India Election Highlights, March 13: BJP Releases 2nd List Of Candidates, Election Commission Assures Disclosure Of Electoral Bonds Details ‘On Time’, And More

Wednesday, March 13 witnessed significant developments in the Indian Election Campaign: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar confirmed that the Election Commission has received information from the State Bank of India (SBI) regarding electoral bonds and will disclose details soon. The BJP announced its second list of 72 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including veteran leaders like Nitin Gadkari, ML Khattar, and Piyush Goyal. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan announced seat-sharing plans with the BJP. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme on March 14.

The BJP has announced its second list of 72 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list includes veteran leaders such as Nitin Gadkari, ML Khattar, and Piyush Goyal. Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, will contest from the Nagpur seat in Maharashtra, having remained undefeated since 2014. Former Haryana Chief Minister Khattar will contest from Karnal, while Goyal will contest on a BJP ticket from Mumbai north. Kalaben Delkar will be fielded from Dadar & Nagar Haveli. The party has also fielded Harsh Malhotra from East Delhi and Yogendra Chandolia from North West Delhi. The list also includes Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur from Hamirpur and Suresh Kumar Kashyap from Shimla. The party has also fielded Dr Bharti Pardhi from Balaghat, Vivek ‘Bunty’ Sahu from Chhindwara, Anil Firoziya from Ujjain, Savitri Thakur from Dhar, and Shankar Lalwani from Indore.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has confirmed that the Election Commission has received information from the State Bank of India (SBI) regarding electoral bonds. The Supreme Court directed SBI to submit the details of bonds purchased since April 12, 2019. Kumar stated that he will review the data and disclose by March 15, 2024. He also emphasized the readiness for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that social media cells will be established to respond to fake news, and strict vigilance will be maintained on online cash transfers.

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan announced that his party has finalized a seat-sharing formula with the BJP for over 40 Bihar seats ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The division of seats among NDA parties has been decided and will be announced soon. Paswan dismissed concerns about the fate of the LJP faction led by his uncle Pashupati Paras.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on March 14. He will distribute loans to 1 lakh street vendors, including 5,000 from Delhi, and lay the foundation stone for two additional corridors of Delhi Metro's Phase 4. Launched in June 2020, PM SVANidhi has provided over 82 lakh loans to over 62 lakh street vendors across India, with Delhi alone receiving nearly 2 lakh loans. The scheme aims to provide financial inclusion and holistic welfare for historically underserved communities.