Page 36 - Election Commission Of India

LS polls 2024: PM Modi to address poll rally in Telangana's Medak today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a poll rally at Chilver Village in Medak district of Telangana on Tuesday, BJP sources said. This is Modi's second meeting in the state after the poll schedule was released last month. Telangana is one of the southern states on which the BJP is pinning its hopes to win a considerable number of seats to achieve its ambitious target of 370 in the Lok Sabha polls. Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier set a target of winning double digit seats out of the 17 in Telangana. Shah will be campaigning on May 1 for the party's Hyderabad contestant Madhavi Latha, who has been fielded against sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM. The BJP won four seats in the last elections in 2019. Barring Soyam Bapurao (Adilabad), the party gave tickets to the sitting MPs in the other constituencies. BJP Telangana chief and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, the party candidate for Secunderabad, National general Secretary Bandi Sanjay Kuma

Delhi High Court rejects plea to bar PM Modi from elections for six years

The petition alleged that the Prime Minister had violated the Model Code of Conduct by invoking 'god and place of worship' in his recent speech in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh

Battleground 2024: Rivals misusing tech to spread fake videos, says PM

In Delhi, a BJP delegation, led by Union minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, complained to the EC alleging that the Congress circulated a "deep fake and morphed" video of Amit Shah to derail the poll process

Probe 'terrible mismanagement' of Lok Sabha polls in Kerala: Congress to EC

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said the elections in Kerala were "grossly mismanaged", leading to considerable delays in numerous polling booths

Lok Sabha elections: AAP claims party's poll campaign song banned by ECI

The AAP on Sunday claimed the Election Commission (EC) has imposed a ban on the party's Lok Sabha campaign song, 'Jail ke jawab mein hum vote denge', stating that it shows the ruling BJP and central investigation agencies in a bad light. There was no immediate response from the poll panel to the AAP's claim. Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi said, "It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party's campaign song." According to the EC, she said, the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light. "The song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct. It includes factual videos and incidents," she added. Atishi, who is also a Delhi government minister, accused the EC of not acting on poll code violations committed by the BJP. "If the BJP does dictatorship, it is right. But if someone talks about it, that is wrong. This shows that democracy is in danger. I want to urge the EC to act on the

Highlights of day: Modi govt used privatisation to weaken reservations, says Congress

From PM Modi's election rallies in Karnataka to BJD leaders joining the BJP in Odisha, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

Among national parties, Bahujan Samaj Party's candidate owns fewest assets

Baluswamy owns less than an average Indian household

Lok Sabha elections: Several leaders, workers of BJD join BJP in Odisha

BJP's Pradhan said that the members and leaders of other parties are joining the BJP as the people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasing

Highlights of the day: Voters will score such 'goal' in phase 3, INDI alliance will vanish says PM

From Hamas looking into latest ceasefire proposal from Israel to the developments of the Lok Sabha polls, catch all the latest news from around the world here

Wait for few more days: Kharge on Cong candidates for Amethi, Rae Bareli

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the names of party candidates for prestigious Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a "few days". Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that though the BJP says the corrupt must be put in jails, when leaders facing corruption charges join the saffron party, they are "put on the lap" and sent to Rajya Sabha or assembly. "You have to wait for a few more days... when the names of candidates come from people to me and I sign the notification, it will be announced," he said when asked about candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies. "Those questioning Congress leaders for changing constituencies must also tell me how many times have (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and (Lal Krishna) Advani changed their seats," Kharge said, when asked about the BJP criticising Rahul Gandhi for fighting the elections from Kerala's Wayanad instead of Amethi. In an apparent reference to Assam Chief ..

LS polls: Varsity students keen to vote, say it's only way to change nation

First-time voters from higher education campuses of the city expressed their resolve to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls on grounds that the real issues' confronting the student community and society at large would otherwise remain unaddressed. They argue that turning their backs to the festival of democracy' would mean issues like stalemates in functioning of universities, recruitment scams occupying centre-space and basic needs of food, shelter and livelihood would be relegated to the political backburner. Ritushree, a first-time voter from Presidency University in central Kolkata, is determined to vote. She seeks a government free from religious exploitation and controversies surrounding educational institutions. A student of philosophy, Ritushree feels that the fundamental needs of food, shelter, and clothing are getting neglected in the poll discourse of parties. Despite the disillusionment, she believes in the importance of voting. "I believe my vote can bring

TMC alleges BJP-CBI-NSG conspiracy in Sandeshkhali raid, writes to EC

The Trinamool Congress alleges the Sandeshkhali raid was a bid to smear TMC's image during ongoing polls

BJP eying anti-incumbency, Modi wave in Odisha to defeat BJD, says Tomar

The BJP will benefit from the anti-incumbency against the Biju Janata Dal government, which is in power for an unbroken 24 years in Odisha, and a strong Modi wave to dethrone Naveen Patnaik from the helm of the state, senior saffron party leader Vijaypal Singh Tomar claimed. In an interview with PTI, Tomar said, "There is anti-incumbency and people in Odisha have decided to change the BJD government this time. Similarly, there is a strong Modi wave across India, which has also been strongly felt in this state." Tomar claimed the BJP will win at least 16 out of 21 Lok Sabha in the state and 80 of 147 assembly seats here. On BJD leader V K Pandian, a close aide of CM Naveen Patnaik, Tomar, ostensibly referring to Pandian's Tamil background, said, "One man became super CM and is running the government as its de-facto chief. Is there any justification to this? So, this time, the BJP is not only fighting to make Odisha a developed state but also one for Odisha's pride." Once the BJP for

Cong accuses CPI(M) of hijacking poll machinery to discourage voters

A day after polling concluded for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday alleged that voters were harassed and the election machinery was hijacked by the ruling CPI(M) in the state with an aim to bring down the turnout percentage. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the alleged hijacking of the election machinery by the ruling CPI(M) was one of the reasons for the decrease in polling percentage this year as compared to the turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Despite heightened political fervour and anticipation about the general elections for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the process concluded with a notable decrease in voter turnout, as the figure stood at 70.22 per cent at 8pm yesterday. This figure, while significant, was quite a drop from the polling percentage of 77.84 per cent registered in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Venugopal claimed that there were glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in three to five per cent of the polling booths in

Lok Sabha polls: 77.35% turnout in second phase in 5 seats in Assam

An estimated 77.35 per cent of 77.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, election officials said on Saturday. The final polling percentage could be further revised as the compilation of figures is yet to be completed, an official said. Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 80.56 per cent, followed by 78.41 per cent in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 per cent in Silchar (SC), 75.63 per cent in Karimganj and 73.11 per cent in Diphu, they said. Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase. Assam Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is pitted against Surya Kanta Sarkar of the Congress in Silchar, while BJP's Amarsing Tisso is contesting against Congress's Joyram Engleng in Diphu. Nagaon's sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting against BJP's Suresh Bora, while Karimganj's BJP MP Kripanath Malla is pitted against Congress's Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury. In Darrang-Udalg

Most SC/ST candidates fight without the backing of a political party

Indicative data shows a decline in the proportion of SC and ST candidates who participated in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections compared to previous elections

SC issues notice to EC on plea seeking re-election if NOTA gets majority

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Petition filed by motivational speaker Shiv Khera wants NOTA to be treated as a 'fictional candidate'

LS polls Highlights: Nearly 61% turnout recorded in 2nd phase of elections

Eighty-eight Lok Sabha seats (including parts of the outer Manipur seat), across 13 states and Union Territories, are set to vote today

Supreme Court rejects all pleas seeking 100% EVM-VVPAT verification

The top court was hearing petitions seeking a complete verification of VVPATs generated by EVMs during the elections

LS polls: No violation of MCC in Ajit Pawar's funds for votes' remarks

The returning officer of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has filed a report stating that there was no prima facie evidence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar violating the Model Code of Conduct through his funds for votes remarks. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) had filed a complaint against Ajit Pawar with the Election Commission of India alleging the violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act. At a poll rally at Indapur in Baramati constituency, Ajit Pawar recently said, ...As far as funds are concerned, we will cooperate to give you as much as you want, but at the same time, the EVM button needs to be pressed in abundance. If the EVM button is pressed in abundance, I will also feel good allocating funds, or else, I will have to restrict myself, Pawar holds the finance portfolio in the state. The remarks had drawn criticism from the opposition, with NCP (SP) moving EC seeking action against Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congr