Page 19 - Election Commission

LS polls: 4 security personnel on election duty in Bihar die of heatstroke

Four security personnel deployed for the Lok Sabha elections have died due to heatstroke over the last one week in Bihar's Rohtas district, an official said on Saturday. Five security personnel, including two from Nagaland, have died in the last one week in Rohtas, and of them, four died due to heatstroke, said DIG Naveen Chandra Jha. Among the deceased were Indian Reserve Battalion personnel A Nikiye Sumi, a resident of Nagaland's Zunheboto district, and Pitlohi Losho, a resident of the state's Phek district. The other deceased were Bihar Police personnel Subhash Prasad Singh of Munger, Devnath Ram of Bhojpur and Samiullah of Motihari, a statement said. Apart from them, 10 polling personnel died due to heatstroke in the state since Thursday, besides four common people. The state has been reeling under severe heatwave conditions with the mercury crossing 43 degrees Celsius in several places.

LS polls: INDIA bloc to get over 295 seats, says Kharge after meeting

INDIA bloc parties will get more than 295 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, asserting that they had arrived at the figure after feedback from people. Addressing reporters here after a meeting of top leaders of the opposition bloc at his residence here, Kharge said the leaders of the alliance met for about two and a half hours and discussed a host of issues, especially the precautions to be taken on counting day and the instructions they have to give to their parties' workers. Votes for the seven-phase general elections will be counted on June 4. Targeting the BJP, he said, "They are trying to give a narrative through government exit polls and we want to tell the people the truth." "The INDIA bloc will get more than 295 seats. We have arrived at this figure after speaking with all our leaders," Kharge said. "This is a survey of the people. The people have given this information to our leaders. The government surveys are there and

Near China border, people at world's highest polling booth get inked today

It is the highest polling station in the world. And, despite all the odds, it has clocked 100 per cent voting in the past

2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly elections: Here's all you need to know

As voting is currently underway in the fourth phase of the Odisha Assembly polls 2024, here's a quick look at the assembly seats, polling dates and key candidates

LS polls 2024: More than 40% voting till 1 pm in 57 constituencies

Till 11 am, the approximate polling percentage was 26.3, according to the EC's voter-turnout app

PM Modi arrives in TN, to embark on 'dhyan' at Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Thursday to embark on a 45-hour long meditation session at the famed Vivekananda Rock Memorial here. The PM arrived from nearby Thiruvananthapuram and he is scheduled to offer worship at the Bhagavathi Amman temple and later reach Vivekananda Rock Memorial and perform meditation for nearly two days. Ahead of his departure on June 1, Modi is likely to visit the Thiruvalluvar statue, next to the memorial. Both the memorial and statue were built on tiny islets, that are separate and mound-like rocky formations in the sea. All arrangements, including heavy security, are in place for Modi's 45-hour stay at the famed, mid-sea memorial, named after the revered Hindu saint. Modi will meditate at Rock Memorial, a monument built in tribute to Swami Vivekananda, here following the culmination of the Lok Sabha polls campaign later today, BJP leaders had said. The PM had undertaken a similar exercise in a Kedarnath cave after the 2019 poll ...

PM Modi begins 45-hr meditation at Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 45-hour long meditation at the famed Vivekananda Rock Memorial here on Thursday evening. After arriving from nearby Thiruvananthapuram by a helicopter, Modi worshipped at the Bhagavathi Amman temple and reached the rock memorial by a ferry service and started meditation that is scheduled to go on till June 1. Clad in a dhoti and a white shawl, Modi prayed at the temple and circumambulated the 'garbhagriha'. Priests performed a special 'arthi' and he was given temple 'prasad' that included a shawl and a framed photograph of the presiding deity of the temple. Later, he reached the rock memorial by a ferry service operated by the state government-run shipping corporation and began his meditation at the 'dhyan mandapam.' Before he embarked on the dhyan exercise, for a while, Modi stood on the stairs leading to the mandapam that offers breathtaking views of the sea that surrounds the memorial from all sides. Ahead of his departure on June 1, Modi

EC orders action against Nandighosha TV for telecasting exit poll results

The 2024 Indian general election in Odisha is being held in four phases to elect 21 members of the 18th Lok Sabha

LS polls: PM spreading 'lies' about providing funds to Bengal, says Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of "spreading lies" about funds being provided to the state and challenged the PM to prove his claim. Addressing a rally at Metiabruz in Diamond Harbour constituency, the Chief Minister said she was "ready to sacrifice her life" but wouldn't allow divisive politics of the saffron camp such as the CAA, NRC and UCC in the state. "Prime Minister while addressing rallies in Bengal is saying the Centre has sent funds for the state which the TMC has siphoned off. He is saying the Centre had sent funds but those were looted by us. The PM is lying. I challenge him to prove that the Centre has released funds for the state. This is a blatant lie," she said. Reacting to Banerjee's remark, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, "The Prime Minister has only tried to highlight the corruption during the TMC regime. It is a well-known fact that the TMC is neck-deep in corruption. The ..

LS polls: Proud that I am going to jail to save my country, says Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has to surrender on June 2 in the excise policy case at the end of his interim bail period, on Wednesday said he is proud going to jail to "save" his country. The AAP convener is out on an interim bail till June 1 following an order of the Supreme Court, which has directed him to surrender on June 2. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. "I am ready to go back to jail again on June 2. And I am proud that I am going to jail to save my country," Kejriwal told PTI Videos here. Attacking the BJP-led Centre, he said, "They (BJP) say Kejriwal indulged in corruption...they don't have even one proof. People are saying if Kejriwal is corrupt, then no one is honest in this world." "They say there has been theft of Rs 100 crore. They conducted raids at 500 places, they did not get even one paise, did that Rs 100 crore vanish in thin air?" he asked. The Delhi

LS polls: 'In good health, campaigning,' says Naveen Patnaik to PM Modi

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said that he was in good health and campaigning for the Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections for the past one month. "He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) has stated publicly earlier that I am his good friend. All he had to do was pick up a telephone and ask me about my health. But a number of BJP people from Odisha and Delhi are spreading rumours about my health. Let me assure the PM that I am in perfect health and I have been campaigning in the state for the last one month," Patnaik said. Patnaik's statement came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in three back-to-back election rallies stated that the Odisha Chief Minister was not in a state to do his routine duties. The prime minister also said that if BJP comes to power in the state, it will set up a committee to ascertain the reason behind the sudden worsening of Patnaik's health.

EC dedicated to incorporating principles of inclusivity in polls: CEC Kumar

The Election Commission on Wednesday said the last phases of the Lok Sabha elections have seen immense enthusiasm among voters of various sections such as persons with disabilities, senior citizens, transgenders, and members of particularly vulnerable tribal groups. Home voting facility for senior citizens above 85 years of age and persons with disabilities with 40 per cent benchmark disability was extended for the first time on pan-India basis in this parliamentary polls, the EC noted. An EC statement quoting Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, "It has been the deep founded resolve of the Commission to strive for continuous improvement in the electoral processes setting new standards globally." The EC, Kumar said, is determined to make the elections "truly reflective" of the spirit of plurality and diversity that is the pride of the country. "EC is dedicated to incorporating and deeply integrating the principles and practices of inclusivity and accessibility throughout

LS polls: Number of female candidates rise from 7% in 2009 to 9.6% in 2024

From 7 per cent in 2009 to 9.6 per cent in 2024, the number of female candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections saw a steady rise in 15 years, according to an analysis by the poll rights body ADR. This year, 797 women are in the fray, constituting 9.6 per cent of the total 8,337 candidates. This marks an increase from previous general assembly elections which recorded female representation of 9 per cent in 2019, 8 per cent in 2014, and 7 per cent in 2009, the analysis by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, there were 556 female candidates, making up 7 per cent of the total 7,810 candidates. This number increased to 640 (8 per cent of 8,205) in 2014 and further to 716 (9 per cent of 7,928) in 2019. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads among the major parties with 69 female Lok Sabha nominees out of 440, making up 16 per cent of its total candidates. The Congress follows with 41 women out of 327 candidates, constitutin

Good if he is going for 'prayashchit': Kapil Sibal on PM's meditation plan

Raising questions over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meditation at Rock Memorial from May 30 to June 1, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said it is good if he is going to Kanyakumari for "prayashchit" (atonement). "The person who does not understand the meaning of 'vivek' (wisdom), what 'dhyan' (meditation) he will do. "If he is going for 'prayashchit', then it is a good thing or if he is going to take inspiration from writings and speeches of Swami Vivekanand, even then it is good," said Sibal. The prime minister will meditate from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1 at Dhyan Mandapam, the place where Vivekananda a spiritual icon admired by PM Modi is believed to have had a divine vision about Bharat Mata', BJP leaders said on Tuesday. Sibal alleged the BJP-led government at the Centre does not talk about its achievements because it has "nothing to show". "What have they done for the last 10 years? Has the prime minister said during his speeches what he did .

LS polls: 63.37% voting recorded in phase 6, over 70.5 mn voters turn up

The penultimate phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections recorded 63.37 per cent voter turnout with 7.05 crore out of 11.13 crore eligible voters exercising their franchise, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday said. As many as 58 seats in eight states went to polls in the sixth phase on May 25. Of the 87.54 crore electors in the first six phases of the Lok Sabha polls, as many as 57.77 crore voters turned up at the polling stations to cast their votes. India has the largest electorate in the world at 96.88 crore. The citizens, who are enrolled in the electoral rolls, are described as electors while those who actually cast their votes are called voters. In the 2019 general elections, the turnout in the sixth phase (59 seats in seven states that went to polls) was 64.4 per cent. According to the Election Commission (EC), the voter turnout in the fifth phase of the ongoing polls held on May 20 was recorded at 62.2 per cent. The turnout in the fourth phase stood at 69.16 per

INDIA bloc will protect Constitution with 'dil, jaan aur khoon': Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that an INDIA bloc government will end the 50 per cent cap on reservation while asserting that the alliance will protect the Constitution with "dil, jaan aur khoon". Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Bansgaon with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Gandhi said, "There is INDIA bloc and the Constitution on one side and those who want to finish the Constitution on the other." The INDIA bloc will protect the Constitution with "dil, jaan aur khoon (heart, life and blood)", he said and added that the alliance will end the 50 per cent cap on reservation while also increasing it. On Agnipath, Gandhi said the INDIA bloc, once it assumes power, will tear apart the scheme and throw it in the dustbin. The government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme in June 2022 for short-term induction of personnel with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three armed services. It provides for recruiting youngsters between the age .

LS polls: Misuse of ED, CBI will not help BJP retain power, says Alka Lamba

The misuse of the ED, CBI and electoral bonds will not help the BJP retain power and its slogan of "400 paar" will remain a slogan, said Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba here on Monday. Addressing a press conference, she said the Narendra Modi government has been giving benefits to the business houses and waived off Rs 16 lakh crore to 21 industrialists. Lamba said she toured 27 states and no Modi wave is visible anywhere as claimed by the BJP. At present, there are only two issues -- unemployment and inflation, she added. "Misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the electoral bonds will not help the BJP to retain power," she said. The Congress has already announced that it will give Rs 8,500 per month to the eldest women of poor families and will also scrap the Agniveer scheme once voted to power. She said Himachal Pradesh has given a message to the people of the rest of the country by throwing the "double engine government" o

Two-tier security for polled EVMs locked in strong rooms in Delhi: CEO

The Delhi poll body on Monday said it has implemented two-tier security arrangements for the polled EVMs and VVPATs stored in the strong rooms of the seven parliamentary constituencies. Polling for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was conducted across all seven parliamentary constituencies in the capital on May 25. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said it has deployed a two-tier security around the clock at strong rooms with the innermost perimeter guarded by the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) and the outermost perimeter by the state armed police in accordance with the ECI safety protocols. A 24x7 CCTV camera coverage of the sealed doors of the strong rooms and corridors with continuous monitoring has been made with single entry/exit point to the strong rooms and double lock system, it said in a statement. Mandatory videography during the opening and closing of the strong rooms and maintenance of a logbook for .

J&K records highest turnout in 35 yrs, assembly polls to be held soon: CEC

The Election Commission on Monday said the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir this time was the highest in a Lok Sabha election in the last 35 years with the Kashmir Valley witnessing a "massive" 30 percentage point jump in poll participation compared to 2019. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said this achievement sits on a 25 per cent increase in the number of contesting candidates since 2019. "This active participation is a huge positive for the assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory," he said. The poll panel also said the combined voter turnout at the polling stations for the entire Union Territory with five Lok Sabha seats was 58.46 per cent. On Saturday, CEC Kumar told PTI Videos that encouraged by the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir in this Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission will "very soon" initiate the process of conducting the assembly polls in the Union Territory. The voter turnout of 5

Phase 6 turnout reaches 63.36%; ECI releases data for all completed phases

Lok Sabha elections 2024: West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout in Phase 6 at nearly 83%, Uttar Pradesh had the lowest at 54%