Page 127 - Lok Sabha Elections

Smriti Irani accuses Rahul Gandhi of taking PFI support in Wayanad

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the support of the banned Popular Front of India to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat. Referring to Gandhi, who represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha earlier, the BJP leader said the people of the constituency tolerated an MP for 15 years who did nothing for them. Irani is seeking a re-election from the seat. "We have received information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI to contest the elections in Wayanad," she said. Irani also claimed that according to a charge sheet filed against the PFI, the outfit has listed the number of Hindus to be killed in every district. "Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why he is contesting the Wayanad election with the help of such an organisation," Irani told reporters. "I was in Wayanad a few days ago and I came to know that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family. It is s

10 TMC MPs sit on 24-hour dharna outside Election Commission office

The leaders are alleging that the probe agencies are targeting Opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections

LS polls: 16% of candidates contesting in Phase 1 accused in criminal cases

Out of the 16%, 7 candidates have cases related to murder, 18 have declared cases related to crimes against women, and 35 candidates have cases related to hate speech against them

'Not joining any party or contesting polls,' says actor Sanjay Dutt

Actor issues a clarification stating he will not be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024

Cong moves EC against PM Modi, BJP over 'Muslim League' jab at manifesto

'We are deeply saddened by what the Prime Minister says in his speeches,' said the Congress

Situation in Vidarbha favourable, PM's meet will ensure big win: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the situation in Vidarbha is favourable for Mahayuti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting later in the day will turn this favorability into a big win for the alliance. Talking to reporters here, Fadnavis said that the seat-sharing talks about a few seats were remaining now, and these constituencies will go to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. There is a lot of enthusiasm in Vidarbha ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Chandrapur, he said. "The situation in Vidarbha is favourable for Mahayuti and the BJP. But with Modiji's meeting, this favourability will increase and result in a big win," Fadnavis said. The Mahayuti' (grand alliance) comprises the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray met Union Home Mini

Modi ki guarantee means putting Oppn leaders behind bars: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of taking action against the corrupt after June 4 meant that opposition leaders would be imprisoned post Lok Sabha elections. Results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1 will be announced on June 4. Addressing a rally at Bankura, the TMC chief alleged that the National Investigation Agency had gone to Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district without informing the local police. "The Prime Minister is coming to West Bengal to address election rallies. I have no issues with that. But the way he is saying that stern action will be taken against the opposition over corruption after the Lok Sabha poll results is unacceptable," she said. Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri on Sunday, had claimed that while he says "remove corruption", the opposition says "save the corrupt", promising more stringent action against the corrupt after June 4.

Sharad Pawar reminds PM of 'holding finger' comment, says he has changed

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday recalled a 2016 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about having come into politics holding the former's finger and expressed surprise over the PM taking a "different stand" now. Speaking at a gathering in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Pune district ahead of the parliamentary polls, Pawar also took a dig at PM Modi for "personal attacks" and for taking action against those who have different ideologies. "When I was Union agriculture minister, I helped Gujarat tremendously when Modi was the state's CM. I didn't see which party he belonged to. I saw that farmers in his state needed to be made happy and so I helped him," he said. "One day he told me he wants to come to Baramati. In his speech then he said: Pawar saheb had held my finger and taught me to do whatever (developmental) work I have done so far. But today he is taking a different view," the NCP (SP) chief said. If someone makes personal criticism or takes a .

LS polls: PM Modi on two-day visit to TN, to hold roadshow, says Annamalai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu starting April 9, BJP state chief K Annamalai said here on Monday. The PM will hold a roadshow in Chennai on Tuesday and address two public meetings the next day, he told reporters. "The roadshow in Chennai will be held after 6 pm," covering segments of both South Chennai and Central Chennai, he said. Tamilisai Soundararjan is BJP's South Chennai candidate while Vinoj P Selvam is taking on DMK heavyweight Dayanidhi Maran from Central Chennai. On Wednesday, Modi will first address a public meeting in Vellore, canvassing votes in support of ally PMK's Dharmapuri candidate Soumya Anbumani and AC Shanmugam, another alliance party leader who is contesting on the BJP symbol from Vellore. The PM will then reach Mettupalayam, near here, and address a public meeting in support of the BJP's candidates from Nilgiris (L Murugan), Coimbatore (Annamalai) and Pollachi (K Vasantharajan), he said. Another visit by the PM to the

Ahead of LS elections, AAP launches 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP on Monday launched a "Jail ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign to seek public support for the party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail. Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak said, "Kejriwal was arrested as part of a big conspiracy. It is the first time that a sitting chief minister has been arrested during the Lok Sabha polls. We are launching the campaign 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' and we want you to empower Kejriwal." As part of the campaign, Pathak said, AAP leaders and workers will visit the four Lok Sabha constituencies from where it has fielded candidates. AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai asked people to respond to "dictatorship" with their votes. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was released on bail in the same case last week, urged people to recall Kejriwal's face when they go to vote. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a m

'Step aside, take a break': Prashant Kishor's advice for Rahul Gandhi

Poll strategist said former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been 'unsuccessfully' running the party for the last 10 years

LS elections: 12,000 paramilitary forces to be deployed in Tripura

Around 12,000 central and state paramilitary forces will be deployed in Tripura for the elections, a senior police officer said. Voting in Tripura West Lok Sabha seat and by-election in Ramnagar assembly seat will be held in the first phase on April 19, while electors in Tripura East Lok Sabha seat will exercise their franchise in the second phase on April 26. "A total of 84 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in the state for the elections, with 14 companies of CRPF arriving on Thursday," Assistant Inspector General (Law and Order) Jyotishman Das Chaudhury said. He said no more central forces will be deployed as 84 companies are "enough for conducting the elections in the state". A company of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) comprises around 80-100 personnel. Besides, around 4,500 personnel of the state paramilitary force, Tripura State Rifles, will also be deployed for election-related duties, while BSF will continue to remain vigilant along the

Pidilite, Nestle: Select stks in Rahul Gandhi's portfolio can dip up to 12%

As per an affidavit filed with the Election Commission of India, Rahul Gandhi's top stock holdings include Pidilite Industries, Bajaj Finance, Nestle, ITC, Hindustan Unilever and Tube Investments.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: All you need to know about phase seven of polls

The elections for the seventh phase will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies, and it will cover eight states and UTs

LS elections 2024: PM Modi to address rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar today

The PM will address a rally in Aamabal village in Bhanpuri in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on April 19

Lok Sabha polls: Atishi embarks on 3-day visit to Assam to campaign for AAP

Senior AAP leader Atishi will be on a three-day visit to Assam starting Monday to campaign for her party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She will be campaigning in Dibrugarh and Tezpur districts, according to the AAP. "Kejriwal's revolution will come to Assam as well. For the next three days, I will be in Assam and share Kejriwal ji's dream of a developed India and his fight against dictatorship with everyone," Atishi said in a post on X in Hindi. AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy 2021-22 which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal has denied any wrongdoing, the ED told the Delhi High Court last week that the chief minister was the "kingpin" and the

LS polls: Three-way battle among Cong, BRS, BJP to woo voters in Telangana

The ruling Congress, BRS and BJP are leaving no stone unturned to put up an impressive show in the May 13 Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, prompting an intense 3-way fight in the southern state that saw a change of guard last year after a decade. Congress, fresh from its win in the 2023 Assembly polls, is keen to repeat the good show while BRS that ruled the state for 10 years and now suffering defections, is striving hard to reverse its fortunes. The BJP, energised with its better poll show-- in terms of seats and voteshare in 2023 state elections, is eager to make more electoral inroads. While the BJP and BRS have already announced their candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Congress has named its nominees to 14 so far. The Lok Sabha election is crucial for all the three parties, especially BRS which is facing an existential crisis of sorts following its unexpected defeat in the Assembly elections held in November last year. The election is also significan

The BJP and the political turncoats

The BJP's assimilation of turncoats from other parties essentially contributes to its expansion not only numerically and geographically but also by enlarging the party's social base

Cong, AAP eye tribal LS seats in Guj, BJP's grip strong: Political analysts

The Congress and AAP have tied up in their bid to breach Gujarat, a BJP fortress, through the state's tribal-dominated seats in the Lok Sabha polls, but the saffron party's grip over these constituencies is too strong, say political analysts. Of the state's 26 seats that will go to polls on May 7, Dahod, Chhota Udaipur, Bardoli and Valsad are reserved for ST (Scheduled Tribes) candidates, while Bharuch has a sizable population of tribals though it is a general seat. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made some inroads into the tribal belt, reflected by its victory from Dediapada (ST) assembly segment under the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in the 2022 state polls. The Congress, once a powerhouse in Gujarat's tribal landscape, has renewed its focus on the tribal belt. Last month, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra traversed through areas under these Lok Sabha seats. Taking a cue from their crushing defeats in the last assembly polls when anti-BJP votes in the tribal belt got

Lok Sabha polls: Unemployment imposed by BJP biggest issue, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the biggest issue in the Lok Sabha elections is the unemployment "imposed by the BJP", claiming the youth are struggling to find jobs and the country is staring at a "demographic nightmare". In a post on X, Kharge said the Congress 'Pehli Naukri Pakki' guarantee under 'Yuva Nyay' would remove the barriers that separate work and learning, thereby opening fresh avenues for career growth. "The biggest issue in these Lok Sabha elections is unemployment, imposed by the BJP. Our Youth are struggling to find jobs, and we are staring at a demographic nightmare," the Congress president claimed. Citing the case of India's premier institutes, IITs and IIMs, Kharge said across 12 IITs, around 30 per cent of our students are not getting regular placements. "Only 20% of 21 IIMs could complete the summer placements so far. If this is the situation in IITs and IIMs, then one can imagine how the BJP has destroyed the future of our Youth across th