The Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. The party has promised the removal of the current Manipur government, along with the appointment of a reconciliation commission, to improve the situation in the state that has been reeling under an ethnic conflict since May last year. The Bharatiya Janata Party called the Congress’ manifesto a “bundle of lies” and claimed the party had not fulfilled any of the promises made earlier.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, identified 266 constituencies where voter turnout had been lower than the national average in 2019 and drafted action plans to boost participation.

Here’s a look at today’s top developments:

  • In its manifesto, the Congress has promised to ensure appropriate compensation for the people of Manipur who suffered due to the conflict. The party also said that it would revisit and amend the National Education Police 2020 in consultation with the state governments. It has promised to pass a Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one-year apprenticeship to every diploma holder or graduate below the age of 25.

  • Reacting to the manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party said it was brought out to “create confusion among the voters”. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also alleged that the Congress manifesto had used photographs of Thailand and one from Buffalo in the United States. He also said that the Congress “did not fulfil any of its promises made in its earlier manifestos for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections”.

  • Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu on Friday chaired a meeting with municipal commissioners and district election officers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. These states reported voter turnouts lower than the national average of 67.40% in the 2019 general elections.

  • The Election Commission said 266 parliamentary constituencies (215 rural and 51 urban) with low voter turnout have been identified. The poll panel has stressed the need to implement a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations like queue management and shelter parking in congested areas, targeted outreach and communication, and involvement of critical stakeholders like local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations.

  • Around 5,000 polling stations in Punjab have been identified as vulnerable ahead of the general elections, said Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Friday, reported ANI. “Critical polling stations are being identified and will be finalised only around the election date,” he said. “According to the guidelines of the Election Commission, all preparations on our end are complete. There are around 24,000 booths, and as per our demand, we will get Central Armed Police Forces personnel. So far 25 companies have arrived and we are utilising the force. There are 2.12 crore voters. Recovery of around Rs 150 crores has been made- including drugs, liquor, and cash.”

  • Actor-turned-politician and independent MP from Mandya in Karnataka Sumalatha Ambareesh on Friday joined the BJP, reported The Hindu. For the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Mandya seat has gone to a candidate of BJP’s ally Janata Dal (Secular). “The future of my district, my state and my country are more important to me than my own political future,” said Ambareesh.