

With the model code of conduct kicking in after the announcement of Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, some of the TDP ministers are now seen using unofficial vehicles. The photos of the ministers have also been removed from some of the official websites. The security arrangements, however, continue as per the rules and this distinguishes them from the common man.