Page 175 - Lok Sabha Elections

Remain committed to INDIA bloc: PDP amid reports of party quitting alliance

The PDP on Monday rubbished reports about the party considering leaving the opposition INDIA bloc and said it remains committed to the unity of the alliance. In a post on its official handle on X, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) said, "Disregard the fabricated news about @jkpdp considering breaking ties with the INDIA alliance. We stand firm in our commitment to unity and our alliance. Don't be misled by this malicious misinformation!" The party's reaction came after reports in a section of the media claimed that the PDP had left the INDIA bloc and decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections on its own. A similar controversy broke out last week when National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said the party would contest the Lok Sabha polls on its own. However, Omar Abdullah -- Farooq Abdullah's son and the party vice-president -- hurriedly convened a press conference to dismiss the suggestions, saying the National Conference remained committed to the INDIA bloc. He, however, rul

Will not join Rahul's Yatra till seat sharing is finalised: Akhilesh Yadav

Lok Sabha elections: Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party withholds participation in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra pending seat-sharing agreement

'How many Dalits, Adivasis in high courts?' Rahul Gandhi asks in Pratapgarh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of participation of marginalised communities in high courts and bureaucracy in the country

Ahead of LS polls, BJP in T'gana to conduct 'yatras' from Feb 20 to Mar 2

Gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP in Telangana would conduct 'Vijaya Sankalp Yatras' (mostly roadshows) across the state from February 20 to March 2. Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy on Monday offered prayers at the famous temple of Goddess Bhagya Lakshmi at Charminar here and launched the 'Raths' to be used in the 'yatras'. He told reporters that five 'yatras' would be held simultaneously touching all the 119 Assembly constituencies in the state. The 'yatras' would begin at different places in the state on February 20. Observing that there is an atmosphere all over the country in favour of Narendra Modi becoming Prime Minister for a third term, he expressed confidence that the BJP would win majority of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. The BJP had won four constituencies in the 2019 General Elections. BJP activists would go to every village, every house and try to meet every person to enlist their support, he said. "I am fully confident. I

LS polls: NDA will win all seats in Bihar, says deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary

When asked about giving a chance to Nitish Kumar again, Lalu Prasad Yadav on February 16 said, "Ab aayenge toh dekhenge, khula hi rehta hai darwaaza' (if he will we will see, door remains open)"

Choking election funds for the Congress

While the Congress party has been allowed to operate its account, the ITAT has put a lien of Rs 115 crore on its accounts. It has been allowed to spend only from the remainder

Cong leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' resumes from Pratapgarh

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Babuganj

People must be careful of rumours: Mayawati as she rejects alliance reports

Earlier, Mayawati reiterated her party's stand for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and said that her party will contest the polls alone

SP chief Akhilesh likely to join Rahul's Yatra in Amethi: Jairam Ramesh

'I expect that he will join the Yatra tomorrow. Earlier, Apna Dal leader Pallavi Patel also joined the yatra,' Congress leader Ramesh said

Highlights: 4th round of talks between ministers, farmer leaders concludes

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren gives go-ahead for caste-based survey: Official

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren has given the go-ahead for a caste-based survey in the state on the lines of neighbouring Bihar, a senior official said on Sunday. The CM has directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the cabinet for approval, he said. If everything goes according to the plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections, the official said. Indicating the survey, the CM posted on X, "Jiski Jitni Sankhya Bhari, Uski Utni Hissedari (Bigger the population, bigger the share). Jharkhand is ready." Vinay Kumar Choubey, principal secretary to the CM, told PTI, "The personnel department will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) to conduct the survey in Jharkhand. It will be placed before the cabinet for approval." The caste survey will be conducted on the pattern of neighouring Bihar, where data collection was conducted between January 7 and October 2 last year, he added.

JMM-led alliance 'strong', no threat to coalition govt: Jharkhand CM Soren

The JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand is "strong" and there is no threat to the coalition government in the state, Chief Minister Champai Soren said on Sunday amid reports of resentment brewing among a section of Congress legislators over the induction of four party MLAs as ministers. Soren, who is in the national capital, will hold talks with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. State Congress president Rajesh Thakur has already reached Delhi "There's no issue, our alliance is strong," Champai Soren told reporters here in response to media queries on the turmoil between the JMM and the Congress over portfolio distribution. On being asked about disgruntled Congress MLAs reaching Delhi, he said, "This is an internal matter of the Congress party, they will resolve it. I have nothing to say about that. There is no conflict between JMM and Congress and everything is absolutely fine." As many as 12 MLAs of the grand-old party have threatened to boycott the upcoming state assembly session

Not seeking a third term for political gains, but for benefit of India: PM

Addressing the BJP national convention here, Modi said the nation will now have to dream big and make big resolutions to make India a developed country by 2047

After Kamal Nath, reports claim Manish Tewari giving thought to BJP switch

A source close to Manish Tiwari said the speculations linking the Congress old-timer to the BJP were all 'rubbish' as he was busy working for the people of his constituency

BJP not confident of winning more than 200 LS seats, alleges Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party was running a "political brothel" in Maharashtra and was solely responsible for polluting the state's culture. In his column 'Rokthok' in the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Rajya Sabha MP said the BJP was not confident of winning more than 200 Lok Saha seats and cited the induction of leaders like Ashok Chavan, a former Congress chief minister. "Maharashtra was once famed for the staunch support for progressive and modern thoughts in politics. BJP is solely responsible for changing the image of the state, which is now known for political switch overs, and decline in its culture,"Raut alleged. "BJP leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and (former MP) Kirit Somaiya were once harsh critics of Chavan. They levelled serious allegations against him. But now Fadnavis was present when Chavan joined the BJP. Fadnavis had once called Chavan a 'dealer'. Now, the state's deputy chief minister has to

Ram temple heralds establishment of 'Ram Rajya' for next 1,000 years: BJP

The BJP's national convention on Sunday passed a resolution on the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asserting that this heralds the establishment of "Ram Rajya" in India for the next 1,000 years. "The construction of a grand and divine temple of Lord Shri Ram at his birthplace in the ancient holy city of Ayodhya is a historic and glorious achievement for the country," the resolution said. This convention heartily congratulates the leadership of the prime minister, it said. It is noteworthy that Lord Shri Ram, Sita and Ramayana are present in every aspect of Indian civilization and culture, it said. Our Constitution, dedicated to our democratic values and justice for all, has been inspired by the ideals of Ram Rajya, it said. "Even in the original copy of the Constitution of India, on the section of fundamental rights, the picture of Lord Shri Ram, Mother Sita and Lakshman ji after returning to Ayodhya after the victory is a proof of the fact that Lord Shri Ram is the source of inspiration f

Congress will win atleast 20 seats in Karnataka in LS polls: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress will win at least 20 out of 28 seats from the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also junked the BJP's claim of winning all the 28 seats. "We are preparing to win at least 20 seats this time. The BJP is making exaggerated claims that they will win all the 28 seats because they have realised that people will bless Congress this time," the Congress leader told reporters at Malavalli in Mandya district. Regarding the Congress strategy to fight against the coalition of BJP and Janata Dal (Secular), Siddaramaiah said there are no two parties in the opposition. "This time we have only one opposition. There are no two parties but only one party in the opposition. JD(S) has merged with the BJP and is not functioning like a separate party," he said. The BJP swept the 2019 Parliamentary polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat.

INDIA bloc's doors 'open' for BSP, says Cong's UP in-charge Avinash Pande

INDIA bloc's doors are "open" for the BSP and it is up to Mayawati to decide if she wants to join the united fight against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls or not, Congress' Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pande said on Sunday. The Congress general secretary said the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) very much wanted the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join the bloc but Mayawati has already declared that she will go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls. In an interview with PTI during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Pande said the Congress is "wholeheartedly" supporting the Samajwadi Party and expressed confidence that a seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha polls in the state will be finalised "very soon" with remaining "confusions" dispelled. He said the Congress-SP combine is in talks with small parties in Uttar Pradesh who would also be joining the INDIA bloc to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, and asserted

Country has made up its mind that PM Modi to be at helm for 3rd term: Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday likened the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to the Mahabharata war, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the BJP-led camp working for the country's development while "INDI alliance" under the Congress is full of family-run parties and corruption. In his address at the BJP's national convention here, Shah lashed out at the opposition INDIA bloc for its promotion of dynastic and appeasement politics. He was speaking on the resolution "BJP: Desh ki aasha, vipaksha ki hatasha" (BJP: Country's hope, opposition's despair). He said the opposition is full of "2G, 3G and 4G" parties, a reference to the second, third and fourth generation of families running these parties. He said the prime minister has worked for the development of all sections of society and enhanced the country's global standing. Shah asserted there is no doubt in people's mind that the prime minister will retain power for a third term. While PM Modi thinks of the poor and the

Cong leader Rahul meets families of elephant attack victims in Wayanad

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited the houses of two victims of the recent wild elephant attacks in this high range district, and consoled their family members. Gandhi reached neighbouring Kannur district on Saturday night after halting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Varanasi abruptly in the wake of intense protests by locals seeking solutions to the human-animal conflicts in his constituency. From Kannur, he proceeded to Wayanad by road and was accompanied by AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and other local leaders. He spent over 20 minutes at the house of Aji (42), who was trampled to death by a radio-collared elephant in the Mananthavady area of Wayanad district triggering massive protests last week. Later, he visited the residence of Paul, an eco-tourism guide of the forest department who was killed by a wild tusker near Kuruva island on Friday and spent some time there. The MP is also expected to visit the house of Prajeesh who was killed in a ti