Page 42 - Indian National Congress

LS polls: Vote for love not hate, against unemployment, appeals Kharge

As polling began in 49 constituencies for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged people to vote for love and not hatred and cast their ballot against unemployment and inflation. Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "If we want to protect democracy and the Constitution, we must vote. Before pressing the button on EVM, remember that we should vote for love and brotherhood, not for hatred." "We have to vote against unemployment and inflation, not to make a few capitalists richer. We have to vote for the protection of our fundamental rights, not for those who snatch our rights," the Congress president said. He urg

Your one vote will protect democracy, Constitution: Priyanka to voters

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday urged people to cast their ballot in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, stressing that their vote will free the country from inflation, unemployment and economic crisis. Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "With your one vote, Rs 1 lakh will come into the account of a woman from every poor family annually, every citizen will get the facility of free treatment worth Rs 25 lakh, the youth will get 30 lakh government jobs, the youth will get apprenticeship worth (Rs) 1 lakh annually, and SC/ST/OBC will get proper participation." "Your one vote will protect democracy and the Constitution of the country," the ..

LS polls 2024: Country witnessing storm of change, says Rahul Gandhi

As polling began in 49 constituencies for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and the country is witnessing a storm of change. Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Today is the fifth phase of voting! In the first four phases itself, it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and are defeating the BJP." "This country is fed up with the politics of hatred and is now voting on its own issues. Youths for jobs, farmers for MSP and freedom from debt, women for economic independence and security, and labourers for fair ...

Rahul Gandhi warns of consequences after video of Multiple votes by youth

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged all officials on election duty not to forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of pressure and warned of strict action against anyone who insults the constitutional oath once the INDIA bloc forms government. His remarks on 'X' came over Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav's post on the social media platform in which he shared a video purportedly showing a person voting for the BJP "eight times". Late in the night, responding to the posts of the Congress and Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said in post on 'X' that an FIR has been registered in the matter at the Nayagaon police station in Etah district. He also said that one person has been arrested and instructions given to suspend an institute disciplinary proceedings against all members of the polling party. "Repolling has been recommended to the ECI in the polling station," he said In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Seeing its defeat,

Cong expects all poll officials to abide by their responsibilities: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged all officials on election duty not to forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of pressure and warned of strict action against anyone who insults the constitutional oath once the INDIA bloc forms government. His remarks on 'X' came over Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav's post on the social media platform in which he shared a video purportedly showing a person voting for the BJP "eight times". "Seeing its defeat, the BJP wants to rob democracy by putting pressure on the government machinery to deny the mandate," Gandhi said in a post on X. The Congress expects all officials on election duty not to forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of pressure from power, he said. "Otherwise, as soon as the government of the INDIA bloc is formed, such action will be taken that in future anyone will think 10 times before insulting the 'oath of the Constitution'." Posting the video on X from his official account, Ya

It's fight of 'tukde-tukde' vs 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai': BJP's Manoj Tiwari

BJP candidate from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat Manoj Tiwari on Sunday said the fight in his constituency is between those who promote "tukde-tukde" (divisive) ideology and those who chant "Bharat Mata Ki Jai". The Congress has pitted Kanhaiya Kumar against the BJP's Tiwari who is seeking a hattrick of victory in North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat. Campaigning for the BJP in the constituency, Union Minister Giriraj Singh referred to his victory against Kumar in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Bihar's Begusarai. "A person's poster has been pasted in Begusarai who is a member of the tukde-tukde gang and is missing there. He has changed the party now," he said. Kumar contested against Singh in 2019 as a CPI candidate. He later crossed over to the Congress. The former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president was charged with sedition by the Delhi Police over "anti-India slogans" that were allegedly raised on the university campus on February 9, 2016. At a poll

LS polls: INDIA bloc a temporary arrangement, says Uttarakhand CM Dhami

The INDIA opposition bloc is a "temporary coalition" as its constituents are fiercely contesting the Lok Sabha polls against each other in Punjab and slinging mud at each other, while they are conveniently in an "unholy" tie-up in Chandigarh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said here on Tuesday. "Have you ever seen such a self-serving alliance?" the BJP leader asked while referring to the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which are fighting the Lok Sabha polls in an alliance in Chandigarh but contesting the election on their own in Punjab. Dhami was addressing a public meeting in favour of Sanjay Tandon, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha poll nominee from Chandigarh. He claimed that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) faces ideological challenges and its "ulterior" motive is to work for the so-called main leaders' family interests and not for the common people. "Uttarakhand has become the first state to implement the ...

LS polls: Former-PM Manmohan Singh, LK Advani cast votes from home

Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister LK Advani and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi have cast their votes using the home voting facility, the Delhi poll body said. The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi on Thursday kicked off the home voting facility for elderly voters and persons with disabilities (PwDs) and it will go on till May 24. According to the data shared by the office, 1409 voters cast their ballots from the comfort of their homes across all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi on Friday, which was the second day of the facility being started. The West Delhi constituency reported the highest number of home votes, with 348 voters participating. Among them, 299 were elderly individuals. With the completion of the second day, a total of 2,956 voters have exercised their right to vote from home, the CEO office said. "Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and .

LS polls: Rae Bareli should show UP, country path to progress, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Rae Bareli should once again show the path to progress and development to Uttar Pradesh and the country as it has been the ideological and political centre of the state in the past. Sharing a video with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a post on X, he recollected memories of their childhood while passing through Rae Bareli, from where he is contesting on the Lok Sabha seat vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi. "Rae Bareli has an important role in India's progress, in giving direction to the country. Rae Bareli has for years been Uttar Pradesh's political and ideological centre, and it was Rae Bareli that showed the path in the freedom struggle," he said in the over four-minute video. "Today, the role of Rae Bareli should be one that first shows the path to Uttar Pradesh's progress and development and then Uttar Pradesh should once again show the path of progress and development to India," he also said. In the last Lok Sabha elections,

LS polls: Security tightened ahead of rallies by PM Modi, Rahul in Delhi

Security in parts of the national capital was beefed up in view of two different rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the local police having planned to deploy around 3,000-personnel strong force on the day. On Friday, the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, along with other senior officers, visited the northeast district and took stock of the security arrangements, where PM Modi will address a rally. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign at the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency. A senior officer said, Modi is likely to arrive at the rally site by a chopper after addressing another election rally in Sonipat in Haryana. At least four-layer security arrangements comprising the SPG, security wing of the Delhi Police, and the local police will be in place. "Meetings were held with other agencies responsible for the prime minister's security. "We have identified buildings and trees on all possible routes where police perso

LS polls: Cong aiming to win 50 seats to save its honour, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress is aiming to win 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections to save its honour. Addressing an election rally here, Modi took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not contesting from Amethi, the seat which he lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections. The prime minister said he had predicted that Gandhi would not dare to contest from Amethi and this has turned out to be true. "The further news is that to save its honour, the Congress has now launched Mission 50. The target of the Congress is to get 50 seats in the entire country by any means," he said. The BJP has fielded Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur. She is pitted against the Samajwadi Party's Naresh Uttam Patel. Fatehpur goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

LS polls 2024: Foreign investors most short on India stocks since 2012

Modi is still widely expected to secure a third successive five-year term with the leader having predicted that his Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will win more than 400 of the 543 seats

LS polls 2024: PM Modi should focus on development issues, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about development matters rather than other issues in his campaign speeches, and said "mutton-chicken", "Hindu-Muslim" are his words and not ours. His remarks came after Prime Minister Modi in an interview to News 18 said he won't be fit for public life if he starts playing the Hindu-Muslim card. "Why is the PM not seeking votes on the work he did in the last 10 years," he said at a joint press conference with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav here. On PM Modi's remarks that he has never discriminated between Hindu and Muslim, Kharge responded, "Had the prime minister not said mutton, beef, chicken, fish and mangalsutra. These words are not mine but his (PM's). "I am saying that leave these things, tell people about the work you did and seek votes on its behalf. They talk of mutton-chicken not us," Kharge said. The Congress chief asserted that the opposition INDIA bloc is in a strong position afte

LS polls: 7.5% dip in Indore LS seat turnout as Cong called for Nota

The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh's Indore Lok Sabha constituency, where the Congress was out of poll race, has decreased by about 7.5 per cent compared to the 2019 parliamentary election, as per official data. While the BJP said voters in Indore did not like Congress' "negative appeal" to press the 'None of the Above' option on EVMs, the grand old party claimed no matter which candidate wins the Indore seat, NOTA will create a new national record. Polling in Indore and seven other Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh was held on Monday during the fourth and last phase of the general elections in the state. The Congress had urged voters to press the NOTA button on the electronic voting machines (EVMs) after its candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination at the last minute and joined the BJP. An official at the district election office, quoting provisional figures, on Tuesday said out of the 25.27 lakh eligible voters, 61.75 per cent exercised their franchise on Monday. In t

Channi's remark on Poonch terror attack in violates MCC, says Punjab CEO

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Tuesday said that Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the Poonch terror attack, in which an IAF soldier was killed, a "poll stunt" violated the model code of conduct. The Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) has written to the Election Commission of India for further action on the matter. "According to a report of the Jalandhar District Election Officer, it (Channi's remark) is the violation of MCC (model code of conduct)," Punjab CEO Sibin C told PTI on Tuesday. One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on May 4. Replying to reporters' questions on the attack on the IAF convoy, Channi had said, "These are all stunts, not attacks ('Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' ). Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it." "The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and

Lok Sabha polls fourth phase highlights: Voter turnout for assmebly polls reaches 62.7% by 7pm

Lok Sabha elections live: Voting is underway in 96 LS seats across 10 states. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also have their assembly polls scheduled today

14.94% voting in Srinagar till 11 am, higher than 2019 total turnout

A 14.94 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, higher than the overall turnout of the 2019 elections for the seat in Jammu and Kashmir, according to official figures. Voting started at 7 am in the constituency where polling is underway in the fourth round of the seven-phase general elections. The redrawn Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency has registered a poll percentage of 14.94 till 11 am, according to Election Commission figures. There are a total of 17.48 lakh eligible voters in Srinagar. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the total turnout for the seat was around 14.43 per cent, while in 2014, it was 25.86 per cent. This time, there was significant increase in turnout in most of the assembly segments of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. Kangan assembly segment recorded 22.68 per cent, Ganderbal 21.44, Chadoora 22.30, Chrar-e-Sharief 22.20, Khansahib 19.70 and Rajpora 20.86 per cent till 11 am. The turnout, .

WATCH: Sonia Gandhi's appeal to women days after BJP's 'mangalsutra' row

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday made a special video appeal to the women voters, urging them to support the party in the ongoing elections

Haryana crisis: Trust vote looms over Saini govt; what numbers say. Updates

The BJP govt in Haryana led by Nayab Saini is short of two MLAs in the 90-member assembly after three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to the govt

Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

From Jairam Ramesh hitting out at the BJP for giving a ticket to Brij Bhushan's SAon to the damage done by the dust storm in national capital on Friday, catch all the news from around the world here