Page 123 - Lok Sabha Elections

Nominations for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls to begin tomorrow: ECI

The Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases, with voters across the country going to the polls on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1

LS elections: Over 150,000 new voters added in eight seats of Maharashtra

More than 1.52 lakh new voters have been registered in eight out of total 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra in the latest round of electoral roll revision, in which the number of new women voters was more than their male counterparts, officials said. In this special drive conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 82,658 new female voters were registered as against the 69,652 new male voters in these eight constituencies - Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani. However, the total number of female voters across these eight segments is way below the count of male voters. There are 53,99,057 female voters as against the 77,21,374 male voters. There are 432 voters registered as transgenders, an official statement issued by the chief electoral office of Maharashtra. These eight constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on May 7. With the addition of voters during the special drive of the ECI conducted .

Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP gaining ground in Tamil Nadu under K Annamalai

Often considered a fringe player in Tamil Nadu's electoral arena dominated by the Dravidian heavyweights, a resurgent BJP in Tamil Nadu has seen it's stock rising much beyond its expectations this time, thanks to an assertive and aggressive K Annamalai who is steering the party. The BJP has made no bones about its intentions to make good electoral inroads in the Dravidian heartland and is hopeful of turning the positive wave into votes for the April 19 general election. It is heading a non-DMK, non-AIADMK bloc and is contesting directly from 19 seats, including Coimbatore from where Annamalai has been fielded. Much of the party's newfound confidence stems from Annamalai's "En Mann, En Makkal" (My Land, My People) padayatra, a crucial political journey that made many heads turn towards the Tamil Nadu BJP and the former IPS officer. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the culmination of the nearly seven month-long yatra. Though how much of the frenzied crowd that swarmed

LS polls: BJP urges renaming Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad to Ganapathivattom

The BJP said on Thursday that the name of Sulthan Bathery town, associated with Tipu Sultan in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, should be changed, as the place was originally known as Ganapathivattom before the Mysore ruler's invasion of the Malabar region of Kerala two centuries ago. The issue was raised by the BJP state president, K Surendran, who is contesting against the sitting MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as well as CPI leader and ruling LDF candidate Annie Raja in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. "Ganapathivattom is the true name of Sulthan Bathery. Its name change is necessary," Surendran told reporters in Thamarassery near here. Raking up the issue of Tipu Sultan's Malabar invasion during his election campaign, the BJP leader alleged that the Congress and LDF prefer to refer to it as Sulthan Bathery. "Why should such a place in Kerala be named after an aggressor?" he asked. "In reality, the place is Ganapathivattom. How many years ago did the Sultan's invasion occur

Lok Sabha elections 3rd phase: Schedule for filing nominations announced

Election Commission says April 19 is the last date for filing nominations and candidates can withdraw from the race till April 22

LS elections 2024: EC issues notice to VPP for MCC 'violation' in Meghalaya

The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the Voice of the People's Party in Meghalaya over an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by its supporters who were accused of disrupting Lok Sabha poll campaigns of the ruling NPP by raising slogans during public meetings in several locations. The Returning Officer of Shillong parliamentary constituency SC Sadhu also issued another notice to VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit after the election agent of NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh alleged that the opposition party was "spreading fake news" using social media. Basaiawmoit was asked to reply by April 12 as to why action should not be taken against his party under the relevant provisions of the model code of conduct. In a complaint to the returning officer, the NPP accused VPP supporters of disrupting election meetings of the party in Ri-Bhoi district on Monday. The VPP supporters allegedly raised slogans while former MLA and NPP state working president Hamletson Dohli

LS polls: BJP invites 25 global parties to observe elections, its campaign

Notable absentees will be leaders from the US, Pakistan and China, while major political parties from Nepal, including the Maoists, have been invited

PM Modi right choice for chancellor of university of corruption: CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing his party DMK of being corrupt and said Modi would be the right person to become "chancellor of the university of corruption". Responding to the prime minister's charge about dynastic politics and corruption in the state, Stalin, the DMK president, said, "If a university for corruption is to be established, then Modi will be the right person to become its chancellor." "One may ask why. The answer is from electoral bonds, to PM Cares Fund and the BJP 'washing machine' of saffronising tainted leaders, the BJP is corrupt," he said, while addressing an election rally here on Wednesday. On the prime minister's charge that the DMK was against Tamil culture, Stalin shot back saying, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi avargale, please don't study in Whatsapp university. Our Tamil culture is Yaadhum oore, yaavarum kelir (For us all towns are one, all are our kin)." It was the prime minister who practiced

TDP, BJP, Janasena use political power to serve people: Chandrababu Naidu

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said the NDA alliance of the TDP, BJP and Janasena uses political power to serve people while the YSRCP chief uses it as a license to "exploit and loot public wealth". The TDP chief made these allegations at the Tanuku town in the West Godavari district as part of an election canvassing public meeting, featuring Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan and others. Power is for serving the public for the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP while it is looting for Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has exploited his power as a license to loot public wealth, said Naidu. According to Naidu, Reddy is the only person who has prospered in the state in the past five years and he asked people whether they want the "destructive" rule of Reddy or the development of the state through the NDA. Asserting that the NDA will return to power at the Centre, he said the agenda of all the three partners is common - welfare, development and upholding democratic values. Terming Kalya

Lok Sabha polls: People have trust in PM Modi's leadership, says Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP candidate from the Kota? parliamentary seat Om Birla on Wednesday said the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an election issue this time as the people of the country have trust in his leadership. Birla also brushed aside attack on him by the Congress for disqualifying Rahul Gandhi from membership of the Parliament saying he had no role and authority to expel someone as the Parliament functions on its rules and regulations. Birla held a brief interaction with PTI after paying tribute to former Jan Sangh parliamentarian Onkarlal Bairwa on his death anniversary at his residence in Kota city's Nayapura area on Wednesday. Responding to a query, three-time MLA and two-time MP Birla said the leadership of Prime minister Narendra Modi is an election issue this time and people have trust in his working style and the way he worked to "transform" the country. On development and progress in his parliamentary area during his tenure as an MP, Birla claimed .

BJP has done in 10 yrs what Cong could not do in 60 yrs: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday said what the Congress could not achieve in 60 years of its rule in the country has been accomplished in just a decade by the Narendra Modi government. He said the BJP has made a tribal and common party worker like him the CM of Chhattisgarh. Sai, who assumed office in December last year, is a member of the Baiga tribe and the first adivasi CM of his state. "What the Congress has not done in 60 years of its rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done more than that in just 10 years. I belong to the Baiga community and the Congress has always treated tribals as just a vote-bank. On the other hand, the BJP has made a common worker like me the chief minister to honour the entire Baiga community," Sai said. The Chhattisgarh chief minister was addressing an election meeting in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh in support of BJP candidate and Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste. He said by making Droupadi Murmu the President of th

LS polls: BRS complains to EC against CM Revanth Reddy, Telangana BJP

The BRS in Telangana on Wednesday complained to the Election Commission against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the state BJP for alleged violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC)which is in force for the Lok Sabha elections. The BRS submitted separate representations to the EC in this regard. The BRS urged the EC to immediately ban Revanth Reddy from campaigning for the parliamentary elections and initiate an action against him and the Congress for alleged violation of the MCC. The BRS also sought immediate banning of the BJP's 'X' page from campaigning and prosecution of persons responsible for allegedly "morphing" the faces of prominent leaders of the BRS. Referring to a speech of CM Revanth Reddy at a Congress public meeting organised on the city's outskirts on April 6, the BRS alleged that he used the "most abusive and filthy language and also passed derogatory comments" against BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The BRS alleged that whi

SC's order on disclosure of moveable assets upholds voters' right to know

The apex court held candidates didn't need to disclose every moveable property in polls

BJP's historic pursuit: Targeting 370 seats in 2024 LS polls challenge

For the past three decades, political parties with regional footprints accounted for 200 or more seats, and nearly half the votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections

LS elections: Neeraj Shekhar to contest from Ballia; Kher and Joshi axed

From Chandigarh, the BJP has fielded its Chandigarh unit chief Sanjay Tandon. From UP's Ghazipur, the BJP has fielded Paras Nath Rai against the SP's Afzal Ansari

BJP 'openly' violating election code but EC not acting, claims Atish

"Openly and brazenly the model code of conduct was violated by the BJP, and yet there was no action from the EC," Atishi added

Postal ballots stamp their voice: Lok Sabha election's phase 1 voting on

The latest state elections show a higher share of postal ballots, according to an analysis of Election Commission of India data

Lok Sabha polls: BJP announces 10th list, drops Kirron Kher from Chandigarh

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Of the eight new names, seven are from Uttar Pradesh and one from Chandigarh

Shifting fortunes: Moveable assets tip the balance for richest candidates

Top 10 candidates' moveable assets Rs 1,815 crore, double immoveable assets of Rs 815 crore

Congress creating north-south divide to break India: Amit Shah in Bihar

Launching a blistering attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of creating a north-south divide to break the country. Addressing an election rally in Guraru block of Gaya district, he also accused the Congress and the RJD of indulging in the politics of appeasement. The Congress party is creating a north-south divide to break the nation which the NDA-led Central government and people of the country will not allow. Their leader Rahul Gandhi is maintaining a stoic silence on this, Shah said. People of this country have now made up their mind to give a befitting reply to such divisive forces in the Lok Sabha polls and will ensure 400 plus seats for the NDA, he added. They (Congress and RJD) are indulging in politics of appeasement and that is the reason they are protesting the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, said Shah. He also claimed that the Congress never wanted Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and never thought of .