LS polls highlights: Cong's poll body meets to finalise candidates

Lok Sabha elections 2024 latest news updates: Catch all the latest updates from around the world here

7:34 PM

Cong's poll body meets to finalise first list of candidates for general elections

The top leadership of the Congress is attending a meeting in the national capital on Thursday to finalise the party's candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, as well as other senior leaders who are part of the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) were present at the meeting.

 

Finalising candidates for Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim and Manipur, among others, is expected to be discussed during the meeting.

 

The Congress has not declared any candidate so far. Last week, the BJP came out with its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

7:31 PM

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6:31 PM

Sebi restricts JM Financial from acting as lead manager of debt issue

5:35 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 news updates: Congress 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to enter Maharashtra on March 17

"On March 12, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter Maharashtra under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi...On March 17 a mega rally will be organised & in that, we will tell the central government that they haven't been brought to power to end democracy," Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said.

5:34 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 news updates: Arabinda Mohapatra joins BJD in the presence of CM Naveen Patnaik

Arabinda Mohapatra, son of former minister Bijoy Mohapatra, on Thursday joined BJD in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and party leader VK Pandian.

5:30 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 LIVE: Alka Lamba slams BJP for rise in crimes against women in Rajasthan

“Not even 30 per cent of Nirbhaya fund has been used. They (BJP) came into power in Rajasthan saying that women were being tortured but the crime (against women) is at its peak everywhere. During my tour of 20 states, I not only met the victims but also their fathers and brothers who are seeking justice for their sisters and daughters. It’s been years since they are waiting for justice,” Congress leader Alka Lamaba said.

3:03 PM

Disclosure on electoral bonds will expose 'ulterior' purposes, says Cong's Karti Chidambaram

Karti P Chidambaram today claimed that State Bank of India's (SBI) to-be made disclosure on electoral bonds will make it 'very apparent' that those who contributed to the BJP did it for 'ulterior' purposes. Seeking more time from the Supreme Court to disclose details of electoral bonds is only a 'tactic' to cause delay as disclosure before the elections will 'create great discomfort' to the BJP, the Lok Sabha MP claimed.

2:51 PM

Lok Sabha 2024 news updates: Congress Chief Kharge's son-in-law emerges as front-runner for Gulbarga seat

M Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani has emerged as the front-runner for Congress ticket to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the home turf of the party's President. "The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha's hands are full. In addition to managing party affairs at the national level, he has to coordinate with INDIA bloc partners", a senior party leader said.

2:49 PM

Lok Sabha 2024 news updates: Trinamool to contest four Lok Sabha seats in Assam

Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev has stated that the party will contest the Lok Sabha elections on four seats in Assam, emphasising that there would be no seat sharing with the Congress."TMC will contest 4 seats in Assam. There will be no seat sharing with Congress but there will be an alliance with INDIA while forming the government," she said.

12:41 PM

NDA will win 22 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Northeast, Assam CM Himanta asserts

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that the ruling BJP-led alliance will win 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Northeast in the upcoming polls. Sarma said only three of the 14 seats in Assam are "uncertain at the moment".

12:22 PM

Two sides of same coin: Congress on possible BJP-BJD alliance

The Congress today asserted that it has always been stating that the BJD and the BJP are two sides of the same coin and whatever opposition the two show to each other in Odisha is merely "shadow boxing".

The Congress' statement comes amid rumours over a tie-up between the BJP and the BJD for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

11:52 AM

BJP-BJD alliance: Will decide what will be conducive to Odisha's development, says BJD leader

After Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders held a party meeting the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls, party Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra said that any decision that will be taken will be conducive to the development of Odisha. "Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was present. With him, 18-20 senior leaders and functionaries of Biju Janata Dal were present in the discussion, and all the aspects of the coming General Election was discussed. We will take any decision that will be conducive for the development of Odisha and for people of Odisha," Mishra said.

10:41 AM

News update: Tripura LoP Animesh Debbarma resigns, to take oath as minister in BJP-led govt

Senior Tipra Motha leader Animesh Debbarma on Thursday resigned as the Leader of the Opposition in Tripura Assembly. He, along with another lawmaker of the party, Brishaketu Debbarma, will take oath as ministers in the BJP-led government in the northeastern state during the day.

"The Tipra Motha has 13 MLAs in the 60-member assembly. It will join the government as an ally of the BJP and will be allotted two ministerial berths," Animesh Debbarma said.

10:37 AM

Why BJD, BJP are forging an alliance against Congress in Odisha

The tie-up between the BJP and the BJD is likely to be formally announced soon. This will mark a return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of one of its original constituents. Read here for an in-depth story on the tie-up between the two parties here. 

9:48 AM

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's BJD hints at tie-up with ex-allyBJP

Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has hinted at striking a partnership with the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls, years after quitting the NDA.