Page 169 - Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi's grand 10-day tour ahead of Lok Sabha elections: All details

PM Modi's tour includes his visit to UP, Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, among other states, where he will launch and lay the foundation stone of various projects

PM Modi to launch several development projects in T'gana, Tamil Nadu today

PM Modi earlier on Sunday said that the development works that will be inaugurated during his upcoming visit to the five states cover a wide range of sectors and will transform several lives

Charting road ahead: Govt readies Viksit Bharat plan with focus on growth

Ministers brainstorm over 100-day agenda for next term, 5-year action plan

BJP veterans over 70 ready to make way for younger faces in Karnataka

In Karnataka, several sitting BJP MPs above 70 years have already announced that they are ready to hang up the boots as the party looks to try younger candidates. Aditi Phadnis gives a sneak peek

BJP's first list of Lok Sabha candidates: Of continuity and winnability

The party is refielding 108 MPs in the list of 195 but there are a few who have been denied ticket

BJP President J P Nadda to arrive on Monday for two-day visit to Karnataka

BJP national president J P Nadda will be on a two-day visit to Belagavi from Monday to hold many public and organisational programmes, the party said on Sunday. Nadda will reach Sambra Airport, Belagavi in Karnataka on Monday at 08.30 pm. Soon after his arrival, Nadda will hold the core committee meeting of Chikodi, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura parliamentary constituencies in Kakati, Belagavi at 09.00 pm. The BJP president will address the booth karyakarta sammelan at on Tuesday 11.15 am at Kiwad Ground, Chikodi. At 02.15 pm Nadda will interact with beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana at ITC Welcome Hotel in Belagavi. After this, he will interact with intellectuals at Jirge Auditorium in Belagavi at 05.15 pm, the party said.

PM Modi to unveil development projects worth over Rs 19,600 cr in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore in Odisha on March 5. The prime minister will unveil the projects from a function in Chandikhole in Jajpur district, an official statement said. March 5 also happens to be the birth anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik, after whom the ruling BJD is named. Following the official programme, he will address a rally of the BJP in Jajpur, considered a stronghold of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The PM will inaugurate Indian Oil Corp's mono ethylene glycol project at the Paradip Refinery. He will also inaugurate a 344-km-long product pipeline from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal. He will also inaugurate 0.6 mmtpa LPG import facility at Paradip. Modi will dedicate to the nation four-laning of the Singhara-Binjabahal section of NH-49, four-laning of the Binjabahal-Tileibani section of NH-49, four-laning of the Balasore-Jharpokharia section of NH-18, and four-laning of the ...

LS Polls: BJP seeks to woo farmers, poor under GYAN campaign in UP

The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will be seeking to increase its vote count through its campaign GYAN Ghareeb, Youth, Annadata, Nari by taking its work among the young, poor and farmers, and women. The campaign has been forged in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to party workers in the state to increase the vote count in each booth by 370 votes a cue to remind people that it was the BJP government which enabled the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi had earlier in February claimed that BJP will cross the 400-mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. There are more than 1.60 lakh booths in the state with an average of 950 voters registered in each of them. According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, about 15.29 crore people are expected to exercise their franchise in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. According to BJP's election strategists, if each booth increases its vote count by 370, it will amount to 6 crore more votes for the ..

LIVE: Council of ministers brainstorms over 'Viksit Bharat 2047' plan

From former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan announcing retirement from politics to CBI filing charge sheet against 7 in Manipur in armoury loot case, catch all the updates here

LS polls: EC full bench arrives in West Bengal to oversee preparations

The full bench of the Election Commission (EC) arrived in West Bengal on Sunday to oversee the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in the state, officials said. During the three-day visit, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioner Arun Goel will meet representatives of all political parties in the state, and hold a meeting with district magistrates and superintendents of police, they said. It will also meet Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab, and is also slated to hold a meeting with Chief Secretary BP Gopalika and DGP Rajeev Kumar. The visit is primarily aimed at taking stock of the law and order situation in the state, and overseeing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, officials said.

Centre govt suffering from 'anti-Punjab' syndrome, says Arvind Kejriwal

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that the Centre is suffering from "anti-Punjab" syndrome and asked the people to punish it in the coming Lok Sabha polls. He also appealed to the people of Punjab to make his party victorious on all 13 seats. Kejriwal took on the Centre for allegedly rejecting Punjab's tableau for the Republic Day parade, saying it was humiliation of Punjabis and added that the martyrs of state do not need "NOC" (no-objection certificate) from the Centre for their supreme sacrifices. The Centre is suffering from anti-Punjab syndrome due to which they need to be taught a lesson, he said, and slammed the Union government for creating "obstacles" in the smooth functioning of the non-BJP ruled states. This is "high-handedness" of the Centre, he added. The Delhi chief minister was addressing a gathering here. Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had detailed deliberations with the industrialists and traders during 'Sarkar Vyapaar

PM chairs Council of Ministers' meet, brainstorm over Viksit Bharat vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday in what is likely to be the last such exercise during the second term of his government. The prime minister has been holding meetings of the entire Council of Ministers from time to time to discuss key policy and governance issues but the meeting on Sunday assumes political significance in view of the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May. The Election Commission (EC) is likely to announce the poll schedule in a couple of weeks. The meeting will be held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave here. One of the key points to be discussed during the exercise could be the highlights of the government's performance as the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has expressed confidence of retaining power at the Centre for a third term under Modi on the back of its development and welfare planks. The EC has begun reviewing the preparedness of

Everyone benefiting from govt schemes without any discrimination: UP CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said everyone is benefiting from the schemes without any discrimination under the Narendra Modi government. He said a good government's priority is to serve all and exhorted the people to support the Modi government once again in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, stating that the double-engine government focuses on both development and the welfare of the poor, ensuring prosperity along with security, livelihood and respect for faith. According to a press statement issued by the state government, the chief minister performed the bhoomi-pujan and laid the foundation stone of the first Veterinary Science College of eastern UP at Tal Nador in Gorakhpur. The construction of this college, to be built on 80 acres, will cost around Rs 350 crore. Addressing the crowd, Adityanath said, "In the previous governments, people were troubled by goons and mafia. Only a few benefited from the

BJP's Asansol candidate Pawan Singh steps aside from Lok Sabha contest

Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh withdrew from the Lok Sabha poll contest from the Asansol seat in West Bengal on Sunday, a day after the BJP named him as its candidate from the constituency currently represented by the TMC's Shatrughan Sinha. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was quick to mock the BJP by saying it surrendered the seat even before the commencement of the election campaign. In a post on X, Singh thanked the BJP leadership for his candidature but added that he would not be able to contest from Asansol "due to some reason". Though he did not specify the reason behind his decision, his candidature had drawn criticism from the TMC, the ruling party in West Bengal, which alleged that many of his songs were crude and depicted women, including those from the state, in a vulgar way. TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee shared Singh's post on X and said, "The INDOMITABLE SPIRIT AND POWER OF THE PEOPLE OF WEST BENGAL." TMC leader Santanu Sen alleged that the BJP spea

Agniveer scheme against youths of country, says Rahul Gandhi in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was neglecting 73 per cent of the country's population, which belongs to marginalised sections of the society. Addressing the 'Jan Vishwas Rally' organised by the RJD here, Gandhi, in an apparent reference to the BJP, alleged that "one party" was trying to create hatred among people but "we are offering 'nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat' (love in the market of hatred)". He alleged that injustice is being meted out to farmers, youths and downtrodden in the country. "The Centre is neglecting 73 per cent of the population that belongs to marginalised sections of the society," Gandhi said. Referring to the Agniveer recruitment scheme, the implementation of which saw protests in Bihar, the Congress leader asserted that the initiative was against the youths of the country. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking on the occasion, claimed that the INDIA bloc will win the maximum number of

Included 'nyay' word to yatra as injustice leading to hatred: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday emphasised the importance of "nyay" (justice) during his ongoing yatra, attributing the rise of hatred in the nation to prevailing injustices. Addressing a gathering in Mohana, located in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, he flagged economic disparity, social inequality, and the mistreatment of farmers and youth as key concerns. The BJP has been denying all such charges. Gandhi, on a brief stopover for his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', criticised the adverse effects of policies like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, linking them to a surge in unemployment rates, which he claimed were the highest in 40 years. "The GST and note ban have fanned extreme unemployment," he claimed, adding "the unemployment rate now was the highest of the last 40 years". The Congress leader further claimed that India's youth unemployment rate was even higher than countries like Pakistan, attributing it to the impact of policies of the government which

LS polls: PM Modi to attend programmes in 12 states, UTs in next 10 days

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend 29 programmes spread across 12 states and union territories over the next 10 days ahead of the likely announcement of the Lok Sabha polls. Officials said he will be visiting Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi. On Monday, he will unveil multiple development projects in Adilabad in Telangana and later visit the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) in Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. He will address public meetings in Adilabad as well as Chennai, the officials said. Modi will launch several projects in Sangareddy in Telangana on March 5 and address an event before travelling to Odisha where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of numerous development initiatives. He will then address a public meeting in Chandikhole in Odisha before travelling to West Bengal. On March 6, he will unveil development projects in Kolkata

Rahul, Akhilesh to attend 'Jan Vishwas Rally' in Patna ahead of LS polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday arrived in the Bihar capital to attend the 'Jan Vishwas Rally', which is being seen as a virtual show of strength for the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The rally, which has been organised by the RJD, is being attended by top leaders including its national president Lalu Prasad, his son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja. Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has also reached the venue. The historic Gandhi Maidan, a sprawling public ground situated in the heart of the city, is choc a bloc with supporters of the 'Mahagathbandhan', a coalition comprising Congress, RJD and Left parties, which was sharing power in the state until the abrupt exit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), recently. The 'Jan Vishwas Rally' is being seen as a culmination of 'Jan Vishwa

LS polls: BJP banks on sitting MPs as it targets to win all 80 seats in UP

After the declaration of candidates on 51 seats by the ruling BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the political picture of the contest in Uttar Pradesh is becoming clear. INDIA bloc partner Samajwadi Party (SP) has so far declared tickets on 31 seats, including Varanasi, which it later withdrew due to the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress. Amidst party workers' demand of fielding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Amethi and Raebareli seats, the Congress is yet to come up with its list. As per the arrangement, the Congress will field candidates on 17 seats while the SP will contest on 63 seats. Apart from Raebareli, Amethi and Varanasi, the other seats on which the Congress will contest include Kanpur City, Fatehpur Sekri, Basgaon, Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Maharajganj, Amroha, Jhansi, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Sitapur, Barabanki and Deoria. Sonia Gandhi is currently the MP from Raebareli, while Rahul Gandhi lost his Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani i

AAP-Cong combine will win all 10 LS seats in Haryana: State AAP chief Gupta

The Aam Aadmi Party's Haryana chief Sushil Gupta on Sunday exuded confidence that the AAP-Congress combine will win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state. People want change both at the Centre and in Haryana, he claimed. The AAP and the Congress are constituents of the INDIA bloc formed by opposition parties to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The two parties announced their seat-sharing arrangement for Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Haryana a week ago. As part of the arrangement, the AAP has fielded Gupta from Kurukshetra while the Congress will contest the remaining nine seats in Haryana. "We will win all the 10 seats," Gupta said when asked how he sees the AAP's tie-up with the Congress. "Every worker of the two parties is working hard. Besides, we are getting full support from (Bhupinder Singh) Hooda ji, Randeep Singh Surjewala ji, Kiran Choudhary ji, Kumari Selja ji and the local leaders in Kurukshetra constituency." The BJP had won all the 10 seats in Haryana