Page 51 - Lok Sabha Elections

'Broken' civic infra of Gurugram top agenda for Congress's Raj Babbar

Congress leader Raj Babbar here on Monday said he would work to fix the state of civic infrastructure in the constituency, which despite contributing a hefty sum to Haryana's coffers has been given a short shrift. Babbar, the Gurugram Lok Sabha candidate from Congress, said he would also press for the establishment in the Indian Army of an Ahir regiment, for which there has been a longstanding demand. "Raj Babbar is a candidate fielded by the Congress, but going by the huge response of the people and their overwhelming support for our party, it seems they are fighting this election," Babbar said at a rally. Despite the heat, which has risen sharply over the past week, Babbar said people are turning up in large numbers to Congress's rallies. Babbar was announced its candidate from Gurugram by the Congress three weeks ago. Of the 23 candidates in the fray, the former actor's main fight is with Union Minister and BJP's sitting MP, 74-year-old Rao Inderjit Singh. Babbar, 71, says tha

Tourist arrivals in Kashmir not accurate gauge of normalcy: Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday said tourism should not be linked to the security situation in Kashmir as tourist arrivals are not the right barometer of normalcy and this makes tourists a target. The situation in the Valley is "not normal", Abdullah told reporters after visiting polling booths in Budgam. The NC leader is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla, where voting is underway. "We have been saying that the situation (in Kashmir) is not normal. The militants have proved repeatedly that they can attack whenever they want to. Unfortunately, a politician, an ex-sarpanch of the BJP, lost his life and two tourists were injured (in terrorist attacks)," the NC leader said, referring to Saturday's twin attacks in Shopian and Anantnag. "I appeal to the government to talk less about normalcy because the situation is not normal and also talk less about tourism being an indicator of normalcy because when they link normalcy with tourism, they put

LS polls 2024 phase 5: 15.93% voter turnout till 11 am in Maharashtra

Polling began Monday morning for 13 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including six in Mumbai, in the fifth and last phase of general elections in the state, an official said. Voting began at 7 am in 24,553 polling centres and will end at 6 pm, the official said. Altogether 2.46 crore persons are eligible to cast vote to decide the fate of 264 candidates in Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South, Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Palghar, Nashik, Dindori and Dhule seats. Union ministers Piyush Goyal , Bharati Pawar and Kapil Patil are among the key nominees of the BJP, which has also fielded lawyer Ujjwal Nikam. Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad are also in the fray. The main contest is between the ruling Mahayuti comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP). Mumbai, Thane and Palghar ...

Lok Sabha polls: BJP, BJD in cahoots with each other, alleges Congress

The Congress on Monday claimed that the BJP and the BJD are in cahoots with each other and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on his party's association with the BJD. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Odisha. "Why have the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers been poisoned under the Modi Sarkar? Why are Odisha's poorest being exploited through GST? Na-veen and Na-rendra are 2 sides of the same coin. Why is the PM lying about his party's 'relationship status' with the BJD?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh said the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers pass through Cuttack on their way to the Bay of Bengal and ground reports speak of massive encroachment of the river bed, sand mining, garbage and debris dumping, and sewage outflow, causing the slow death of Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers. In 2019, the central government had committed to cleaning the Mahanadi "on the

Lok Sabha polls: Odisha's BJD govt on its way out, claims PM Modi

Asserting that the BJD government in Odisha is on its way out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he was hurt over the "destruction" of the state. Modi said this while addressing a public meeting here under Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat. Though the state is rich in mineral resources, its people are distressed, he added. "Who is responsible for the sorry state of affairs in Odisha? It is the BJD government which is under the control of some corrupt people. A handful of corrupt persons have grabbed the chief minister's office and residence. Small workers of the BJD have now become crorepatis," the Prime Minister said. Coming down heavily on the ruling BJD, Modi said the state government has prevented people from availing benefits of the mineral resources. "In 2014, Modi has prepared a new mineral exploration policy, under which Odisha is getting high royalty," he said. Stating that Odisha received Rs 26,000 crore from the newly formed district mineral fund (DMF), Modi said the mo

LS polls: My own welfare lies in welfare of Constitution, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has credited the Constitution for the trajectory of his own life, asserting that even if one assumes he acts out of self-interest, his own welfare lies in the welfare of the Constitution. In an interview with PTI, Modi rejected the opposition's claim that he intended to change the Constitution and end reservation if the BJP-led NDA wins over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. It is the BJP, he stressed, which has given the maximum number of ministers from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC backgrounds. On the issue of Muslim reservation, he said it is wrong to combine the topic of quota on the basis of religion with the overall issue of reservation. The Constitution and its makers never wanted reservations on the basis of religion, he said. The prime minister added, "It is the Congress that has diluted reservations in many states, given it on the basis of religion, and insulted the Constitution. They also want to do it nationally. I have made it

LS polls Phase 5: Mumbai heads to vote today as Oppn gets renewed boost

Elections in Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is located, have been fairly predictable until 2019 with the regional Shiv Sena party dominating in alliance with the BJP

Phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections 2024: What was the voter turnout at 9 am?

In the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, 49 out of 543 constituencies went to polls in six states and two Union Territories. Votes will be counted on June 4

LS polls: BJP to score big in South, NDA will cross 400, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party in the south, as he remained unwaveringly confident that his NDA alliance will cross 400 seats in Lok Sabha when election results come out on June 4. Our strategy for the entire nation is the same. Phir ek baar modi sarkar. Aur chaar June 400 paar, Modi said in an interview to PTI Videos on Sunday night. Modi said his opponents have created a myth that the BJP has no strength or presence in the southern states. Look at 2019 elections. The largest party even then in the south was BJP. Again, I say this: the largest party in the South this time will be BJP, and its allies will add more (seats) to it, he said. In a separate written reply to questions submitted by PTI, Modi said we will be the single largest party in Southern India and by an even bigger margin than the last time. We have seen a jump in mind-share already. We will see a big jump in seat share and vote share for us across the

Young voters set to shape India's political future in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections

The rising power of young voters in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections: How new demographics are shaping India's political future

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi unveils 1000-year vision, predicts historic win

Lok Sabha elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said how a blueprint for India 100 years after Independence can lay the foundation for the country's bright future

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar cast their votes

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Several actors including Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar and many others cast their votes early morning. Today marks the beginning of the fifth phase of polling

Never spoken against minorities, will not accept any special citizens: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has not just today but never acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as "special citizens". The comments in an interview to PTI Videos late Sunday is Modi's most unequivocal on minorities amid an outcry from the opposition that his election speeches are communally divisive and polarising. He also said the Congress has constantly violated the secular spirit of the Constitution, and that his campaign speeches are aimed at exposing the opposition parties' bid to appease minorities with vote bank politics. In the interview, he was asked what he has to say about the apprehension among minorities because of his statements. I have not spoken a word against minorities. I am only talking against the vote bank politics of Congress. Congress is working against the Constitution, that's what I have been saying," he replied. Modi said the makers of India'

Your one vote will protect democracy, Constitution: Priyanka to voters

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday urged people to cast their ballot in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, stressing that their vote will free the country from inflation, unemployment and economic crisis. Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "With your one vote, Rs 1 lakh will come into the account of a woman from every poor family annually, every citizen will get the facility of free treatment worth Rs 25 lakh, the youth will get 30 lakh government jobs, the youth will get apprenticeship worth (Rs) 1 lakh annually, and SC/ST/OBC will get proper participation." "Your one vote will protect democracy and the Constitution of the country," the ..

LS polls 2024: Country witnessing storm of change, says Rahul Gandhi

As polling began in 49 constituencies for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and the country is witnessing a storm of change. Voting is being held in 49 constituencies in six states and two union territories in the fifth phase, which will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Today is the fifth phase of voting! In the first four phases itself, it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and are defeating the BJP." "This country is fed up with the politics of hatred and is now voting on its own issues. Youths for jobs, farmers for MSP and freedom from debt, women for economic independence and security, and labourers for fair ...

RBI Guv Das casts vote in Mumbai, urges electors to exercise voting right

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das cast his vote here early Monday morning and urged all electors to exercise their franchise. Polling was underway since 7 am in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai and seven other seats in Maharashtra. I urge all the voters to votethis is a right in our parliamentary democracy and everyone should exercise it, Das told PTI after casting his vote at a polling centre near his official residence his south Mumbai. Voters should exercise their franchise in large numbers even during the remaining phases of the general elections, he said. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran was also among the early voters from the world of business. He exercised his franchise along with his family members at a booth in south Mumbai. Later, Chandrasekaran posed for pictures and showed his inked finger. Businessman Anil Ambani also voted early in the morning at a booth in south Mumbai where his residence is located.

Is the AAP imploding? Swati Maliwal episode points to the fractures within

Several AAP leaders are uncertain about their next political step, and some have already quit. More may desert the party either before the polling in Delhi and Punjab or after June 4

Stock market holiday declared today as Mumbai votes in Lok Sabha elections

Lok Sabha elections: The BSE and the National Stock Exchange will remain closed on Monday, May 20, as a public holiday has been declared in Mumbai for polling

LS polls: 1.7 mn voters in Baramulla to decide fate of Omar, Sajad Lone

More than 500 centenarians are among the 17.37 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, with political observers expecting a high turnout on the back of the huge crowds that thronged election rallies and roadshows. The first major political battle post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 will decide the fate of Omar Abdullah, the National Conference vice-president and a former chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, and 21 others in the fray. Fourteen Independent candidates -- two of whom are women -- are among the hopefuls from the north Kashmir seat, which has traditionally returned a higher turnout compared to areas in central and south Kashmir. The constituency goes to the polls on Monday. Abdullah faces the biggest challenge from separatist-turned-politician and former minister Sajad Lone, who heads the People's Conference. The blazing campaign trail witnessed the rivals going full throttle ...

Stock market closed for trading today as phase 5 voting underway in Mumbai

The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 rose 0.16 per cent to 22,502 points and the S&P BSE Sensex added 0.12 per cent to end at 74,005.94 on Saturday