Page 140 - Lok Sabha Elections

LS polls: Liquor outlets, distilleries to be under surveillance in T'gana

For the first time in Telangana, all 24 liquor production points have been brought under CCTV surveillance to keep a check on the illegal flow of alcohol in the run-up to the May 13 Lok Sabha elections. Chief Electoral Office Vikas Raj said to prevent unwarranted liquor distribution during the elections, the state Excise Department is monitoring the sale of alcohol and will inform the Election Commission if there is a spike of more than 20 per cent in its production. The official said all the belt shops (unauthorised satellite shops) of liquor were shut down and the illegal network of distribution was stopped to a large extent. For the first time in Telangana state, 24 production points (for liquor--distilleries and breweries) all of them were brought under CCTV. And that was centrally monitored by the Commissioner's office and I (CEO) also have access to that. The outlets were brought under CCTV surveillance in September 2023 (ahead of state assembly polls). From then onwards we .

Congress callously gave away 'Katchatheevu' island, can't ever trust it: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cited a media report to assert that new facts reveal that the Congress "callously" gave away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. "Eye opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people's minds- we can't ever trust Congress," he said on X, sharing the report. The BJP is hopeful that the issue will come handy to its efforts to gain political traction in Dravidian state as it gears up for the Lok Sabha polls. The report is based on a RTI reply Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai received on the decision of the then Indira Gandhi government in 1974 to hand over the territory in Palk Strait to the neighbouring country. Modi said, "Weakening India's unity, integrity and interests has been Congress' way of working for 75 years and counting." The report also cites first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's comments on the issue, a source of dispute between India an

Lok Sabha polls: DMK forces rival AIADMK to target BJP in Tamil Nadu

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's soft approach towards the BJP seems to have given the edge to DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in making it a poll issue. Stalin's double barreled gun aims shots at both the AIADMK and the BJP, often provoking Palaniswami to become a vocal critic of the BJP. The narratives set by these two parties have narrowed down the poll battle between them and almost eclipsed the election campaign of other players such as the Congress, the left parties, Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi, though BJP state chief K Annamalai fires sharp barbs at the DMK. Palaniswami's argument that the need to criticise the BJP doesn't arise as the AIADMK parted ways with the saffron party does not hold water with the ruling dispensation. Faced by constant criticism, Palaniswami, who in the past has not been harsh in criticising his erstwhile colleague and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, is forced to respond. Nor has he been critical of V K

LS polls: BJP once again falls back on Yediyurappa to deliver in Karnataka

BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa is out of power and electoral politics for sure, but his clout in the party's affairs in Karnataka remains undiminished as its central leadership seems to be once again falling back on this seasoned oarsman to deliver in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Whether it is selection of candidates or quelling dissidence in multiple constituencies, the party's 81-year-old central election committee member is seen to be "man-of-the-season." Stakes are indeed high for the BJP Parliamentary Board member as he will have to ensure that his son B Y Vijayendra consolidates his position as the party's state President and silence critics who have questioned his selection for the post ignoring the claims of experienced hands. The octogenarian, who has already announced his retirement from electoral politics, is sought to be put on the pedestal by the BJP's central leaders, making him a key poll mascot in the state, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reasons are not f

LS polls: Rs 7 cr in cash, drugs, alcohol worth Rs 140 cr seized in Bengal

Gold, drugs, alcohol and various goods worth around Rs 140 crore and more than Rs 7 crore in cash were seized in West Bengal since the dates for the Lok Sabha polls were announced this month, an officer said Saturday. According to data released by the Election Commission, the amount of cash seized till Saturday was around Rs 7.87 crore. The EC also seized 12.7 lakh litres of alcohol with a market value of Rs 33.86 crore, he added. "Drugs weighing around 3.5 kg worth Rs 18.28 crore were also seized," he said. The poll body also seized the yellow metal worth Rs 27.32 crore during this period, the official said. "So far, we have also seized goods worth around Rs 36 crore and the total seizure is worth Rs 147.19 crore, including unaccounted cash," he added. There has been a trend of offering money and alcohol to buy votes for several years. The Election Commission has declared six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal as 'financially sensitive'. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police, dur

Only YSRCP govt doling out welfare pension of Rs 3,000 per month: CM Reddy

YSRCP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday said here that his government is the only one in the country which is doling out a welfare pension of Rs 3,000 per month. The YSRCP chief asked people to check with their family members how much pension they had received during TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu's rule. "But now our government is providing Rs 3,000, which is not available in any other state in the country. We are spending over Rs 24,000 crore per annum on pensions," Reddy said at an interaction session at Tuggali village in Kurnool district as part of his 'Memanta Siddham' (we are all ready) election campaign bus tour. The YSRCP government did not disburse Rs 3,000 monthly pension from the beginning of its tenure in 2019 but raised it incrementally over the past five years to that amount. On the fourth day of his bus tour, Reddy listed all the scheme-wise benefits extended to the villagers of Tuggali and Ratana and talked about the ...

Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan launches LS poll campaign in Andhra Pradesh

Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan launched his election campaign in the Pithapuram constituency for the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. The actor-turned-politician is contesting the Assembly election from Pithapuram constituency. As part of his first phase of canvassing, he will tour the constituency from March 30 to April 2. This is the first time that Kalyan is campaigning at the grassroots level post the announcement of the election schedule on March 16, following an election meeting of the southern state's NDA partners -- TDP, Janasena and BJP -- at Chilakaluripeta on March 17. "Janasena, TDP and BJP will form the government and the immense response from the Pithapuram people is a sign of it. We formed an alliance for the betterment of the state, said Kalyan in a press release. After landing in Pithapuram, the Janasena chief drove through several villages on his election campaign bus named 'Varahi' for about three hours amid pomp and fanfare from ...

LS polls: Cong slams BJP over setting up manifesto panel at 'last moment'

The Congress on Saturday announced that it will release its manifesto on April 5 and took a swipe at the BJP over it setting up a manifesto committee at the "last moment". The BJP on Saturday announced a 27-member committee, which included several Union ministers and chief ministers, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to prepare its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Congress released its 'Paanch Nyay', 'Pachees Guarantees' on March 16 and its 'Ghar Ghar Guarantee' campaign to distribute eight crore guarantee cards across the country will begin on April 3. The manifesto will be released on April 5, he said. "The BJP's manifesto, begun at this last moment, is merely an exercise in ticking boxes. It reflects the contempt with which the party sees the public," Ramesh alleged. The Congress manifesto was compiled after carrying out nationwide consultations and after receiving thousands of suggestions

BJP fields BJD turncoat Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack Lok Sabha seat

The BJP on Saturday nominated Bhartruhari Mahtab from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat from where he was elected on a BJD ticket five years ago but joined the saffron camp this month. The saffron party also fielded Rabindra Narayan Behera, a former director of the National Informatics Centre, from Jajpur, a reserved seat for scheduled caste, while Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, associated with the Sangh Parivar for a long time, got a BJP ticket for the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency. We are expecting a very good result in Odisha. A wave of change is seen in the state in favour of the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good work will be instrumental for the victory of our candidates in the state, Mahtab said after getting the BJP ticket. Mahtab, a six-time MP, had on March 22 resigned from the BJD and joined the BJP on Thursday. Panigrahi has been fielded from Kandhamal after Kharabela Swain, the BJP's candidate in 2019, refused to contest from the same seat. Swain was interested in the ...

PM interacts with BJP workers in Kerala; claims LDF, UDF acting as enemies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with the BJP's booth level 'karyakartas' or workers in Kerala through the Namo App and asked them to inform voters that both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF in the state were the two sides of the same coin. The prime minister claimed that both fronts, who are part of the INDIA bloc, were only acting as enemies in Kerala and outside it, they were working together to defeat the BJP and Modi and asked the party workers to inform voters in their respective booths about this political scenario in the state. "They both are working to hide each other's faults and wrongdoings. This is the game they are playing in Kerala. People of Kerala are educated, they should be informed about this," he said. A booth-level president from Palakkad constituency, where NDA has fielded C Krishnakumar, told the PM that it was an ongoing joke that both the LDF and UDF were fighting each other there, but just over the Walayar border, in neighbouring Tam

Arunachal CM among 10 BJP candidates elected unopposed in Assembly polls

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein are among 10 BJP candidates who were elected unopposed in the state assembly polls, an official said on Saturday. Khandu and nine others were elected unopposed following the closure of the nomination withdrawal period, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain told reporters here. Khandu was the only person to file a nomination from the Mukto assembly constituency in Tawang district, while Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein won the Chowkham seat uncontested after his lone rival Bayamso Kri of the Congress withdrew his nomination on Saturday, he said. Single nomination paper has been filed in six assembly constituencies while in four others, opposition candidates withdrew their papers, he said. Elections to other constituencies of the 60-member assembly and two Lok Sabha seats will be held on April 19.

Highlights: BJP fields ex-diplomat Taranjit Sandhu from Amritsar, singer Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot, ex-Cong MP Preneet Kaur from Patiala for LS 2024

From Amit Shah's visit to Assam to US Federal Chair Jerome Powell's statement on interest rates and keeping an eye on inflation, track all the news from around the world here

BJP names 11 more LS candidates; fields ex-ambassador Sandhu from Amritsar

The BJP on Saturday named its candidates for 11 more Lok Sabha constituencies, fielding a number of leaders who joined it from different parties recently such as Bhartruhari Mahtab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Preneet Kaur. All these leaders have been fielded from the seats they represent in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while former Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu will be making his poll debut from Amritsar. Hans Raj Hans, who had won from North West Delhi in 2019 on a BJP ticket, will contest from the Faridkot seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). Veteran parliamentarian Mahtab, who quit the BJD recently, will contest from Cuttack, Bittu from Ludhiana, Kaur from Patiala, and Rinku from Jalandhar, a seat reserved for SCs. Both Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, and Kaur, the wife of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, were in the Congress before joining the BJP, while Rinku was in the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP o

LS polls: NCP (SP) declares five candidates, retains Sule in Baramati

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Saturday declared its first list five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra, retaining Supriya Sule from Baramati, and fielding Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, in Ahmednagar constituency. "Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe have been retained from Baramati and Shirur constituencies, respectively," said state unit NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil while declaring the list. Bhaskar Bhagre has been nominated from Dindori seat in Nashik district and former Congress MLA Amar Kale from Wardha. Bhagre will square off against Union minister and sitting BJP MP Bharati Pawar in Dindori (ST) seat. Lanke, the sitting MLA from Parner, will face off against BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil from the Ahmednagar constituency. NCP (SP), part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, will contest 10 seats in Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha.

Priyanka Gandhi accuses govt of 'pressuring' judiciary after bonds verdict

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of "pressuring" the judiciary after the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bonds scheme and wondered whether the Narendra Modi government does not approve of an independent and strong judiciary. The Congress general secretary's remarks come two days after Prime Minister Modi criticised the grand old party in reaction to more than 600 lawyers writing to the Chief Justice of India, alleging that a "vested interest group" is trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame courts. Modi on Thursday said it was a "vintage Congress culture" to browbeat and bully others. In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The manner in which the judicial system is being pressured by getting letters written after seeing the layers of scams being exposed by a decision of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds (which the public is calling 'extortion racket'), and then the prime minister himself entering the arena and making

Odisha Cong asks ticket aspirants to deposit Rs 50k for campaign material

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has asked candidates aspiring for party tickets in the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections to deposit Rs 50,000 each for supply of campaign materials. OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak has written letter to the prospective candidates in this regard. Pattnayak said the OPCC is open to accept cheques of Rs 50,000 from shortlisted candidates on behalf of the party to supply branding and campaign materials of an equivalent value to them. "The cheque will be in favour of OPCC and not in the name of any individual leader...," he said. The party had received about 3,000 applications from aspirants for 147 Odisha assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. Pattnayak did not disclose the number of shortlisted candidates who have paid the amount. Sources, however, said that many aspirants have already deposited cheques for the stated amount. The Congress state leadership justified the collection of funds from candidates and maintained that

Cong protests against I-T notices, terms it attempt to 'choke' party funds

A large number of Congress leaders and workers carried out a sit-in protest on Saturday in Kerala's capital over the Income Tax notices issued to the party, and alleged that the ruling BJP is trying to "choke" it financially ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The protest was organised in front of the Income Tax Department office here by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Inaugurating the sit-in protest, KPCC acting President M M Hassan launched a scathing attack against the BJP government at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The objective of the BJP is to choke the Congress party financially and keep it completely out of election-related activities," he alleged. Besides the Congress, several other opposition political parties had also been served with the I-T notices by the BJP government, he pointed out. At the same time, the BJP has amassed crores of rupees via electoral bonds and is not even ready to disclose the actual amount before the Supreme Court, the lea

Ex-Bihar CM, NDA nominee Manjhi owns movable assets worth Rs 11.32 lakh

Former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is the NDA nominee from the Gaya seat, owns movable assets worth Rs 11.32 lakh and has Rs 49,000 cash in hand, according to the affidavit filed by him. Manjhi filed his nomination for the Gaya constituency on Thursday. Voting for the first phase of elections in Gaya, Nawada, Jamui and Aurangabad is scheduled to be held on April 19. As per the affidavit, he owns immovable assets worth Rs 13.50 lakh, while his wife Shanti Devi has immovable assets to the tune of Rs 5.38 lakh. In the 2019 polls, the former CM had declared movable assets worth Rs 10.2 lakh and Rs 40,000 cash in hand. Manjhi's movable assets include four bank accounts, two four-wheelers, a double-barrel breech loading (DBBL) gun and two cows. His wife has one bank account, gold jewellery worth Rs 3.78 lakh and silver jewellery valued at Rs 76,500. The affidavit showed he has no self-acquired immovable asset, and owns a

INDIA bloc rally not person-specific but to protect democracy, says Cong

The Congress asserted on Saturday that the INDIA opposition bloc's "Loktantra Bachao Rally" that will be held at the Ramlila Maidan here is not aimed at protecting a person but at saving the Constitution and democracy. The opposition party said a "strong message" will be sent out from the rally on Sunday to Lok Kalyan Marg (where the prime minister's residence is located) that the BJP-led government's "time is up". Addressing a press conference on the rally, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi will address the rally, among other senior leaders. "It is not a person-specific rally. That is why it is called Loktantra Bachao Rally. This is not one party's rally, about 27-28 parties are involved in it. All constituents of the INDIA jan bandhan will be taking part in the rally," Ramesh said. His remarks assume significance in view of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders pitching the rally as being specific to protestin

Congress should stand up to Sena (UBT): Nirupam on LS seats in Mumbai

In the wake of the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Saturday said his party should not allow itself to be arm-twisted by the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit for the seats in Mumbai. He claimed that the Sena (UBT) was not in a position to win any seat without Congress' support. Earlier this week, the Sena (UBT) brought out a list of 17 candidates, and said it would contest a total of 22 parliamentary seats in Maharashtra. These seats included four in Mumbai. Nirupam himself is eyeing to contest the Mumbai North-West seat from where he lost in 2019, However, the Thackeray-led party's move triggered unease among the other two Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies - Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) - as the three parties are yet to finalise the seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in five phases in Maharashtra starting April 19. Talking to PTI, Nirupam said, "Th