Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal, from Ajit Pawar’s faction of the party, announced on Friday that he will not be contesting the Nashik Lok Sabha seat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that India’s previous United Progressive Alliance governments had cheated India’s Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the name of social justice. The Tripura chief electoral officer issued a notice to Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma for violating the Model Code of Conduct. Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Brinda Karat suggested that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi withdraw his statement about the lack of action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by central agencies.

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

  • Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal announced on Friday that he will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Nashik, reported PTI. Bhujbal said his decision would end the tussle over the seat between his party, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and its ally Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Bhujbal told reporters that Pawar had claimed the seat on grounds that their party had more MLAs from the area, but Shinde sought to keep the seat as the sitting Nashik MP, Hemant Godse, is from the Shiv Sena.

  • Speaking at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was working to “achieve the social justice dream of Jyotiba Phule, BR Ambedkar and Chaudhary Charan Singh” whereas previous governments had only cheated Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, reported PTI. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, calling them “shehzade ki jodi”, or a pair of princes. “Every time these people go out to seek votes from the people of Uttar Pradesh, they carry a basket of dynasty, corruption and appeasement,” he said.

  • The Tripura chief electoral officer on Friday issued a notice to Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma for his statements on social media hours before the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. In a live video session, Debbarma reportedly said that there is only “one party” that could form a government at the Centre and encouraged viewers to vote for it, according to The Indian Express. In its notice, the poll body said: “It is clear from your said message that your appeal is to a particular community to vote in favour of a particular party.” It asked Debbarma to take down the social media post and explain why action should not be taken against him.

  • Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Brinda Karat has advised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his statement allegedly “inciting” the Enforcement Directorate to take action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Gandhi on Thursday asked why the BJP-led Centre was not “attacking” Vijayan, according to The Indian Express. “He [Vijayan] says that he is ideologically fighting the BJP, but I know that when you fight the BJP ideologically, they attack you with everything they have,” said Gandhi. Karat called the statements “uncharitable and shocking” and said that it was “unbecoming of a Congress leader” to make such statements against the leader of Kerala’s Left Democratic Front government.