Page 108 - Lok Sabha Elections

Lok Sabha polls 2024: PM Modi asks people to vote in record numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers as the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls started with polling being held in 102 constituencies. He especially called upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. "The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers," he said in a post on X. He added, "I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!" Modi made the appeal in various Indian languages.

LS polls: CEC urges women, PwDs, senior citizens to vote in large numbers

Kumar said that it is essential for voters including women and youth to take part in the elections

Best of BS Opinion: Israel-Iran escalatory ladder, trust in elections, more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Battleground 2024: In Bengal's tea belt, climate and politics boil over

As BJP, TMC fight for dominance, tea gardens hope for a change in the weather and, perhaps, their fortunes

Battleground 2024: Polls begin today, Gadkari to Sonowal on the ballot

Assemblies in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to also hold elections

Share of youth in voting age population falls to lowest in decades

In the first of a two-part series, Business Standard looks at data of youngsters who are now of voting age and how it compares with some of the 60-odd nations that will see polls in 2024

LS polls: Notice to YouTube channels under Information Technology Act

Bolta Hindustan has over 300,000 subscribers , National Dastak and Article 19 have 9.44 million and 2.81 million subscribers

On the tracks of political schism: Southern comfort for Opposition

NITIN KUMAR rides the rails of political discord from North to South aboard the Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari Express

Lok Sabha elections: EC, India Inc team up to encourage people to vote

Tamil Nadu is set to vote for all constituencies today

On Vande Bharat, Haridwar AC Express: Mandir signals green, jobs hit red

From Dehradun to Delhi, Haridwar to Mumbai, Ajinkya Kawale gets inside track on voter sentiment on board the Vande Bharat and Haridwar AC Express

From Katra to Chennai, full steam ahead on the development express

Subhayan Chakraborty travels on the Andaman Express - and finds a majority of passengers impressed with Modi government's track record

Sunita Kejriwal will go everywhere as voice of Delhi CM: AAP's Gopal Rai

Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, will be her husband's voice and carry his message wherever needed in the country during the Lok Sabha polls, AAP's city unit convenor Gopal Rai said on Thursday. In an interview with PTI, Rai asserted that the people of Delhi are firmly behind the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress candidates fielded in the parliamentary polls after Kejriwal's arrest and claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently trailing in all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. Sunita Kejriwal will tour Gujarat as a star campaigner for the AAP. The party is contesting the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats in Gujarat. Replying to a question on whether Sunita Kejriwal, in the absence of his husband, will campaign in other states, Rai answered in the affirmative

Trust in elections

Faith in EVMs should be restored and maintained

India can take action against terrorism even across border: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India possesses the capability to counter terror activities by taking action across the border, if required. "If anyone tries to encourage terrorist activities in India, we have the power to deal with it here and, if required, take action even on the other side of the border," the minister said. Singh made the statement here while criticising the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF for having sought proof of the cross-border airstrike in 2019 carried out by Indian defence forces on terror camps across the border. Addressing a poll rally organised by the BJP-led NDA in the Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency, he dubbed the questions of the Congress and the Left as "anti-national in nature", and said the people in the country are aware of that. Senior Congress leader Kodikkunnil Suresh is the UDF candidate in Mavelikkara, where CPI's C A Arun Kumar is contesting as the LDF candidate, and the NDA is represented by Baiju Kalashala

Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara: A Congress citadel which BJP wants to breach

As Kamal Nath's grip on Chhindwara weakens, the BJP intensifies its efforts to dismantle the Congress stronghold in Madhya Pradesh

LS polls: 150 polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh to be managed by women

A total of 150 polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh, which goes to simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls on Friday, will be managed by women, a senior election official said here on Thursday. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said over 1,000 women officers and officials have been deployed across these stations to facilitate the electoral process, with women security personnel also stationed for assistance. Terming it as unique' for a record number of women to participate in the electoral process this time, the CEO highlighted that six district election officers (DEOs) in the state are women. "In Roing, the headquarters of Lower Dibang Valley district, the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and majority of the polling officials are women. It is a encouraging that women are contributing in the election process," Sain said. Altogether 50,842 government employees have been deployed for conducting polls in the state. The CEO informed that 2,073 polling

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase-I: Here's how to download voter slip online

The Election Commission of India has already started sending the voter information slip (VIS) to registered voters whose names are in the electoral roll

SC reserves verdict on cross-verification of votes using EVMs with VVPAT

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict after hearing the response of Election Commission on the pleas. The petitioners have also sought reversal of the poll panel's 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass through which a voter can see the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, explained the process of how an EVM functions. Advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Gopal Sankararanarayanan appeared for the petitioners. Other lawyers represented the intervenors. On April 16, the top court had deprecated criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and calls for reverting to ballot papers, saying the electoral process in India is a "humongo

Caste arithmetic, ex-CMs and BSP make for a riveting contest in Haridwar

For the past two elections, BJP stalwart and former Union minister (as well as ex-Uttarakhand CM) Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been winning the Haridwar LS seat

Lok Sabha Elections: Who are the key candidates in phase 1 voting | Elections 2024

Polling for the 543 seats for electing the 18th Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases. The first phase of the elections is set to begin from April 19.