Page 155 - Lok Sabha Elections

Over 24.3 mn to vote in upcoming LS polls in Assam; polling in 3 phases

The Chief Electoral Officer in Assam said that there will be 1,409 women-managed polling stations, 262 model polling stations and 15,777 polling stations where webcasting will be held

Multiple bullet train corridors may feature in BJP's LS poll manifesto

Delhi-Varanasi corridor has been demanded by the govt of Uttar Pradesh and the ministry of civil aviation for enhanced connectivity to the state's cities and upcoming airports

2024 Lok Sabha polls: Women to overseas voters, here's what numbers say

The seven phases in the 2024 polls are scheduled for April 19 (102 seats), April 26 (89 seats), May 7 (94 seats), May 13 (96 seats), May 20 (49 seats), May 25 (57 seats) and June 1 (57 seats)

LIVE: Undertook yatra to meet people as media ignores issues, says Rahul

From Aam Aadmi Party plans to hold a press conference today to former US President Donald Trump threatening to levy 100% tariffs on Mexican-made cars by Chinese firms, catch all the updates here

PM Modi to address 2nd public meeting in Karnataka on Mon ahead of LS polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting for the Lok Sabha elections in Shivamogga on Monday, the BJP state unit said on Sunday. This comes two days after his first election meeting in Karnataka was held in Kalaburagi, the home turf of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The party is expecting a turnout of 2.5 lakh people at the Allama Prabhu ground (Freedom Park). The second public meeting in Karnataka for the 2024 Lok Sabha election is happening in the home district of BJP stalwart Yediyurappa. His elder son B Y Raghavendra is BJP's candidate for the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, where party rebel and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa says he will constest as an independent candidate. BJP state chief B Y Vijayendra, who is former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's second son, visited Allama Prabhu ground along with senior party functionaries to oversee the preparations and gave necessary directions to ensure that the meeting goes well. The saffron

Delhi poll body sets up flying squads to check on voter intimidation

The office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has set up flying squads and control rooms across the city's seven Lok Sabha constituencies to check incidents of voter intimidation. In a public notice issued on Sunday, the poll office in Delhi said district election functionaries or returning officers will enforce the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit. Polling for Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of the general elections, with 1.47 crore people eligible to exercise their franchise, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Saturday. According to the notice, flying squads have been formed to register cases against both the "giver" and the "taker" of bribes and for taking action against those engaged in threat and intimidation of electors. "All the citizens are hereby requested to refrain from any illegal activities as above and in case anybody offers any bribe or is having knowledge about the bribe or c

Congress party's agenda is to 'use and throw' its allies, says PM Modi

Modi said the NDA moves ahead taking regional aspirations and national progress and during its third term after the polls, the country will take many more 'big decisions'

EC advances counting date of Arunachal, Sikkim assembly polls to June 2

The decision was taken because the term of the two Assemblies is till June 2, which means elections have to be wrapped up on or before that date

Polling in 7 phases in West Bengal proves EC is 'long arm of govt': Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal is an evidence that the Election Commission is "a long arm of the government". Sibal also raised questions over the appointment of two election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu recently, saying they were appointed despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment stating that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should also be a member of the committee that recommends the names of appointees. "As far as the seven phases (of the Lok Sabha polls in the country) are concerned, that was expected," he told PTI Videos. "In fact the way they appointed these two election commissioners despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment saying that the CJI should also be a member of the committee. The way they have discarded the Constitution bench decision despite the challenge pending in the Supreme Court and the way they preponed the appointment, only shows that

Cabinet sends Lok Sabha election dates to President Murmu for notification

The government on Sunday is learnt to have initiated the process of notifying the dates of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections by sending the Election Commission's recommendation to President Droupadui Murmu. The first notification will be issued on March 20 for the first phase of polls on April 19 in 102 seats. The nomination process begins for a particular phase with the issuance of the notification. The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission on Saturday. According to sources, the Cabinet meeting held this morning recommended to the President to issue the notifications for the different phases. The EC sends the mandatory recommendation to the Union Law Ministry to notify the Lok Sabha election dates. Under Section 14 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 the EC sends its recommendation to the government w

NPP to support BJP candidates in Arunachal: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Sunday that his National People's Party (NPP) would not field any candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh and support the BJP nominees. The NPP is a part of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. "The National People's Party has decided not to contest the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh. Being partners in the NDA, the NPP National Committee has decided to support NDA candidates in Arunachal Pradesh and has directed its State Committee to extend support to the NDA candidates," Sangma posted on X. Hailing Sangma's decision, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said such commitment of NDA partners will ensure over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections for the ruling alliance. "Such unparalleled commitment among our partners will ensure the NDA under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji secures over 400 seats. Thank you so much Shri @SangmaConrad Ji," Sarma posted on X. The BJP has named

Strong anti-incumbency in UP, situation very good for INDIA: SP's Ram Gopal

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav Sunday claimed there is strong anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh and the INDIA bloc will defeat the BJP in at least 40 seats the ruling party won last time. Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls on all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections, beginning on April 19 and ending on June 1. The BJP-led ruling coalition won 64 seats -- BJP 62, Apna Da(S) 2 -- out of the total 80 constituencies in 2019. "There is a strong anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh against both the state and the central governments. The situation of the alliance will be very good in UP and we will win in at least 40 seats the BJP won (last time)," Yadav said to reporters here. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party were in alliance. While the SP secured victory on five seats, the BSP won 10. This time, the SP has joined the opposition INDIA grouping to fight the BJP-led NDA. On the electoral bonds issue, the Rajya Sabha member said, "People s

Carpool, minimise paper use, waste disposal: EC for sustainable polls

Avoiding single-use plastics, keeping paper use to the minimum, using eco-friendly vehicles and carpooling are part of the Election Commission's directions to the poll machinery and political parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to ensure a "sustainable election". According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is sensitive to environmentally sustainable elections. "In a step towards sustainable or eco-friendly elections, we are making efforts to minimise single-use plastic and encourage eco-friendly practices in the election process. A set of instructions has been issued to the poll machinery and political parties for waste management, minimisation of paper and reducing carbon footprint," Kumar said during a press conference on Saturday when he announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls. The commission has instructed to avoid single-use plastic completely, ensure separate collection bins and proper signage and adequate disposal ...

Rahul Gandhi a liability for INDIA bloc: BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi feels Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the biggest liability of the opposition bloc and warned that several opposition parties could risk losing recognition from the Election Commission after defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The former Union minority affairs minister tried to dispel fears revolving around the implementation of CAA by saying, "Not a single Indian citizen, including Muslims, would be affected by the new legislation" and accused the opposition of trying to create communal conflict and confusion across the country. In an interview to PTI, Naqvi predicted a decisive victory for the BJP government for a third consecutive term, citing a widespread loss of faith among the populace in opposition parties, particularly the Congress. He criticised opposition bloc INDIA, saying it lacks coherent leadership and policies, with internal conflicts and ambitions hindering its effectiveness. "INDIA

BJP makes noise, but doesn't have courage to 'change' Constitution: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed the ruling BJP makes "lot of noise" but does not have enough courage to "change" the Constitution, and asserted that the truth and the country's people are on his side. Notably, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde recently said his party needed a two-third majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress. The BJP subsequently moved to defuse the row sparked by Hegde's remarks as it dubbed it as his "personal opinion" and sought a clarification from him. Rahul Gandhi was addressing a gathering in a hall here after taking out the 'Nyay Sankalp Padyatra' from the Mani Bhavan, Mahatma Gandhi's home in Mumbai, to the August Kranti Maidan, where the Quit India movement started in 1942 during India's struggle for independence from the British rule. He said, "The BJP makes a lot of noise, but it does not have enough courage to change the Constitution. Truth a

Lok Sabha polls: Development, jobs key focus of parties in Madhya Pradesh

The BJP dominated all the six regions of Madhya Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it won 28 out of the 29 parliamentary seats in the state and will seek to repeat its performance this time as well. The saffron party will also try to wrest Chhindwara, the lone seat won by the Congress in the 2019 polls in the home turf of former chief minister Kamal Nath. Development and issues pertaining to employment have been the key focus areas of the BJP and Congress in the six regions of the state. The BJP has declared its candidates in all 29 seats, while the Congress has so far announced names of its candidates for 10 seats. Out of the 29 seats, five are reserved for the Scheduled Tribe and four for Scheduled Caste candidates. In the 2019 polls, all these seats were won by the BJP. The state broadly has six regions - Gwalior-Chambal, Central MP (Bhopal), Malwa-Nimar, Mahakoshal, Vindhya and Bundelkhand. The Malwa-Nimar region has the highest number of eight Lok Sabha seats. 1. ...

BJP targets Congress LS candidates in Chhattisgarh through cartoons

The ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh has come up with a set of cartoons on social media to target the opposition Congress' Lok Sabha poll candidates, including former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, over politics of appeasement and other issues. While the BJP said it has only portrayed some incidents which happened during the previous Congress regime through the cartoons which are not meant to hurt anyone, the grand old party accused it of releasing such illustrations out of frustration. The 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will see polling in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India. The cartoon posters were released over the last one week. One such poster targeting former CM Baghel, who has been fielded by the Congress from Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, was posted with the comment "Rajnandgaon or Jihadgaon...selection is yours". The post shows a caricature of Baghel leading a queue, holding a green flag with "jihadi

LS polls in Maharashtra gets interesting after splits in Shiv Sena, NCP

Splits in key political parties Shiv Sena and NCP have made the battle for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra more interesting, besides the focus on traditional issues like unemployment and farmer suicides. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18. The undivided NCP had emerged victorious on four seats, the Congress one, while the AIMIM and an Independent accounted for the remaining two. A total of 9.2 crore persons, including more than 50,000 centenarians, are ..

Muslim organisations to move ECI seeking change in poll date in 2 states

A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll dates for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), on Sunday said it will move the poll panel seeking to change the polling dates in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as they fall on Friday. For Tamil Nadu, the polls will be held on April 19 and in Kerala on April 26. Both dates fall on a Friday. The IUML, a major ally of the Opposition Congress party in the UDF, said it will approach the ECI to change the dates of elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as it causes inconvenience to voters, officials, and candidates as Friday is important day for Muslims. Talking to PTI, P M A Salam, state general secretary of IUML, said Fridays are an important day for the Muslims who gather in mosques for prayer. "The announcement of polling on Friday will cause inconvenience to voters, candidates, polling agents, and officials assigned to election duty. We will move the ECI," he said. Other Muslim organisations ar

LS polls: Reluctance of ministers to enter fray puts Karnataka Cong in spot

Reluctance of some ministers and lawmakers in Karnataka to contest the Lok Sabha polls seems to have put the Congress scouting for "winnable" candidates in a spot of bother in finalising contestants for bulk of the seats. It has been ten days since the Congress announced its candidates for seven segments while the process to pick nominees for the remaining 21 seats is on. The Congress' first list released on March eight did not have names of any of the ministers and legislators. According to party sources, the Congress leadership has been making efforts to convince some ministers and lawmakers to contest, as they have faced problems in identifying winnable candidates in several segments. Senior Congress leader and Home Minister G Parameshwara had recently said there are discussions in the party to field seven to eight ministers. Some ministers instead of themselves contesting, are said to be pushing for the candidature of their family members and, according to sources, the party .