Page 41 - Lok Sabha Elections

'Pattern in creating false narratives': ECI amid voter turnout data row

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday came out with the constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha polls and said there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous designs to vitiate the electoral process. It also asserted that any alteration in the number of the votes polled is not possible. The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading the polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website. The EC said it has decided to further expand the format of the turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every constituency. The absolute numbers are discernable constituency-wise by all citizens by applying the turnout percentage to the total number of electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll panel said. Electors are those on the electoral roll and eligible to vote

Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 6: Over 39.1% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Sixth phase will see voting in 58 of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, including all seven seats in Delhi

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Phase 6 voter turnout

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Phase 6 voter turnout

LS elections: PM Modi, BJP will change Constitution, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday lashed out at the BJP, alleging that it will change the Constitution if it wins the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing his first poll rally in Punjab in support of Amritsar candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Gandhi said these elections are not ordinary. "In this election, Narendra Modi ji and BJP senior leaders are attacking the Constitution. For the first time in the history of independent India, their party leaders have openly said they will change, scrap, finish and throw the Constitution if they win the election," the former Congress president said. He said the elections are a battle between two ideologies. "On one side is Narendra Modi ji and BJP people who want to finish it (Constitution) and on the other hand is Congress which is protecting the Constitution," said Gandhi. He hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that in the last 10 years, PM Modi did nothing for the farmers of the country. "But you were attacked and they .

LS polls: Pink booths, creche facilities elevate voting experience in Delhi

The specially designed pink and model booths were a hit among the voters, who not only cast their votes with ease but also enjoyed clicking selfies on the polling day. The seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi went to polling in the sixth phase on Saturday. A vibrant effort to enhance the voting experience, the polling stations featured model encouragement facilities, including pink sofas, spacious waiting areas with water fans, pitcher water, colourful rangoli, beautiful hanging decorations, selfie booths, carpets and wheelchairs to help the disabled. Speaking about the pink booth arrangement, Priyanka Vajpayee, a voter, said, "I was surprised when I entered the booth because it was not like the last time. It was all decorated with flowers and balloons." The pink booth was managed by female staff and it was decorated with lots of cutouts, motivational quotes and beautification work to enthuse people. Talking about the decoration, another voter Geeta said, "The booth is so colou

INDIA bloc crosses halfway mark, on track for over 350 seats: Congress

As the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls concluded on Saturday, the Congress claimed the BJP's fate is "all but sealed" with the INDIA bloc having already crossed the halfway mark of 272 seats and is on course for a tally of over 350 seats in total. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also claimed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is set to sweep the NDA away. "With six phases of the elections now concluded, voting for 486 seats is over. As the outgoing PM starts figuring out his retirement plans, here's the round-up of the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: The BJP's fate is all but sealed. It has become clear that they are South mein Saaf, aur North, West, and East mein Half," Ramesh said in a post on X. He claimed the INDIA bloc has grown from strength to strength since Phase 1 and after polling in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and now Delhi, "we are seeing the incredible chemistry that has been built between coalition partners". "Th

Modi should maintain dignity of PM post, says Priyanka on 'mujra' remark

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday hit out PM Narendra Modi for his "mujra" remark to target the INDIA bloc, and said no prime minister has ever used such words for opposition leaders in the history of the country. She said the entire country respects the post of prime minister and it his responsibility to maintain the dignity of the post. The prime minister has become nervous and has forgotten he is a representative of the country and of people, and such words should not have come out of his mouth, Vadra said here. Earlier in the day, addressing rallies in neighbouring Bihar, Modi asserted he will foil opposition INDIA bloc's "plans" to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their quota and divert these to Muslims. "They (the opposition bloc) may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," the PM said. Vadra responded to his statement at a joint election rally with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Gorakhpur in support of INDIA bloc candidate Kajal Nishad and

Unemployment, infra, corruption-free nation key issues for Delhi voters

From employment, inflation, better roads infrastructure, clean drinking water, women safety, education, health care services to corruption free India -- myriad of issues dominated the minds of voters when they stepped out to exercise their franchise. The seven Lok Sabha constituencies of Delhi went to polling on Saturday. A two way fight between the BJP and an alliance between the Congress and the AAP as part of the INDIA bloc is being played out in the capital. Visuals from the polling booths showed people of all ages flocking the centres while braving the sweltering heat in the city to exercise their right. "I feel proud to have carried out my democratic duty. I was the first voter in my booth and also was given a certificate by the District Election officer as a mark of appreciation," said Sunil Kumar Jha, who was the first one to cast his booth in New Delhi constituency's Gole Market. "I have voted on the issue of development," he added while appreciating the facilities and ..

Congress didn't allow OROP, it got implemented by Modi govt: PM in UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing the party of not allowing the soldiers to get 'One Rank, One Pension'. At an election rally in Ghazipur, he said, "The Congress had the expertise of delaying works and snatching rights. They did not allow our jawans get 'One Rank, One Pension'. It was implemented when Modi came (to power)." Asserting that Ghazipur tells the tales of valour and bravery, Modi said, "Ghazipur and Gamhar village -- the names are enough as brave soldiers emerge from every house. Has any place other than Ghazipur have this honour? The entire country is indebted to this land." Attacking the opposition, the prime minister said, "Leaders of the 'parivarvadi' (dynastic) parties kept on building palace after palace. But, the poor, farmers, labourers and Dalits were deprived and they struggled to meet their small needs." Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, "SP's 'shahzade' (prince)

LS polls: Does it behove PM to speak like this: NCP(SC) on 'mujra' remark

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the INDIA bloc of performing "mujra" for its vote bank, and asked whether it behoved him to make such a statement. Speaking at election campaign rallies in Bihar, the prime minister said he would foil the alleged plans of the INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. "They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," Modi added. NCP (SP) Clyde Crasto asked on social media why the PM had a fascination for words starting with the alphabet 'M', referring to his earlier comments. "What is this fascination with the alphabet 'M'? Musalman, Machli, Mangalsutra, Mutton... now '#MUJRA'. Does this behove well for the Prime Minister of India to speak like this?" Crasto said in a post on X.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: EC releases absolute number of voters for 5 phases

Election Commission says recorded vote counts was communicated to all candidates' polling agents on the polling day and such data is unalterable

LS polls phase 6: Dignitaries, politicians, wrestlers queue up to cast vote

Several dignitaries, including President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and politicians cast their vote in the national capital, while in Haryana, many prominent wrestlers like Babita Phogat and Yogeshwar Dutt exercised their franchise in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday. In the penultimate round, 58 parliamentary constituencies in eight states and Union Territories went to polls. Simultaneously, polling was also held for 42 assembly seats in Odisha. Here are snapshots of the day: ** President Murmu cast her vote at an all-women polling booth -- decorated in pink and white colours -- inside the President's Estate while Vice President Dhankhar voted at the polling station at the CPWD service centre in Delhi's North Avenue. ** Several politicians, including Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, were seen at polling stations in Delhi along with their family members. Chief Election Commissione

We will work on policy of 'sarvajan hitaya, sarvajan sukhay', says Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday claimed that people have abandoned the BJP and the Congress because of their bad policies. Addressing an election rally in Gorakhpur in support of BSP candidate Javed Simnani, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was following wrong policies just like the Congress. She expressed confidence that the NDA won't be able to retain power at the Centre due to the casteist, capitalist and communal policies of the BJP and its allies provided the election is fair and the voting machines are not tampered with. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the "atrocities against the minorities under the guise of Hindutva have reached their peak". "Along with this, the condition of poor people belonging to the upper castes is also not very good. Especially, the Brahmin community is being harassed on a large scale in the entire state," Mayawati said. "Due to the wrong policies of the BJP government, the country's economy is being adversely affected.

LS polls: PoK is ours and we will take it, says Amit Shah at Una rally

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of India and "we will take it", Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Saturday as he castigated the Congress for trying to "frighten" the BJP by saying the neighbouring country possesses atom bombs. Addressing a rally at Amb in Una district, the heartland of soldiers, he also appealed to people to ensure the victory of the BJP in the bypolls to six assembly seats for the formation of a BJP government in the hill state, currently ruled by the Congress. Shah said that only a strong government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight terrorism, ensure economic growth and take care of the poor. "The Congress is trying to frighten us by saying that Pakistan has an atom bomb," Shah told the rally in support of Union minister Anurag Thakur, the BJP candidate from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. "And, today I speak from... Himachal that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) hamara hai, hamara rahega aur hum ise lekar rahenge (PoK is ours and it will ..

Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 6: Over 49% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Sixth phase will see voting in 58 of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, including all seven seats in Delhi

Ranchi provides free ride to urban voters in bid to up polling percentage

In a bid to increase polling percentage in urban booths of Ranchi, the district administration tied up with a bike-taxi aggregator, to provide free pick-and-drop facilities to urban voters, an official said on Saturday. The service will be provided in Ranchi's 181 polling booths across the city. As many as 2,377 polling stations have been set up for the election on Ranchi Lok Sabha seat. Of which, 949 were urban booths and 1,428 were rural polling booths. "I appreciate the initiative of the Ranchi administration for providing free pick-and-drop facility during the election. I just applied the 'vote now' code on the Rapido application and received the service from home free of cost," said Sumit Kumar, a voter. Rapido Jharkhand Head, Jay Kumar Gaur, told PTI, "Around 800 motorbikes were put into service of the voters by the Rapido. The service was aimed to bring the voters to polling booths and contribute in enhancing the polling percentage." Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), Ranc

Voters can check length of queues at polling booths from home: Punjab CEO

The voters in Punjab can check the length of queues at the polling booths from the comfort of their homes on June 1, said state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C after launching the 'voter queue information system' on Saturday. Giving details about the system, Sibin C said the voters need to send a message by typing 'vote' to WhatsApp number 7447447217. They will then receive a link that, when clicked, presents two options 'location' and 'booth', he said. For the location-wise option, the voters will share their location, which will then display a list of polling booths near their house on the mobile screen, he added. By entering booth number, the voters will receive real-time information on how many people are standing in the queue at that booth, he said. For the booth-wise option, the voters will first select the state of Punjab, followed by their district. "This will bring up all the assembly constituencies in that district. After selecting their assembly constituency and .

LS elections: Left leaders cast vote in Delhi, say 'democracy at stake'

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, polit bureau members Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja were among the Left leaders who cast their votes in Delhi on Saturday and appealed to voters to exercise their franchise. The Left leaders also expressed confidence in the Opposition INDIA alliance emerging victorious in the ongoing polls. Talking to PTI after casting his vote at Delhi's Vasant Kunj, Yechury said: "I voted for India, for my country. I voted for democracy, unity of my country and my Constitution. The people of India will win. Therefore India will win. That is what I hope, I expect, and am sure of," Yechury told PTI. "The prime minister of India himself, every day he speaks only to sharpen communal polarisation... The Election Commission has to take cognisance. Unfortunately, it is not doing so. But the people of India are opposing it," he said. Annie Raja, who is in the fray from Kerala's Wayan

LS polls: Vote for BJP to liberate Odisha from captivity, says Smriti Irani

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani has urged people to vote for the BJP to liberate Odisha's future from BJD's "captivity". Speaking at an election rally in Kujang within Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, Irani said, "There's talk that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik lacks the freedom to express himself and meet others independently. The entire BJD leadership is in captivity. Free Odisha's future from this confinement by pressing the lotus button on June 1." She declared that if voted to power, the BJP would appoint an Odia CM. Irani accused BJD leaders of involvement in a Rs 32,000-crore chit fund scam, a Rs 60,000-crore mining scam, and criticised the state's ruling party for awarding them poll tickets. "How long will Odisha endure all this?" she questioned. Irani alleged that the BJD government had fostered land, coal, sand, and mining mafias in the state, with ministers, MLAs, supporters, and remote controllers from Tamil Nadu working incessantly to

LS polls: China encroached on our land but PM Modi is silent, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that China has encroached on India's land and is constructing houses and roads but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent. Where is the 56-inch chest, Kharge asked, taking a dig at the prime minister in his address at a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Rohru. The Congress leader said his party is fighting to save the people of the country and the Constitution and will fill 30 lakh government vacancies if it is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections. Kharge said, "We fought against Pakistan and got independence for Bangladesh. China encroached on our land and is constructing houses and roads and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent. Where is the 56-inch chest?" The Congress chief also hit out at the Centre for allegedly not providing aid to the Himachal Pradesh government in the aftermath of the 2023 floods. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had sought Rs 10,000 crore aid from the Centre after the floods