Page 162 - Lok Sabha Elections

CAA implementation ahead of LS polls sets stage for politics in Bengal

The implementation of the CAA by the Centre just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls is anticipated to intensify communal polarization, significantly influencing the electoral discourse in West Bengal with both the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC poised to reap political dividend out of it. The CAA, enacted by Parliament in 2019, aims to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. With the recent notification of the rules, persecuted non-Muslim migrantsHindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christiansfrom these nations are now eligible for Indian nationality. The Bengal BJP views the CAA as a pivotal issue in the upcoming polls, particularly in Matua-dominated constituencies, foreseeing an advantageous position for the party. Conversely, TMC leaders acknowledge the CAA's potential to shape the electoral narrative but intend to leverage it to highlight their stance against the BJP

Time for change across country: Cong after Haryana CM, cabinet resign

Amid fast-paced political developments in Haryana which saw Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his cabinet ministers resigning on Tuesday, the Congress said it was time for change across the country. The development came amid speculation of cracks emerging in the BJP-Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) coalition over seat sharing ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the chaos in Haryana as evidenced in the split was a reflection of growing people's angst over issues concerning farmers, youth and wrestlers. "It is time for change," Ramesh said. In a post in Hindi on X, he said, "The chaos that we are seeing in Haryana is a result of pressure from farmers, youths and wrestlers and the same is going to happen in the country too." Congress leader Kumari Selja said that "it is time for change" and accused the BJP of betraying the youths of the country. The Congress will get them justice, she said. The Haryana Cabinet comprised 14 ministers, inclu

Development work a mission to build nation, not to win elections: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government undertakes developmental works as part of its mission to build the nation and not to win elections as perceived by some people. He was speaking at an event in Sabarmati area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad city where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Rs 85,000 crore railway projects, including the launch of 10 new Vande Bharat trains. "Some people try to look at our efforts through the electoral lens. Let me tell you that we undertake developmental works as part of a mission to build the nation, not to form a government (by winning elections). We want to ensure that our youth do not suffer what their past generations suffered. This is Modi's guarantee," he said. The PM said that in the last 10 years, his government spent around six times more amount for the development of railways than was done earlier. "In just over two months of 2024, we have inaugurated and laid the foundation of Rs 11 lakh crore projects," he ...

EC begins consultation with parties in J-K to review LS poll preparedness

The Election Commission on Tuesday began consultations with political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to review preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union territory. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials of the poll panel, who arrived here on Monday for a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, held interactions with delegations from the National Conference, PDP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, and the Aam Admi Party, officials said here. National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani, who led his party's delegation, said they impressed upon the Election Commission the need for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with the Lok Sabha polls. "We told the commission that it has been 10 years that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their democratic rights. The commission gave us a patient hearing," Wani said. PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said his party also batted for holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections ...

Ahead of LS polls, BJP-JJP alliance reaches breaking point in Haryana

Meanwhile, according to the sources, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) called a meeting in Delhi and the discussion will be held at the residence of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala

Govt notifies rules for implementation of CAA ahead of election dates

The law will also ensure economic, commercial, free movement, and property purchase rights for these migrants

Will PM act against Hegde to show commitment to Constitution, asks Congress

The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, asking whether he would take action against the BJP MP to demonstrate his commitment to the Constitution. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the prime minister who is on a visit to Gujarat and Rajasthan and posed five questions to Modi. "The prime minister is in Ahmedabad for the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Project. While the prime minister is embracing the Mahatma for his political gains, will he commit to Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence, inclusivity, and equality?" he said in a post on X. The Congress leader also asked whether PM Modi would take action against Anantkumar Hegde, the BJP MP from Karnataka, to demonstrate his personal commitment to the Constitution that he swore an oath to bear true faith and allegiance to. Hegde, at a gathering at Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-third majority in both Hou

Tharoor challenges Chandrasekhar on constituency performance criticism

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor hit back at BJP's Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar on accusations of his non-performance and said that his 'ignorant rival' should first tell voters what the saffron party has done for the constituents when it was in power for the last 10 years. "I will turn the question around and ask what the BJP has done for Thiruvananthapuram in its 10 years in power. Even promises made on the floor of the Parliament have not been honoured," Tharoor told PTI here on Monday night. He said the NDA promised an AIIMS for Thiruvananthapuram, a National Institute of Ayurveda and many more. "They make promises left, right and center and they never fulfil them. That is the BJP's track record. Why should we trust any new promises from this party," Tharoor asked. However, Tharoor said he agreed with one statement of Chandrasekhar, which was that this election was not a fight between individuals. "It is a fight between ideologies. We know what we stan

TDP, BJP, Janasena forge 'seat-sharing formula' for assembly, LS polls

According to the statement, the BJP will contest from six seats, the TDP from 17 seats, and the JSP from two seats for the parliamentary elections

Ahead of LS polls, Shah to address BJP workers' meeting in Hyderabad today

Ahead of the general elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing a meeting of BJP polling booth workers at the LB Stadium here on Tuesday afternoon, party sources said. Titled the 'Polling Booth Sammelan', Shah will head to the meeting after offering prayers at the Bhagyalakshmi temple in Charminar here. He is also slated to address BJP's social media warriors meeting at 1 PM, the sources said. Union Tourism Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy and OBC Morcha president and Rajya Sabha member K Laxman will attend the meeting. This is Shah's second visit to the state after the Assembly polls on November 30 last year. During his earlier visit on December 28 last year, the senior BJP leader had set the party a target to win at least 10 seats and secure 35 per cent vote share in Telangana in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, party sources had then said. This directive was to better BJP's showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where they had won four of the 17 se

CAA ahead of LS polls means attack on parliamentary democracy: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar on Monday condemned the Centre's decision to notify the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying the move just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls amounts to an attack on parliamentary democracy. The Centre announced the implementation of the CAA 2019, a move that comes four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament and paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. With this, the government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from the three countries. Talking to reporters here, Pawar hit out at the Centre over the CAA notification which comes just ahead of the announcement of the schedule for Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May. "Such a decision days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is an attack on parliamentary ...

Zero plus zero is zero: Amit Shah derides AAP-Cong alliance for Delhi

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday took a swipe at the AAP for joining hands with the Congress in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls, saying whether the Arvind Kejriwal-led party forms an alliance with the Congress or merges with it "nothing is going to happen because zero plus zero remains zero". The AAP and the Congress have no Lok Sabha seat from Delhi where the BJP won all the seven seats in 2019 and 2014 elections. "You can keep forming alliances but Prime Minister Modi will return to power with over 400 seats," Shah asserted. The Aam Aadmi Party hit back at the home minister for his tirade, saying the people of Delhi have shown their repeated preference for an "honest government". They will ensure the ouster of the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and lend further strength to Arvind Kejriwal in the Parliament, it said. Shah slammed the AAP as he launched piped natural gas supply line in 41 villages and developmental works in 178 villages of the national capital under Dilli .

PM-chaired panel's meet to appoint 2 ECs advanced to March 14: Report

The prime minister-chaired high-powered committee on selecting election commissioners will now meet on March 14 to finalise the names of two new ECs, top sources said. They said that the Law Ministry has sent an amended communication to all panel members for the meeting to be held now at 12 noon on March 14. The meeting was earlier slated at 6 PM on March 15. Two vacancies of election commissioners came about following the resignation of Arun Goel on Friday and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement on February 14. The selection panel is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a Union minister and the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as its members. The election commissioners will be appointed by the president. The sources said the appointment of two new election commissioners is likely to be made by the same day or the next. They said the notice for the meeting to select one EC was earier sent on Saturday afternoon while Goel's resignation was not

My third term will write new chapter in rise of women power, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cited a host of women-centric schemes of his government to assert that only a society which boosts women's standing and creates opportunities for them can advance. His third term will write a new chapter in the rise of women power, Modi said at a 'Sashakt Nari-Viksit Bharat' programme, exuding confidence of retaining power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a swipe at previous governments, he said women's lives and hardships were not a priority for them while the BJP dispensation has come out with different initiatives to help them at every stage of life. Modi said he is the first prime minister who spoke of a host of issues related to women, including lack of toilets, use of sanitary pads, adverse effects of smoke-causing kitchen fuels like wood and coal, and the need for bank accounts from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a reference to his Independence Day speeches. He said political parties like the Congress made fun of him and insulted

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CAA notification against country, people will respond in polls: Kejriwal

The Narendra Modi-led government's move to notify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is against the country, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Monday and claimed people will respond to it in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a long post in Hindi on X, Kejriwal also alleged that implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, is "dirty politics" of the BJP to make poor people from neighbouring countries its vote bank in India. The Centre on Monday announced implementation of CAA, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The rules were notified days ahead of the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the Narendra Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries. Kejriwal said on X, "After ruling the country for 10 years, the Modi

BJP's election body holds second meeting to finalise Lok Sabha candidates

The BJP's Central Election Committee on Monday held its second meeting to decide on the party's candidates for the Lok Sabha elections as its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went through the list of probables for several states to make final choices. The states, which were tipped to come up for discission, included Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Haryana. Ahead of the meeting, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister and Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala held talks with BJP president J P Nadda for distribution of seats among the two allies in the state. Though a section of Haryana BJP leaders has been opposed to the alliance, the party seems to be weighing its options. The BJP had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the previous elections in 2019. The JJP had allied with the party after the assembly polls. The BJP has joined hands with a number of parties across the country in the run-up to the general elections, expected to be held in ...

Congress' CEC meetings to finalise candidates for Lok Sabha elections

The Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) met on Monday to finalise candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, days after the party released its first list for the polls. The Congress had announced its first list of 39 candidates on Friday with Rahul Gandhi to contest from Kerala's Wayanad again. Discussions were first taken up at the CEC meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for the five Uttarakhand parliamentary constituencies first. Besides Kharge, former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Ambika Soni, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, T S Singhdeo and Mohammad Jawaid, among others, are members of the CEC. Sonia Gandhi was present at the meeting along with Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand Kumari Selja. At the last CEC meet on Thursday, discussions were held on Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Lakshwadeep. According to the first list of .

Around 7,500 central forces personnel deployed in Odisha for elections

Around 7,500 central forces personnel have been deployed in Odisha in view of the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections, which are held simultaneously in the state, an official said on Monday. A total of 75 companies of CAPF have been deployed in Odisha for the smooth conduction of the elections, said CRPF IG Archana Shivhare, who has been appointed as the state coordinator of the forces by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. She said that 35 companies each of the CRPF and BSF along with five companies of CISF have been deployed in two phases since March 1. One company consists of nearly 100 personnel. "The forces have been deployed in sensitive and hyper-sensitive districts from an election point of view," Shivhare said. The central forces are conducting area-dominating exercises, including patrolling and flag marches in the Maoist-affected areas, to instill confidence among the people, she added. "We are continuously coordinating with the state police in all sensitive and

Lok Sabha polls highlights: Ex-BJP MP Rahul Kaswan joins Congress

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