Indian Polls

Mumbai, May 21 (PTI) A special court here has granted exemption to the 2008 Malegaon blast case accused Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sudhakar Chaturvedi from appearing before it this week.

When the matter was taken up by the special NIA court on Monday, the three accused filed applications through their lawyers seeking exemption from appearance.

While Thakur and Chaturvedi said they are busy with preparations for the upcoming results of the Lok Sabha polls, which they had contested, Purohit cited personal difficulties.

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) With exit polls forecasting NDA's return to power, top leaders of the BJP-led alliance will meet on Tuesday over dinner to be hosted by party president Amit Shah where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present, party sources said on Monday.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Lok Janshakti Party head Ram Vilas Paswan are likely to attend the meeting, which will take place two days before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls on May 23.

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) NaMo TV, a BJP-sponsored channel that publicised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies and other poll messages, has gone off air, party sources said.

They said it went off air on May 17 when all campaigns for the Lok Sabha election came to an end.

A BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said, "NaMo TV was meant as a tool of BJP campaign for the Lok Sabha election. With the polls over, it is no longer needed, so effectively from May 17, when all campaign has to be paused, it has also gone off air."

Thiruvananthapuram, May 20 (PTI) Rejecting the exit poll results which predicted the return of the NDA government at the Centre, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday said there is no need to rely on "speculations based on speculation".

Vijayan, who met mediapersons soon after he returned from a 13-day Europe trip, exuded confidence that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will record an impressive win in the Lok Sabha polls.

The exit polls have forecast a poor showing by the ruling Left Front in Kerala.

Kolkata, May 20 (PTI) A day after meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here on Monday, sources said.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president will meet Banerjee as part of his efforts to unite opposition parties against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election results on May 23.

Lucknow, May 20 (PTI) A disgruntled Om Prakash Rajbhar on Monday welcomed the decision by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to sack him as an Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister.

Asked about the possibility of going with the BSP-SP-RLD alliance, Rajbhar said he would tell about it later.

"We welcome the decision (to sack me). The decision taken by the chief minister was a delayed one," Rajbhar said. "Had the decision been taken around 20 days ago, it would have been much better."

Bhubaneswar, May 19 (PTI) Repolling was held in 34 booths under several constituencies of Odisha on Sunday amid tight security arrangements, election officials said.

The Election Commission had ordered repolling in these constituencies in view of alleged irregularities and incidents of violence during the third and fourth phase of elections held on April 23 and 29.

Voting from 7 am to 6 pm on Sunday was held in a smooth and peaceful manner, a poll official said.

Raipur, May 19 (PTI) A BJP leader was Sunday arrested for allegedly molesting a 34-year-old woman here, police said.

Prakash Bajaj (42) was arrested on charges of molestation following a complaint lodged by the woman at Civil Lines police station here, an official said.

Bajaj is a member of the state working committee of the BJP.

Kolkata, May 19 (PTI) Dubbing exit polls as "gossip", West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she doesn't trust such surveys as the "game plan" is to use them for "manipulation" of EVMs.

The Bengal BJP was quick to hit back, asking Banerjee to "stop living in denial" as the days of her TMC government in West Bengal are numbered.

Most exit polls forecast a majority for the ruling BJP-led NDA in Lok Sabha elections with varying numbers, as the seven-phase democratic exercise ended Sunday.

Indore, May 19 (PTI) A 60-year BJP worker was allegedly shot dead by a Congress leader in Paliya village in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place some time before the polling for the Indore Lok Sabha seat came to an end, police said.

Talking to PTI, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ruchivardhan Mishra said Congress leader Arun Sharma allegedly shot dead Nemichand Tanvar outside his house possibly with a country-made gun from close range around 5.30 pm.