Lok Sabha Elections

Election Commission rejects LoP Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha poll-rigging claim

The Election Commission on Saturday rejected claims of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the 2024 Lok polls were rigged, saying it appears that these "unfounded allegations" are intended to exert undue pressure on the election machinery and even threaten poll officials. Addressing a Congress event here, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha cited data collected by the Congress from an assembly constituency in Karnataka where the party checked the photographs and names of electors physically and reportedly found out that 1.5 lakh votes were "fake" out of a total of 6.5 lakh voters. "The election system in India is dead," he said, adding that the Lok Sabha elections were rigged. In a fact-check post on X, the poll authority said Gandhi's statements are "misleading and baseless." It said during the preparation of the electoral roll for LS-2024, both the Draft and Final Electoral lists were shared with all political parties, including the Congress, and were appealable under ...

Rahul Gandhi accuses EC of rigging 2024 polls, says poll system is 'dead'

Rahul Gandhi accuses the Election Commission of aiding BJP, says Congress has 100 per cent proof

Petition in SC seeks electoral roll revision before every election

A plea in the Supreme Court has sought Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, particularly before parliamentary, state assembly and local body elections in the country. On Monday, the top court agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of petitions challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to undertake special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi on Tuesday asked the petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, who sought the matter's urgent listing along with the pending petitions opposing the election commission move, to iron out procedural defects before it could be listed for hearing. Upadhyay sought his plea to be heard on July 10, when the other pleas would be heard. His plea sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to conduct the SIR in order to ensure only Indian citizens decided the polity and policy "not the illegal foreign infiltrators". "Demography of 200 distric

Past 11 yrs were 'news reel', real film yet to begin: Gadkari on 2029 polls

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday replied to a query on his role in 2029 (general elections) by claiming what was seen in the past 11 years was just a "news reel" and the "real film" was yet to come. The senior BJP leader, however, asserted that the party decides on the responsibilities for its functionaries, adding that he would work in whatever capacity it decides for him. "Abhi tak jo hua hain woh to news reel thi. Asli film shuru hona aur baaki hain (what you have seen so far is just a news reel, the real film is yet to begin)," he said in interview with Uday Nirgudkar here on 11 years of the Narendra Modi government. "The party decides the responsibilities of the worker and what work he will do. I will carry out whatever responsibility is given to me," Gadkari said while emphasising he has never published his political biodata and nor has he ever asked supporters to organise grand welcome events for him at airports. Gadkari said his personal wish was to work towards ...

Anurag Thakur backs 'one nation, one election', calls it win-win situation

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the implementation of the 'one nation, one election' formula would be a win-win situation for the country as it would not just cut the expenses incurred in conducting various polls but also save a lot of time. "Elections were held in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls (last year). Then elections were held in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. So, there are at least five assembly elections in a year. "If all the polls are held simultaneously, it will reduce the expenditure, save time and increase the voting percentage as well," Thakur told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a party event on 'one nation, one election' (ONOE). The former Union minister said conducting simultaneous polls would reduce the expenditure of the candidates, political parties, and help the country save money. "Around Rs 1.5 lakh crore was spent in the (2024) Lok Sabha elections -- by political parties, candidates, other instituti

Political parties, leaders outdo each other to claim Ambedkar's legacy

PM Modi says Congress 'snatched' rights of SC/STs; Rahul cites Telangana survey to claim that most gig workers from disadvantaged sections

ECI holds all-party meetings to resolve booth-level polling issues

ECI said that this grassroots-level engagement has been welcomed by political parties, with their active and enthusiastic participation in meetings

Court to decide Engineer Rashid's bail plea in UAPA case on March 21

A Delhi court would on March 21 pass its order on the bail plea of jailed J&K MP Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case. Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh, who was scheduled to pass order on Wednesday, deferred the pronouncement. The judge on September 10 granted interim bail to Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popular as Engineer Rashid, to enable him to campaign for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The judge also previously extended Rashid's interim bail till October 28 on the ground of his father's health, after the NIA said it had verified the documents and on sole ground of health of accused's father it was not opposing the application. Rashid has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case. Elections to the 90-member J&K Assembly were held in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The results were declared on October 8 in ...

Trump claims USAID funding in India was to get 'someone else elected'

Donald Trump's remarks came days after DOGE disclosed that the United States Agency for International Development contributed $21 million to boost 'voter turnout' in India

They have lot more money: Trump on $21 mn fund for India's 'voter turnout'

While he acknowledged his respect for India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump criticised the idea of funding voter turnout initiatives in the country

Mayawati raises concerns over alleged foreign interference in elections

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday raised concerns over alleged foreign interference in Indian elections, citing reports that USD 21 million was allegedly sent by an US agency under the pretext of increasing voter participation. "The news from America is quite shocking as a massive amount of USD 21 million has reportedly been provided in the name of increasing voter participation in India. The people of the country must remain cautious and question whether this is an interference in free and fair elections, and if so, who has been benefiting from it," she said in a press note issued by the party here on Monday. Her reaction came after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk announced a series of expenditure cuts, including USD 21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India." The DOGE in a post on X on Saturday announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars. The department said, "US ...

BJP targets Cong after US cancels programme for 'voter turnout' in India

The BJP on Sunday claimed that a US-funded programme, now cancelled, linked to voter turnout in India is a pointer to the previous Congress-led UPA government allegedly enabling infiltration of Indian institutions by forces opposed to the country's interests. BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said on X, "It is becoming increasingly evident that the Congress-led UPA systematically enabled the infiltration of India's institutions by forces opposed to the nation's interests - those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity." Once again, he alleged, it is the billionaire US-based investor George Soros, a "known associate" of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process. Malviya said the Election Commission in 2012 had signed an MoU with The International Foundation for Electoral Systems' an organisation linked to Soros' Open Society Foundation, which is primarily funded by USAID. In a swipe at the Congress, he said those questioning the ...

DOGE cancels $21 mn intended for 'voter turnout in India', BJP reacts

The ruling BJP claimed that the USAID funding was proof of 'external interference in India's electoral process'

USAID may have played a role in 2020 US polls, 2024 Indian elections: Trump

During the press conference alongside PM Modi, Trump was questioned about USAID's involvement in both the 2020 US presidential elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Budget: Law min gets Rs 14k cr for carry forward spending on LS polls, EVMs

The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated more than Rs 1,400 crore to the law ministry to meet carry forward expenditure for holding the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and purchase of new electronic voting machines for the Election Commission. The legislative department in the law ministry is the nodal agency for the Election Commission (EC), polls, electoral laws and appointment of members to the poll panel. According to the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, the law ministry has been allotted Rs 500 crore for Lok Sabha elections, another Rs 300 crore for identity cards for voters, and Rs 597.80 crore for "other election expenses". Separately, it has been allocated Rs 18.72 crore for the purchase of new electronic voting machines (EVMs) by the election watchdog. One control unit, at least one ballot unit and one paper trail machine make up for an EVM. Carry forward expenses have been described by law ministry officials as a "book keeping" exercise where

Party spent Rs 1737.68 cr on LS elections 2024: BJP's report to ECI reveals

The Bharatiya Janata Party spent Rs 1,737.68 crore for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, according to the expenditure report submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India. Of the total amount, Rs 884.45 crore was spent on general party propaganda, while Rs 853.23 crore was allocated for candidate-related expenses. Around Rs 611.50 crore was spent on media advertisements that included advertisements in print and electronic media, bulk SMS campaigns, and promotional content across cable, websites, and TV channels. The party also spent Rs 55.75 crore on publicity materials such as posters, banners, hoardings, and flags to bolster its election outreach. Additionally, the BJP's expenditure on public meetings, processions, and rallies including arrangements for stages, audio setups, barricades, and vehicles stood at Rs 19.84 crore. Campaign-related travel expenses formed another significant portion of the party's budget. The travel expenditure of star campaigners authorised b

Congress saw 320% surge in donations in 2024 elections, BJP witnesses 87%

The share of electoral bonds in the BJP's total contributions dropped to less than half during the same period to 43 per cent while electoral bonds comprised 73 per cent of the Congress' donations

Meta's Zuckerberg to face Parliamentary summons over India elections remark

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused CEO Mark Zuckerberg of spreading misinformation through his earlier comments on the 2024 Indian general election

I&B minister Vaishnaw fact-checks Zuckerberg on Lok Sabha poll results

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hit back at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday for making a "factually incorrect" statement that the incumbent government in India lost the election in 2024 due to its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zuckerberg, chairman and CEO of Meta Platforms, triggered a row by claiming in a podcast interview that the Indian government lost the election in 2024 due to its weak COVID-19 response. Vaishnaw opted for Meta's Facebook platform to call out Zuckerberg for spreading "misinformation". "It is disappointing to see misinformation from Mr Zuckerberg himself. Let's uphold facts and credibility," the Union information and broadcasting minister said, tagging Meta on X and other social media platforms. "From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi's decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust," he ...

Rift within INDIA bloc even during 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Arjun Meghwal

Union Minister further hit out at the AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over Sheesh Mahal stating that he has been exposed