Page 180 - Lok Sabha Elections

PM Narendra Modi gives 370 to BJP and 400 to NDA in Lok Sabha polls

Modi said he will continue to wage a battle against corruption, would not allow the looting of the country's resources and asserted that probe agencies were independent

Highlights: PM to launch BJP's campaign for LS from MP's Jhabua on Feb 11

News updates: From CM Champai Soren's floor test in Jharkhand assembly to Iran leveraging UK bank account to covertly move money, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

PM Modi to address Parliament, likely to set agenda for Lok Sabha polls

PM Modi on Monday will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's January 31 address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

Nyay Yatra resumes Jharkhand-leg, Rahul to address public rally in Ranchi

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said that the public rally in Ranchi is the main focus of yatra, being spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi, today

Unusual election year Budget signals PM Modi's sky-high confidence

India's economy is now the fifth-largest in the world, from the tenth-largest when Modi first took office a decade ago, and the fastest expanding among major nations

Cong holds meeting for shortlisting LS polls candidates in Chhattisgarh

The screening committee for shortlisting candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh met here on Sunday with AICC in-charge of the state Sachin Pilot asserting that winnability is the main criteria for the selection of nominees. Besides Pilot, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and state unit chief Deepak Baij, among others, attended the meeting. After the meeting, Pilot said names of candidates for all the 11 Lok Sabha seats were discussed and asserted that winnability would be the main criteria for selection. "The sentiment in all 11 seats is in favour of the Congress. We have made a list of all the candidates who are eligible to win and are discussing the same," the Congress general secretary said. "In Chhattisgarh, we could not win the assembly elections but our vote margin was only 1-1.5 per cent (less than the BJP). People have been watching the reports of the central government for the last 10 years. The government has failed on every front," he said.

Independent institutions being vitiated under electoral autocracy: Tharoor

While responding to a question on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Tharoor said that the public must not vote solely based on the construction of a temple but should focus on other development factor

Latest LIVE: Uttarakhand Cabinet approves Uniform Civil Code draft

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BJP to end Kerala's bipolar politics, will win at least 5 seats: Javadekar

BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has claimed that his party will end Kerala's bipolar politics in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls by winning at least five seats as, unlike the 2019 elections, people in the state realise that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot become prime minister. "If in 2019 you asked any Keralite; Hindus, Christians, Muslims, he would have told you Rahul Gandhi will become prime minister. They had their own discourse and belief. Now ask anybody in Kerala; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, he will tell you PM Modi is coming back for a third time," the BJP's election in-charge of the state told PTI in an interview. The former Union minister said his party's concerted outreach to Christians will result in a sizeable section of them voting for it in the Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held in April-May. Asked how things are different for the BJP from 2019 when its alliance got around 15 per cent votes and no seat, he said everybody now realises that Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Congress stands for Jal-Jungle-Jamin of tribal people, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party stood for 'Jal-Jungle-Jamin' (water, forest and land) of tribal people and employment of youths. Gandhi was speaking during a roadshow in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. After a night halt in Tundi block of the district on Saturday, the yatra resumed at Govindpur in Dhanbad city on Sunday, the third day of his yatra in Jharkhand. The main objective of the yatra is to save public sector units from being sold to private parties, and ensure justice to employed youths and tribal of the country, Gandhi said. "Congress party stands for the Jal-Jungle-Jamin of the tribal people and work for education and employment of youths. Economic imbalance, demonetisation, GST and unemployment have ruined the future of youths in the country," he said. Jharkhand Congress vice-president Brajendra Prasad Singh said the yatra which started from Govindpur, passed through Saraidhela, IIT-ISM gate, Randhir Ver

PM Modi unveils development projects worth Rs 11,600 cr in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will roll out development projects worth nearly Rs 11,600 crore in Assam. Modi will address a public meeting at 11.30 am at the Veterinary College Playground in Khanapara here, from where many state and central projects will be unveiled. Some of the major projects for which foundation stones will be laid are the Kamakhya temple corridor (Rs 498 crore), the six-lane road from the new airport terminal (Rs 358 crore) in Guwahati, the upgradation of Nehru Stadium to FIFA standards (Rs 831 crore) and a new sports complex in Chandrapur (Rs 300 crore). The second edition of Asom Mala roads will also be kick-started by the PM. This phase will comprise 43 new roads and 38 concrete bridges, entailing a total investment of Rs 3,444 crore. Besides, Modi will lay the foundation stone for an integrated new building of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,250 crore. He will also lay the foundation stones for the prop

End of BJP has come: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav renews PDA pitch

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said it has come to the fore in a survey that 91 per cent of the backward people, Dalits and minorities will vote unitedly for the PDA due to which the BJP's equation and previous formulas have failed this time. Yadav also said that the BJP has lagged far behind in the selection of candidates and it was not getting the candidates at all as no one wants to fight to lose. PDA is the term coined by Yadav for "picchde, Dalit and alpsankhyak" (backward, Dalit and minorities) for which the Samajwadi Party is batting for in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "Survey of those who believe in PDA: Overall 90% say-- 49 per cent backward people have faith in PDA, 16 per cent Dalits have faith in PDA, 21 per cent minorities(Muslims+Sikhs+Buddhists+Christians+Jains and others+Tribals) believe in PDA, 4 per cent 'agde' (upper caste) have confidence in PDA. (All the above include 'aadhi abadi' (women). Most of these 90% will vote unitedly for PDA this .

Modi's guarantee is 'guarantee of unemployment', says Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday attacked the Centre over vacant government posts, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee is the "guarantee of unemployment". In a post in Hindi on X, the Congress general secretary said that according to statistics, about 30 lakh government posts are vacant in the country. "Crores of our youth are waiting for jobs, but in the last 10 years, the BJP government has done nothing, except propaganda, to fill up these posts," she alleged. In July 2022, the government had informed Parliament that in eight years, 22 crore youth applied for jobs but only seven lakh youth got the jobs, Gandhi said. That means approximately 21.93 crore eligible youth remained unemployed, she added. "The BJP government, which promised two crore jobs annually, could neither provide existing jobs nor create new ones. The Prime Minister gives guarantees in elections. In reality, his guarantee is the guarantee of unemployment," Gandhi alleged. The .

BJP to launch new campaign 'Quami Chaupal' to woo Muslim voters in UP

Seeking to connect with voters of the minority community in Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh, the minority front of the BJP is all set to organise 'Quami Chaupal' in more than 4,100 villages and discuss issues concerning them. The campaign will start on February 10 from Kaserwa village of Muzaffarnagar district. The BJP's Minority Morcha will depute Lok Sabha constituency-wise in-charge for the 'Qaumi Chaupal' programme to be organised in 23 Lok Sabha constituencies of Western Uttar Pradesh BJP Minority Morcha's Uttar Pradesh unit president Kunwar Basit Ali told PTI that the Morcha has selected 23 Muslim dominated Lok Sabha constituencies, including Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Meerut, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Bijnor, Amroha, Rampur, Bareilly, Agra and Aligarh, for the programme. Leaders of the Morcha will visit the Muslim-dominated villages and discuss various schemes of the government and the work done by the government for the minorities. T

Cong reviews Bihar's political situation after Nitish's exit from alliance

Top Congress leaders on Saturday held a meeting to review political developments in Bihar after JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar moved out of the "Mahagathbandhan" government, party sources said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party incharge for Bihar Mohan Prakash, PCC chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh, party MLAs and other senior leaders attended the meeting held at the AICC headquarters here. During the meeting, the leaders reviewed the latest political developments in Bihar and discussed the future course of action with Kumar no longer part of the opposition INDIA bloc, the sources said. Kumar took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time on Sunday after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the 'Mahagathbandhan' and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. His latest crossover, the fifth in a little over a decade, came as a big setback to opposition unity ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Madhya Pradesh BJP holds brainstorming session with eye on Lok Sabha polls

In line with the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party was convened in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday

Congress' Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi to visit Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday will visit the famed Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar on the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jharkhand. The Yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, entered the state from West Bengal through the Pakur district on Friday afternoon. After a night halt at Littipara in Pakur, the Yatra resumed from Sarkanda Chowk in Godda district on Saturday morning, Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha told PTI. Gandhi will visit the ancient temple in Deoghar dedicated to Lord Shiva around 2.30 pm and offer prayers, he said. Later, he will lead a roadshow in the district and also address a public meeting. The Yatra will then proceed to Dhanbad where the participants will camp for the night. The night halt has been planned at Halkata in Tundi block of Dhanbad, Sinha said. The Yatra will travel 804 km, covering 13 districts of the state over eight days in two phases. In all, it will travel 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15

As Vijay floats political party, a list of others who tried before him

Actor Vijay political party: The 49-year-old actor issued an official statement saying that his newly-floated party would be contesting the 2026 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu

If BJP can rig mayoral polls, imagine what it can do in LS polls: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday attacked the BJP, saying if it can "rig" the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it could go to any extent in assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He was addressing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers at a protest at the party's office here. The demonstration was planned in front of the BJP headquarters, a few hundred metres away on the DDU Marg, but AAP members could not reach there because of heavy police deployment and barricading. The world's biggest party was caught on camera "stealing" votes in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, Kejriwal said. The elections to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor were held on Tuesday and the BJP won all defeating the Congress-AAP alliance "In the last few years, we had heard that BJP rigs polls. They tamper with EVMs, get names of voters deleted from voter lists, but never was any evidence found. They were caught red-handed in Chandigarh stealing votes," he alleged. "If they can indulge

SP, Cong reach final agreement in UP for LS polls, says Ram Gopal Yadav

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday said the Congress and the Akhilesh Yadav-led party have finalised their seat-sharing agreement in Uttar Pradesh. SP will declare more candidates soon for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Asked whether the Congress can go with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in UP, Yadav said the two parties have already reached an agreement. "We have declared 16 seats. We will declare more seats in a couple of days. So on and so forth. The Congress and the SP have reached a final agreement in Uttar Pradesh," Yadav said. SP leader Dimple Yadav, meanwhile, said there should not be any further delay in deciding candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, and stressed that the upcoming polls will be about "saving the Constitution". "This is an important election. It is an election to save the Constitution. There should not be any further delay," she said. "Election is fought at the grassroots level. If candidates are decided in time they will get time to put up