LS polls highlights: Bihar leader Pappu Yadav joins Congress in Delhi

Lok Sabha elections 2024 updates: Catch all the latest updates on the announcements related to General Elections here

4:50 PM

AMMK will contest two LS seats : Party leader TTV Dhinakaran after tie-up with NDA

 "Our party will contest 2 seats in the BJP-led NDA alliance. We have asked for the 'cooker' symbol and are waiting for the Election Commission's response,"  AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran said.

4:27 PM

Lok Sabha polls: What Ghulam Ahmed Mir said on ex-BJP leader Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joining Congress

"In Jharkhand, many BJP leaders are joining Congress. In West Bengal, we are in touch with leaders of other political parties except BJP. Congress is being seen as an alternative and people are coming out in support," Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir said today.

 

3:48 PM

News update: Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav joins Congress in Delhi

Bihar leader Pappu Yadav on Wednesday merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress and formally joined the Grand Old Party in New Delhi. 

3:07 PM

Will not contest LS polls, says Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh

Himachal Pradesh Congress chief and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh announced on Wednesday that she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

3:00 PM

BJP agrees to seat-sharing deal With JD(S) in Karnataka: Report

The BJP has agreed to a seat-sharing deal with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. According to reports, the JD(S), under the leadership of HD Deve Gowda, will be contesting in Mandya, Hassan, and Kolar constituencies.

2:46 PM

Supreme Court slams practise of defection in Pawar hearing

The trend of defection in political parties that end up with the defecting faction being recognised as the "real" party was criticised by the Supreme Court today.  Hearing a petition of the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, the court stated that such practises circumvent the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which was put in place to prevent defections and political volatility. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) had challenged the award of the clock symbol and name to the Ajit Pawar faction by the Election Commission of India (ECI). 

 

The ECI's decision was in line with its earlier order that awarded the party name and symbol to the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

2:25 PM

NCP announces second list of 9 candidates for Arunachal assembly elections

The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has announced the second list of nine candidates for the April 19 Assembly election in the state. With the announcement of nine names of candidates on Tuesday, the party so far has fielded 17 candidates in the 60-member Assembly. Earlier on March 11, the party had announced the first list of eight candidates.

2:22 PM

General Elections update: CA exam dates rescheduled in view of Lok Sabha polls, says ICAI

Keeping in view the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has rescheduled its exam dates. The intermediate course exam for Group 1 will be conducted on May 3, 5 and 9, according to the revised schedule. Earlier, the exam was scheduled on May 3, 5 and 7. For Group 2, the intermediate course exam will be held on May 11, 15 and 17. Earlier, the exam was planned on May 9, 11 and 13. For the final exams, the ICAI has announced May 2, 4 and 8 for Group 1 which was earlier scheduled on May 2, 4 and 6. For the Group 2, the exam will be held on May 10, 14 and 16 which was earlier supposed to be conducted on May 8, 10 and 12.

2:18 PM

Supreme Court agrees to list litigation against practice of parties promising freebies

The top court agreed to list for hearing on Thursday a PIL against the practice of political parties promising freebies during elections. The PIL also seeks a direction to the Election Commission to invoke its powers to freeze the election symbols and cancel the registration of such political parties. This is important. We will keep this on board tomorrow, the bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said on Wednesday.

1:07 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: AIADMK announces first list of 16 candidates for General Elections

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK )in Tamil Nadu today listed the first set of 16 candidates for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK has nominated former MP J Jayavardhan and ex-MLA, Dr P Saravanan in the list.

12:56 PM

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lists major 'failures' of central govt's policies on agriculture

Describing policies on agriculture as "most harmful" and "self-evident", Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh listed out some major 'failures' of the BJP government.  "Of all the various failures of the Modi Government, the sheer incompetence and maliciousness of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is among the most harmful and self-evident," the senior Congress leader said in a post on 'X'.

12:49 PM

AAP-Cong tie-up won't have impact, BJP to win all seats in Delhi: Bansuri

BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj stated that the Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance was based on "self-interest" and would not have any impact on the prospects of her party as it would retain all seven parliamentary seats in the city. "There will be no impact of the AAP-Congress alliance in Delhi. We are running a very positive campaign, going among the people with a report card of 10 years," Bansuri, the daughter of late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, said.

12:04 PM

Supreme Court to hear BRS leader K Kavitha's plea on March 22

The top court will hear BRS leader K Kavitha's petition challenging her arrest in a money laundering case relating to Delhi liquor policy case on March 22.

11:14 AM

Ex-CM Chandrababu Naidu seeks EC's intervention to check political violence in Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu demanded the immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India to check the increasing political violence in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. "Though the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, is losing power in another 50 days, he is now encouraging political violence as the fear of losing power is haunting him," Chandrababu Naidu said.

10:22 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 update: DMK releases party manifesto

"I thank our leader MK Stalin for allowing me to head the manifesto committee and thank all the committee members. We saw how much this Dravidian model government has done for the people of the state. This election manifesto will help us to take our Dravidian model all over India. I am sure of securing not only 40 seats in Tamil Nadu but a good number of seats in the country too" said DMK MP Kanimozhi.

9:54 AM

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor slams CPI for fielding candidate in Thiruvananthapuram

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a jab the Communist Party of India's decision to nominate Pannian Raveendran from Thiruvananthapuram, stating that it would help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) steal a march.

9:37 AM

News update: BJD begins candidate selection without waiting for BJP's decision on pre-polls alliance

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has started the process of picking the candidates for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls, as the process for a pre-poll alliance with the BJP is in limbo. A BJP delegation from Odisha has been camping at the national capital holding meetings with central leaders over seat sharing with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the past two days.