Page 126 - Lok Sabha Elections

LS elections: Women voters in Lakshadweep demand attention to basic issues

Women constitute the majority of voters in the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency, yet they are concerned over the lack of interest shown by political parties in discussing their basic issues, such as the absence of proper sanitary napkin disposal facilities and gynecologists' in hospitals during the ongoing election campaign. The parties pay scant attention to our demands, women who spoke to by PTI at Agatti island, said. "We do not even have a mechanism on the islands to collect and dispose of used sanitary napkins. Many either bury them in their compounds or burn them," lamented Salmath, leader of the disabled persons' wing of Dweepsree, a women's self-help group. Plastic burning and dumping could pose serious environmental issues in the highly ecologically sensitive islands, she said. These women, constituting 50 per cent of the total electorate, are making these demands amidst the men-controlled machinery of political parties that are projecting various other matters affecting

Youth taken for ride by BJP's double-engine govt in UP, alleges Congress

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the youth have been "taken for a ride" by the BJP's "double engine" government in Uttar Pradesh and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer to their "woes" in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Pilibhit and posed questions to him on key issues in the state . "Today, the PM is in Uttar Pradesh, a state where the youth have been taken for a ride by the BJP's 'Double-Engine' Sarkar. Perhaps the PM can use some of his time to answer for the woes of UP's youth," Ramesh said in a post on X. He said that last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promised that he would create two crore new jobs in the state over the next three-four years. "Remember this is the same promise that the Prime Minister had once made in 2014 before he came to office. We know what followed - years of record unemployment and slow growth. What have the Prime Minister and his acolytes done over the last decad

How an election-packed 2024 is shaping up for world markets, trade

Voters in India, meanwhile, will cast ballots later this month, with self-styled strongman Narendra Modi expected to win a third term as prime minister in the world's most populous country

LS polls: Assam CEO issues notice to Cong over model code violation charges

The Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued notice to the Congress on allegation of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), raised by the BJP. A complaint was filed by the BJP on Monday, alleging that the Congress 'guarantee cards', which are being distributed house-to-house, were in violation of the MCC. The CEO issued a show-cause notice to the state Congress president on Monday evening, seeking a response within 2 pm of April 11. "Whereas on the basis of a prima facie scrutiny, it appears that these Guarantee Cards bearing the Symbol and Photographs of Star Campaigners of your party are violative of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines," the notice said. It said the complaint by BJP stated that the 'guarantee cards' promised Rs one lakh to every educated youth in the first year and Rs one lakh per year to one female member of every poor family, without disclosing the source of funds to fulfil these promises. The CEO maintained that prima facie scrutiny indicated th

LS polls: Amit Shah to address rally, take part in roadshow in Assam today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Assam on Tuesday to campaign for BJP Lok Sabha candidates in the state. Shah is the first prominent national leader to participate in campaigning in this North Eastern state since the announcement of the poll schedule. "Tomorrow will be in Assam to attend a mega rally in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and a roadshow in Tinsukia (Dibrugarh Lok Sabha). Assam is set to secure Modi Ji's goal of '400 paar'. Eager to meet the state's vibrant people," Shah had posted on X on Monday evening. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be accompanying Shah during the two campaign programmes. Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting at Chukuli Bhoria in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in the afternoon, BJP party sources said here. Lakhimpur is held by the BJP, with incumbent MP Pradan Baruah seeking a third successive term as he is pitted against Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika. The Union Home minister will also take part in a road show from Chaliha

LS polls, phase 1: 10 out of 37 candidates contesting in WB are crorepatis

Ten out of the 37 candidates contesting from the three Lok Sabha seats of Jalpaiguri (SC), Cooch Behar (SC), and Alipurduar (ST) in West Bengal are crorepatis, an analysis of their affidavits said. Elections to the Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituencies will be held in the first phase on April 19. The West Bengal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which scrutinised the affidavits, on Monday, said three independents, two each from the BJP and Trinamool Congress and one candidate each from the CPI(M), Congress, and the RSP are crorepatis. CPI(M)'s Debraj Barman, contesting from the Jalpaiguri (SC) Lok Sabha seat, has assets worth Rs 3,89,89,468, the highest among the lot. SUCI's Chandan Oraon, contesting from Alipurduar (ST), is the poorest with assets totalling Rs 12,117. The study found that five candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, out of which four have serious offences registered against them, it ...

EC to install GPS location tracker in vehicles used for LS polls in WB

The Election Commission has decided to install GPS location tracking system in all vehicles that will be used for polling purposes in West Bengal, an official said on Monday. A communication in this regard has been sent to the poll workers, he said. "The GPS tracking system will be used to monitor the movement of EVMs and other polling materials from the distribution/dispersion centre and receipt centre (DCRC) to the polling station on the day before the elections, and to ensure that no tampering occurs while bringing them to the strong room after polling," the official said. The poll body has asked the administration to take prompt action if any discrepancy is noticed, besides questioning the drivers of the vehicles concerned and the staff in-charge of the EVMs, he said. Meanwhile, the commission on Monday appointed Joint Secretary of the School Education Department Arnab Chatterjee as the Joint Chief Election Officer in the CEC. Chatterjee succeeds Rahul Nath, an official order

TMC delegation meets Bengal Guv, slam EC for detention of leaders in Delhi

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday criticised the detention of party leaders by Delhi Police during their peaceful protest outside the Election Commission's office, denouncing it as a "black day in democracy." Banerjee, who led an 11-member TMC delegation to Raj Bhavan including senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Bratya Basu and Sashi Panja, told reporters after meeting Governor C V Ananda Bose that the EC's role in the entire incident was "unfortunate and deplorable". Banerjee said the commission cannot evade responsibility for the unjust treatment of Bengal's representatives. "What happened in Delhi is a black day in democracy. None of our leaders, many of them MPs or former MPs, was carrying arms. Yet they were bodily lifted during the peaceful protest and bundled into waiting vehicles by Delhi Police. The poll panel cannot absolve its responsibility in the incident," he told waiting reporters outside Raj Bhavan. The delegation pressed upon the governor to step in an

LS polls: Congress, NC to contest 3 seats each in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh

The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla)

Battleground 2024: Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Manipur counts its losses

GST mop-up falls 24% to Rs 1,095 crore in FY24

'Muslim League blueprint': War of words over Cong manifesto for LS polls

The Congress' Nyay Patra purportedly has a solution to every problem that the Modi government has imposed on this country over the past decade, said Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate

Congress source of all problems in country, says PM Modi in Maharashtra

In an acerbic attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held the grand old party responsible for all ills plaguing the country and went on to compare the outfit to bitter gourd (karela), whose taste he said, will never change even if it is "fried in ghee or mixed with sugar". Seeking votes for the BJP-led NDA, he declared the ensuing Lok Sabha polls were a fight between stability and instability, and accused the opposition of seeking power only to indulge in corruption. Addressing his first rally in Maharashtra for the 2024 elections, Modi targeted the Congress and its policies. "The Congress is the source of all problems in the country. Who was responsible for the Partition of the country on the basis of religion...Kashmir (issue), Naxalism? Who opposed Ram temple construction and questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Who declined the Ram temple (inauguration) invite?" he asked the gathering at Chandrapur, the only Lok Sabha seat won by the Congress in 2019. .

'How many will be jailed before polls?': SC asks, giving relief to YouTuber

'If before elections we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed,' said the Supreme Court

152 candidates left in fray for 2nd phase of Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan

Thirty-one candidates withdrew their nominations on Monday, leaving 152 in the fray for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, officials said. With this, a total of 266 candidates -- 114 in first phase and 152 in second phase -- are in the contest for the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said 31 candidates from 10 out of 13 Lok Sabha constituencies under the second phase withdrew their nomination papers on Monday, the last day for withdrawal. Interestingly, Congress candidate from Banswara Arvind Damor did not withdraw his nomination paper despite the party's decision to support Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP). Also the party's candidate for Bagidora assembly bypoll of Banswara district, Kapur Singh, did not withdraw his nomination. Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had posted on X on Sunday evening that the party will support BAP candidates for the Banswara Lok Sabha seat and Bagidora assembly bypoll

Final list of LS candidates in Kerala ready; 194 contestants for 20 seats

The final list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala has been prepared, with 194 contestants competing to win the 20 constituencies in the state, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said here on Monday. The deadline for withdrawal of nominations expired on Monday, with 10 candidates withdrawing their papers statewide. Kottayam constituency boasts the highest number of candidates at 14, while Alathur has the fewest at five. Other notable figures are 13 candidates in Kozhikode, and 12 each in Kollam and Kannur, according to an official release. Of the total 194 candidates, 169 are men and 25 are women. Vadakara constituency stands out with the highest number of female candidates, at four. Nominations were withdrawn in Thiruvananthapuram, Mavelikara, Idukki, Chalakudy, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Vadakara constituencies. Following the finalisation of the candidate list, the Election Commission began allotting symbols to the candidates. Constituency-w

We have transformed Northeast to 'abundant region, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that the past decade of BJP governance at the Centre has been dedicated to transforming the Northeast from an "abandoned region" to an "abundant region". There has been a marked improvement in the situation in trouble-torn Manipur due to the timely intervention of the Centre and state government, the Prime Minister said in an interview to The Assam Tribune newspaper. He also said that the Union government is making all possible efforts to successfully conclude the peace talks with Naga groups at the earliest. Modi said 11 peace agreements have been signed over the last 10 years, marking a significant milestone in efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. He also highlighted that more than 9,500 insurgents have surrendered since 2014 and integrated into the mainstream, showcasing a substantial step towards peace and development in the region. "When we formed the government, it was my firm commitment to change the status quo

Lok Sabha elections highlights: It's an election between stability and instability, says PM Modi in Maharashtra

LS polls latest news: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to General Elections 2024 here

SC to hear plea for voting facilities for 18k displaced people in Manipur

The Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear a plea seeking voting facilities for around 18,000 people displaced internally due to the ethnic strife in Manipur for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The polling for two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, with the counsel telling the court that the first phase of polling has to take place on April 19. "There are 18,000 internally displaced people. They want to vote in the elections in Manipur," the lawyer said. "I will give you an early date," the CJI assured the advocate. Manipur has been caught in a spiral of violence since May 2023. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the major

TMC leaders holding protest outside EC office detained by Delhi Police

TMC leaders were detained by Delhi Police on Monday while they were holding a dharna outside the Election Commission's office, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed. A 10-member delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) had announced the dharna after meeting a full bench of the Election Commission (EC) to press their demand. TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha were detained. The party has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre. "The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen told reporters at the Kolkata ...

Former Union minister Birender Singh leaves BJP, to join Congress

Former Union minister Birender Singh on Monday said he has quit the BJP and will join the Congress, the move coming almost a month after his son Brijendra Singh joined the grand old party. His wife Prem Lata Singh -- a former BJP MLA from Haryana -- also quit the party. "I have resigned from the primary membership of the BJP and sent my resignation to party chief JP Nadda. My wife, Prem Lata, who was an MLA from 2014-2019, has also quit the party. Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will join the Congress," Birender Singh (78), a prominent political figure in Haryana, told reporters in Delhi. After quitting the BJP, Birender Singh also met Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Delhi. Birender Singh joined the BJP nearly 10 years ago after an over four-decade stint with the Congress. After his son joined the Congress on March 10, there was speculation that Birender Singh would follow suit. Birender Singh was Union steel minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. H