Page 78 - Lok Sabha Elections

Three firms set to drive primary mkt with Rs 6,400 cr IPO blitz this week

The primary market is gearing up for significant activity this week, with three companies -- Blackstone-backed Aadhar Housing Finance, healthcare tech firm Indegene and travel distribution firm TBO Tek -- poised to float IPOs aiming to collectively raise nearly Rs 6,400 crore. Before that, JNK India garnered Rs 650 crore through its initial share-sale last month. Since 2004, there hasn't been a single IPO launch during May in the last four general election cycles. Typically, the April to June period during these years has been slow for the primary markets due to election uncertainty, said Mahavir Lunawat, Managing Director, Pantomath Capital Advisors. However, this trend has changed now with the launch of three mainboard initial public offerings (IPOs) next week. Samir Bahl, CEO of Anand Rathi Advisors told PTI that the new trend is a positive sign indicating the maturing of the Indian capital markets and confidence in India's long-term growth story irrespective of political ...

Modi will seek votes in Lord Ram's name, won't speak on development: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek votes in the name of Lord Ram but will not speak on development, inflation and jobs. Talking to reporters here, Raut claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trailing after the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections. The third phase of polls will take place on May 7. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Sunday and hold a roadshow. "Modi will go to Dwarka, Mathura and Ayodhya. He will go to every temple but won't talk about development, inflation and jobs. He will not talk about why the (2019) Pulwama attack took place," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said. He also hit out at the prime minister over the attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which a soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district. "Yesterday, in broad daylight, our soldiers were attacked and killed. He will not talk about t

Lok Sabha polls: After first two phases, Modi is ahead, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on the campaign trail in Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday said after the first two phases of the general elections in the country, Narendra Modi has hit a century and was moving forward towards getting over 400 seats. Addressing a poll rally in Dharmavaram Assembly constituency in the state, Shah also attacked Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), accusing them of encouraging corruption, sand and land mafias and crime in Andhra Pradesh. The Home Minister said he was in Andhra Pradesh to lend strength to the BJP, TDP and Jana Sena alliance's fight against corruption, crime, mafia and conversion in the state. He said they formed the alliance to bring an end to the alleged rule of goondas and criminals, rampant corruption and sand mafia in the state and to make Amravati the capital of Andhra Pradesh once again. Shah further said the whole country has decided to make Modi the Prime Minister for the third time, asserting that no

LS polls: PM Modi to file nomination papers from Varanasi on May 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be filing his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on May 14, BJP's city president Vidyasagar Rai said on Sunday. On May 13, Modi will hold a roadshow in the constituency, and preparations for it are underway, he added "The route for the roadshow has been finalised. On May 14, Prime Minister Modi will file his nomination from the Varanasi seat," he said. The Congress has fielded its Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai in Varanasi and the BSP Athar Jamal Lari. Elections in Varanasi will be held on June 1 in the seventh and last round of the general elections.

Congress files complaint with EC against JP Nadda over MCC violation

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Sunday sought the Election Commission to initiate action against BJP's national president J P Nadda and other senior leaders for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by posting a video on social media intimidating members of SC and ST community not to vote for a particular candidate. In a complaint to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, the Congress mentioned about a video uploaded on social media platform 'X' by the official account of Karnataka State Bharatiya Janata Party @bjp4karnataka which is operated by Amit Malviya, the head of IT cell on instructions of J P Nadda, BJP National President, B Y Vijayendra, BJP State President and Social Media incharge- Karnataka BJP on May 4 at 5.34 pm. "The said video posted on social media featured animated characters of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah. In the clip, SC, ST and OBC community are portrayed as "eggs" in a nest and it also suggested Rahul Gandhi planting a big egg ...

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi, Nadda on two-day Odisha visit from today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda will arrive in Bhubaneswar on Sunday on their two-day visit to Odisha. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in the Odisha capital around 9.30 pm and will make a night halt at Raj Bhavan. He will address election rallies at Berhampur and Nabarangpur on Monday, a BJP leader said. PM Modi will again come to the state on May 10, when he will lead a road show in Bhubaneswar. On the following day, he would address an election rally in Bolangir, he said. Odisha Police have tightened security arrangements for the PM's visit on Sunday. Tight security will be ensured from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Raj Bhavan on Sunday evening, a police officer said. Nadda, on the other hand, is slated to reach Bhubaneswar this afternoon. He is scheduled to release the election manifesto of the state unit of the BJP in Bhubaneswar around 3 pm. The BJP president will also hold meetings with party leaders and workers in Bhubaneswar and neighbouri

Congress has lost faith of people, confidence of its leaders: CM Sai

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress, saying the party has lost the faith of people and even the confidence of its leaders. Addressing a press conference at the BJP office Ekatma Parisar here, Sai exuded confidence that the saffron party will win all 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Sunday is the last day for campaigning for the third and last phase of the general elections in Chhattisgarh, where seven Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on May 7. Elections to 11 parliamentary constituencies in the state are being held in three phases, and polling in four seats took place in the first two phases. "This has been a unique election for me because, for the first time, I connected with the people as a chief minister during campaigning. I addressed 64 public rallies and 11 party workers convention and attended 26 meetings of different communities in 45 days while campaigning from March 20 to May 4, Sai said. The chief minister said he w

LS polls: TMC, BJP tread cautiously in Jhargram amid identity politics

The tumultuous days of Maoist violence may now be a thing of the past for residents of Jhargram constituency in western West Bengal but the tribal-dominated seat sits on a powder keg of identity politics which has a direct bearing on the elections. A long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the minority Kurmis, a traditional tiller community listed as OBCs in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, had led to sporadic violence in the recent past and has vertically divided the inhabitants of region with the majority Adivasis, enlisted STs, firmly opposing it. Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have chosen to tread cautiously over this "extremely sensitive" issue which, some voices from the ground feel, has the "potential to explode at the slightest provocation". While the ruling party in the state has declared in its poll manifesto that it would "actively work with the Centre" to award the desired status to the Kurmi-Mahato community, the saffron party has officially remain

LS polls: Vidisha's huge tourism potential remains untapped, say historians

Vidisha's links with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, late BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan may have brought it under the spotlight from time to time, but the town has the potential to create its identity as a tourist destination, according to historians. Flanked by world heritage sites like Sanchi and Bhim Baithika, which are a part of the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat, this town is home to many historically important sites, including the 10th-century Bija Mandal. "It is a fact that a large number of tourists visit Sanchi, a renowned Buddhist site. But very few among them visit the city of Vidisha which is hardly 10 km from the world heritage site despite having historically and archaeologically important places like Bija Mandal," historian Govind Deolia told PTI. He claimed that the "design of the new Parliament building in Central Vista (in New Delhi) is inspired by the Bija Mandal-Vijaya Mandir". Vidisha is also surrounde

LS polls: Rift among INDIA bloc triggers three-cornered contests in Bengal

As the final five phases of polls draw closer, rift among INDIA bloc partners, Congress-Left combine and the TMC, who are fighting separately has intensified, triggering a fierce contest across half of the remaining 36 constituencies in West Bengal driven by local issues such as Sandeshkhali and the SSC scam. TMC's decision to contest independently in the state, rather than as part of the bloc, has led to a three-way contest, with the other contenders being the BJP and the Congress-Left alliance. Nevertheless, both TMC and Congress have asserted that they are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level and are authentic representatives of the opposition front in Bengal. Political analysts suggest that without a dominant national narrative like national security after the 2019 Pulwama attacks, local concerns such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of School Service Commission (SSC) jobs, incidents in Sandeshkhali and implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are

LS polls: 35 Muslim candidates contesting in Gujarat; none fielded by Cong

Thirty-five Muslim candidates are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat but the Congress has this time broken its tradition and not fielded a single person from the community in the state. The Congress has argued that the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, from where it used to traditionally field a Muslim candidate, has this time gone to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as part of the seat sharing agreement among the opposition INDIA bloc constituents. Among national parties, only the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded a Muslim candidate from Gandhinagar for the May 7 polls in the state. The BSP had also fielded a Muslim candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Panchmahal. This time, 35 Muslim candidates are in the fray for the Lok Sabha polls to be held in 25 out of the 26 seats in Gujarat, compared to 43 nominees from the community in 2019, according to Election Commission data. Most of the candidates from the community are either contesting independently or have been fielded by ...

PM Modi's political history based on 'Hindu-Muslim dispute': Digvijaya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political history is based on the "Hindu-Muslim dispute" and he should do some soul-searching as to who is benefiting from it, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has claimed. Singh, who has been fielded by the Congress from Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, also said that he was not satisfied with the recent Supreme Court ruling on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister spoke to PTI while campaigning in the rural areas of Raghogarh assembly segment that falls under Rajgarh parliamentary constituency. "If you look at the political history of Modi ji, it is based on the Hindu-Muslim dispute. It would be better if Narendra Modi does some soul-searching as to who is benefiting from it and who all are suffering due to it," Singh said. Polling will be held in Rajgarh in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 7. Singh targeted the BJP for seeking votes on lines of caste and religion instead of real ...

FPIs get cautious amid ongoing Lok Sabha polls; inject Rs 1,156 cr in May

Foreign investors have adopted a "wait and watch" stance amidst the ongoing general elections and have infused just Rs 1,156 crore in the first two trading sessions of this month. This came after FPIs dumped equities worth Rs 8,700 crore in April, on concerns over a tweak in India's tax treaty with Mauritius and a sustained rise in US bond yields. Before that, FPIs made a net investment of Rs 35,098 crore in March and Rs 1,539 crore in February. In the two days of trading in May, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have invested Rs 1,156 crore in equity and sold Rs 1,726 crore in debt, data with the depositories showed. "With general elections in full swing in India, foreign investors have adopted a wait and watch approach, until the election results are out," Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director - Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, said. Additionally, a mixed batch of US data has barely shaken the perceptions that the economy remains robust, indicating that

ECI's nod taken before lifting ban on onion exports amid MCC: Report

The Centre has taken permission from the Election Commission to lift the ban on exports of onion in view of the ongoing implementation of the Model Code of Conduct due to the Lok Sabha elections, sources said. According to government sources, the Department of Revenue under the finance ministry took the permission from the Election Commission to lift the ban on onion exports, subject to conditions of 40 per cent export duty, and also a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne. The government on Saturday lifted the ban on onion exports, a decision that can help boost income of a large section of farmers and comes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in key producing regions including Maharashtra. The government has imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne (around Rs 46 per kg) as well as 40 per cent export duty. Taking duty into account, the shipments will not be allowed below USD 770 per tonne (around Rs 64 per kg). The decision to lift the ban on exports of onion w

Lok Sabha polls: 15 'crorepati' candidates in third phase in Assam

Altogether 15 candidates out of the 47 in the fray for the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam going to the polls on May 7 are 'crorepatis', with the richest being AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal contesting from the Dhubri seat. The 'crorepati' candidates include two each from Congress and AGP, one each from BJP, AIUDF, Bodo Peoples' Front (BPF), United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL), Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and Ekam Sanatn Bharat along with four independents, according to the affidavits filed by the contestants. Independent candidate Triptina Rabha, contesting from Kokrajhar (ST) constituency has the lowest assets with Rs 25,521 as movable assets. There are two women in the crorepati list and they are BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Congress's Mira Borthakur Goswami, both contesting from Guwahati constituency. All the four candidates of the ruling NDA are crorepatis. Barpeta and Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency have five crorepati candidates each, Dhubri three and Kokrajhar (ST) tw

Rahul has no fire but Cong playing with fire by risking divide: Rajnath

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has no fire while his party is playing with fire by attempting to create Hindu-Muslim divide for electoral dividends, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. In an interview to PTI, Singh also indicated that the BJP will implement its big-ticket plans like rolling out of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and implementing the 'One Nation One Election' push if it retains power for the third consecutive term. The defence minister also said that he was confident that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross 400 seats and the BJP will get over 370 as these projections were made after detailed assessment of the ground situation and not made only for public consumption. On the overall political landscape, the defence minister accused the Congress of attempting to disturb social harmony and trying to create tensions on religious lines. "They are attempting to create Hindu-Muslim divide for electoral gains. The Congress is trying to create tensions on ...

Discontent among coffee planters over dues out in open in Andhra's Araku

Growing discontent among coffee planters over unpaid dues from the government may emerge as a significant electoral issue in the Araku (ST) Lok Sabha constituency in Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh. The YSR Congress is aiming to score a hat trick in the segment while the NDA is slugging it out to wrest the seat from the ruling party. In 2019, YSRCP candidate G Madhavi won the seat with a margin of over two lakh votes. This time the ruling party has fielded Chetti Tanuja Rani, a doctor, while former MP Kothaplalli Geetha, a BJP contestant, was pitted against her by the NDA. Geetha won the seat in 2014 on YSRCP ticket and later floated her own outfit, which was merged with the BJP. The CPI (M), as part of the INDI alliance also fielded P Appala Narsa, who may potentially split the opposition votes. Perched at a height of 1000 m above sea level in the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh, Araku boasts of producing coffee beans with distinctive flavours which has gained .

Record-breaking election spending to ignite rural demand: Experts

Even as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls have started to unfold, anticipation remained high not only in the political landscape but also about the ripple effects on the economy, particularly in rural India, as experts described the elections as the most expensive one ever fought in the country's history. With an expenditure of a staggering Rs 1.35 lakh crore estimated by N Bhaskara Rao, who chairs the Centre for Media Studies and has been tracking election spending for 35 years, significant parts of the amount spent during the polls will reach the pockets of India's rural population boosting sales, business houses feel. According to a study, about 35 per cent of election expenditure in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in India was made on campaigns and publicity. The second highest expenditure head was payments to voters via various means hiring workers, purchasing campaign materials, freebies and direct cash transfers in some cases. Industry leaders expect these will have a positive impact on

LS polls: 'Country will rise' if Constitution is changed, says Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday claimed that the BJP wants to change the Constitution, and warned that the "country will rise" if that happens. Central agencies had become "servants"of the BJP, he said at a rally at Dharashiv in central Maharashtra, adding that after the results on June 4, those who "troubled" his party men will be made to "pay with interest." "The BJP wants to change the Constitution. The day they try to change the Constitution, the entire country will rise (against the attempt)," Thackeray said. He also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that Pakistan was eager to make Congress leader Rahul Gandhi India's next PM, stating that none of the INDIA bloc leaders had gone and "shared a cake" with Nawaz Sharif. The Sena (UBT) chief was apparently referring to Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan in 2015 for a meeting with his then counterpart Sharif. After the INDIA alliance government comes to power, GST on seeds, pesticides and ...

'Anarchy' of YSRCP govt will end in 10 days, says TDP chief Naidu

The "anarchy" of the YSRCP's five-year government will end in 10 days, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday. Addressing a public meeting in NTR district's Nuziveedu as part of his Prajagalam election campaign tour, Naidu also labelled Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy a "gang leader of robbers and landgrabbers". "The anarchy that the state is now facing will end in another 10 days We are coming as an alliance to save the people from these conspirators," the leader of opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly said. Elections for the 175-member assembly and the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh will be held simultaneously on May 13. The votes will be counted on June 4. Labelling Reddy a "gang leader of robbers and landgrabbers", the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief called on people to dump the fan -- the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) election symbol -- in the dustbin. Naidu alleged Reddy is formulating deceptive strategies to grab people's lands through the Land Titling A