Page 118 - Lok Sabha Elections

LS polls: Govt's achievements result of people's mandate, says JP Nadda

BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday said the government's achievements over the last 10 years, such as the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the women's reservation law, were made possible due to the clear mandate given to the party by people. "The achievements of the last 10 years are a result of a clear mandate," Nadda said at a function here to release the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He listed out construction of village roads, toilets, lifting 25 crore people out of poverty as some of the achievements of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda said in 2029, 33 per cent of the Lok Sabha members will be women. He said the BJP has followed the ideals of social justice laid down by Babasaheb Ambedkar and the manifesto is being released on his birth anniversary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders were present at the function at the BJP headquarters here.

Lok Sabha polls: Rahul to attend election rallies, meetings in Kerala

The Congress leader kicked off the poll campaign in his constituency Wayanad early this month by filing his nomination papers and holding a massive roadshow

Demand for political merchandise booms in Bengal as elections draw near

As Lok Sabha elections draw near, the political merchandise market, both offline and online, in West Bengal has started booming, with tee shirts sporting slogans such as 'Khela Hobe', 'Nation with NaMo' and 'NaMo again' selling like hot cakes. Market analysts said that while merchandise extending support to the Trinamool Congress is a hit in the wholesale markets of Burrabazar and Canning Street in Kolkata, those of the BJP top the charts on e-commerce platforms. The northern part of West Bengal, which will go to polls in the first few phases, is particularly witnessing a surge in demand for the political merchandise, they said. In the wholesale markets of the eastern metropolis, hundreds of shops have been adorned with a vibrant array of political merchandise, ranging from flags to key chains, caps, umbrellas, and sunglasses bearing political symbols. However, the quality and price of goods available in wholesale markets differ substantially from those available on e-commerce ...

LS polls: PM Modi to hold poll campaigns in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka today

PM Modi will be addressing a public gathering in Narmadapuram district at around 12:45 pm, which will target four parliamentary seats, which include Hoshangabad, Betul, Chhindwara, and Mandla

Govt volunteer system becomes eye of storm ahead of polls in Andhra Pradesh

Ward and village volunteer system, a wing of the YSR Congress government, has emerged as the eye of a political storm between rivals YSRCP and TDP in the run-up to the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, with both ruling and opposition parties trading charges against each other. Introduced in 2019 by the ruling YSRCP, the volunteer system is a decentralised governance delivery mechanism, entailing one volunteer to oversee 50 households for delivering welfare pensions and other schemes at the beneficiaries' doorstep. However, the opposition NDA coalition of TDP, BJP and Janasena allege that the volunteer system is being deployed to further the electoral prospects of YSRCP and perform in an advantageous way to the ruling party run by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan have regularly targeted the volunteers, numbering around 2.6 lakh over the past five years. However, after realising the sensitivity of the issue, Naidu is now tryin

LS polls: Cong picks ex-Gujarat Oppn leader Dhanani against BJP's Rupala

The Congress has fielded former opposition leader Paresh Dhanani, a Patidar, against Union minister Parshottam Rupala, who is facing the ire of Kshatriya community, from Rajkot Lok Sabha seat as the party has released names of its four remaining candidates in Gujarat. The candidates comprise a former president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), a senior spokesperson and two former legislators, including Dhanani. In its latest list released on Saturday night, Congress also declared the names of candidates for bypolls to five assembly constituencies of Vijapur, Porbandar, Manavadar, Khambhat and Vaghodia in Gujarat. With this, the Congress has declared the names of candidates for 24 constituencies it will contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat. Two other constituencies - Bharuch and Bhavnagar - are allotted to the Aam Aadmi Party under a seat-sharing agreement as part of the opposition INDIA alliance. Apart from Dhanani, three other candidates decla

LS polls: Local BJP, VHP leaders file FIRs against each other in MP's Mhow

Cases were registered in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow city on Saturday after two local leaders of the BJP and Vishva Hindu Parishad lodged complaints of threatening against each other, police said. On the complaint of Mhow BJP president Piyush Agrawal, an FIR under IPC sections 294 (abusing), 506 B (threatening) and 450 (house trespass) was registered against VHP leader and 'cow vigilante' Shubham Thakur. Subsequently, on Thakur's complaint, another First Information Report with the same charges was registered against Agrawal, said Mhow police station in-charge Sanjay Dwivedi. As Thakur belongs to a Scheduled Tribe community, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was also invoked against Agrawal, he told PTI. Probe was on, he added.

LS elections: BJP, Cong workers clash during TV channel debate in MP

Workers and leaders of Congress and BJP allegedly attacked each other with sticks and plastic chairs, leaving some of them injured, during a poll debate organised by a news channel in a public park in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Saturday night. Videos of two groups throwing plastic chairs and using sticks are doing rounds on social media. City Superintendent of Police Pankaj Mishra confirmed the incident. "One person was injured in this incident and hospitalised. Some activists have also suffered injuries," he said, adding that the process of filing FIRs by both sides is underway. The incident occurred when a TV news channel had organised a debate at Bhawartal Park in the evening. The BJP and the opposition Congress traded charges over violence. BJP MLA Abhilash Pandey claimed Congress leaders passed certain remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were opposed by saffron workers. "During the heated exchange, former Congress MLA Vinay Saxena and his supporters attack

Andhra CM Jagan Reddy injured in stone pelting incident in Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was on Saturday injured after stones were pelted by unknown persons during the YSRCP chief's election campaign in Vijayawada, his office said. The chief minister suffered a small cut on the left side of his temple above the eye during his Memanta Siddham' (we are all ready) election canvassing bus tour. "The stone struck the CM while he was acknowledging the crowds as part of his bus tour at Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada," said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The stone hit Reddy at a very high velocity and officials are suspecting that it could have been launched from a catapult, prompting the people standing around him atop the bus to wipe his forehead with a handkerchief initially. Immediately, the chief minister was administered first aid inside the bus by a doctor. Reddy was seen being attended to by a doctor inside the bus and also grimacing from pain. However, unfazed by the stone

It's 'King' versus 'Queen' in Mandi as Cong fields royal against Kangana

The stage is set for a battle royale in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat as the Congress on Saturday pitted state minister Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, against BJP candidate and actor Kangana Ranaut. Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from Mandi and the Congress' state unit president. Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952. Vikramaditya Singh, the two-time MLA from the Shimla (rural) assembly segment, is not new in the parliamentary constituency as his father and mother each won the seat thrice. In the 2021 Lok Sabha bypoll to the seat, Singh had campaigned extensively for his mother. Even before his candidature was announced, Vikramaditya Singh was involved in a spat with the actor-politician of ...

LS polls: Congress fields sitting Punjab MP Manish Tewari from Chandigarh

The Congress on Saturday fielded two-time MP from Punjab Manish Tewari as its candidate from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. Veteran party leader and former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was also in the reckoning for the seat. Tewari's candidature, along with 15 other candidates, was announced during a meeting of the Congress' central election committee in Delhi. A sitting MP from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab, Tewari is a former union minister. He was elected as MP from Ludhiana in 2009. The names of Tewari, Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky were doing rounds for candidature from the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency, currently held by BJP MP Kirron Kher. Tewari will face BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon in the electoral contest. The BJP on Wednesday named Tandon, the former Chandigarh BJP president, as its candidate, replacing incumbent MP Kher. Tewari won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Anandpur Sahib seat, defeating Shiromani Akal

Highlights: Andhra CM Jagan Reddy injured in stone pelting incident during road show in Vijayawada

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Cong names 16 more LS candidates, fields Vikramaditya against Kangana

The Congress on Saturday announced a list of 16 more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and fielded former Union minister Manish Tewari from the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency. The party also pitted Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh against BJP candidate and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in the state's Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Vikramaditya Singh is the son of the Congress' Himachal Pradesh unit chief Pratibha Singh. The candidates were announced during a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee here on Saturday evening.

Rahul Gandhi's Tamil Nadu visit has trumped Modi's poll campaign: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's single day campaign in the state has "beaten all the election trips" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state to seek votes. Referring to the April 12 meet addressed at nearby Coimbatore by him and Gandhi, Stalin said the turnout and the rally was magnificent like the movie "Baahubali", and the "total BJP was trumped," by a single public meeting. Further, the chief minister said Gandhi's single day campaign in Tamil Nadu has "beaten all the election trips" of Modi to the state to seek votes. "Rahul Gandhi has proven that Tamil Nadu people can be won over (ruled) only through love." Citing Gandhi's comment in Coimbatore that the Lok Sabha polls are an ideological battle, the DMK chief said he has been all along stating that the election is between the INDIA bloc -- committed to upholding social justice -- and the BJP front which is sowing seeds of "discrimination" in society. "Rahul Gandhi's spee

Model code violation case filed against BJP's Brij Bhushan Singh in Gonda

A case for violation of the Model Code of Conduct and prohibitory orders was on Saturday filed against BJP MP from Kaiserganj and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a senior official said. District Magistrate (DM) Neha Sharma said the MP visited several villages in the Katra assembly segment of his constituency under the Khargupur police station area with a convoy of about 25-30 vehicles on Friday without permission. As a result, in-charge of the flying squad team of the Katra market area Dr Nazmul Islam filed a case under relevant sections against Singh, Sharma said. The DM said restrictions under CrPC section 144 is in force in the district in view of the Lok Sabha elections ahead and that the district administration was committed to complying with the Model Code of Conduct. Strict action will be taken if anyone violates it, the official added. Police station in-charge Dinesh Singh said a case has been registered under relevant sections and the

AIMIM supports AIADMK in TN, pact to continue for Assembly elections too

The AIMIM on Saturday announced its support to the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha elections. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said on 'X' that the "alliance would also continue for the Assembly elections" in Tamil Nadu. "AIADMK has refused to ally with BJP and has committed to never allying with it in the future. It has also assured that it will oppose CAA, NPR & NRC. Therefore, AIMIM extends its support to AIADMK in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Our alliance will also continue for the Assembly elections," Owaisi said. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats and elections will be held on April 19.

BJP supports reservations, Congress spreading lies: Amit Shah in Rajasthan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the Congress of spreading misconception that BJP wants to abolish quota for Dalits, tribals, and the Other Backward Castes. "I want to make one thing clear. Congress party is spreading misconception, especially among Dalit and tribal brothers, that BJP is going to abolish reservation," Shah said while addressing an election meeting in Harsoli (Alwar) in support of Alwar Lok Sabha candidate Bhupender Yadav. "Listen to me carefully. Be it reservation for Dalits, tribals or backward classes, BJP supports it. We will neither end the reservation nor allow anyone to do it," he said. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi himself is the biggest supporter of reservation," he said and accused the Congress of being anti-OBC and cold shelving key reports on the issue of reservation. "Congress party is an anti-OBC party. The Congress Party did injustice to the backward classes for years. kept the Kaka Kalelkar report suppressed. Kept the Mandal ...

BJP to release its poll manifesto on Sunday, PM Modi to be present

The BJP will release its manifesto -Sankalp Patra - for the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, with its planks of welfare and development besides a roadmap for 'viksit Bharat' expected to figure prominently in its election agenda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders of the party are expected to attend the unveiling of the manifesto at the party headquarters that coincides with the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, a towering leader from the Dalit community and an architect of the Indian Constitution. As the BJP government has fulfilled most of its core ideological promises, including the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the repeal of Article 370, all eyes will be on how the ruling party's larger cultural and Hindutva agenda figures in the manifesto. Party sources said measures for the youth, women, farmers and the poor -- four "castes" Modi has often spoken about -- will be among the highlights of its poll pledges. The BJP had appointed a manifesto committee

Farmers' loans will be waived after Cong comes to power, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said loans of farmers will be waived if his party comes to power at the Centre. Addressing a rally in Sakoli in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, he said the main issues plaguing the people of the country were unemployment and inflation, though these were ignored by the media. "Loans of farmers will be waived if the Congress comes to power. People are distressed due to unemployment and inflation. The situation is such that people earning just thousands and those making crores are paying the same GST," he said while attacking the NDA government at the Centre. Gandhi said his party would conduct a caste census after attaining power since it is important for the future of the country. Slamming the Centre's Agnipath programme, in which soldiers called 'Agniveers' are recruited for four years, Gandhi said it would be scrapped since "the Army was not in its favour". Attacking Modi, he said the prime minister, who calls himself an OBC, must tell ..

LS polls: Shiromani Akali Dal announces 1st list of 7 candidates for Punjab

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday announced its first list of seven candidates, fielding senior party leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra from Anandpur Sahib and Daljit Singh Cheema from Gurdaspur. Besides, the SAD also named former MLA N K Sharma from Patiala, former minister Anil Joshi from Amritsar, Bikramjit Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib, Rajwinder Singh from Faridkot and Iqbal Singh Jhoonda from Sangrur seat. The list of candidates was announced by party leader Daljit Singh Cheema in a post on X. Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the last phase on June 1.