Page 85 - Lok Sabha Elections

Cong trying to divide Hindus for appeasement politics: PM Modi slams Kharge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, accusing the opposition party of trying to create divisions among Hindus due to its appeasement politics. He was addressing a poll gathering at Surendranagar in Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats. "Now, Congress is trying to create divisions among Hindus. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a very dangerous statement about Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. This statement has been made with malafide intentions. They are playing a game to divide the Hindu community," he said. "They are creating differences among the devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Shiva so that they fight with each other. Even Mughals could not break our thousands of years of traditions. And now Congress wants to break it? How low will Congress stoop for appeasement?" Modi added. The PM also alleged that Congress, in its ..

LS polls: India equity options pricing in a no-surprises election verdict

At this time in 2019, the implied volatility was 28 per cent-30 per cent, suggesting an investor had to pay much more to protect against an unexpected outcome -- a BJP loss -- that year

'400 paar' joke, '300 paar' impossible, 200 paar challenge for BJP: Tharoor

The BJP's claim of '400 paar' is a joke, '300 paar' impossible and even '200 paar' may be a challenge in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said, terming the ruling party's loss a foregone conclusion. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, Tharoor also claimed the BJP will draw a blank in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and will do worse than its 2019 performance in the South. Tharoor, who was locked in a three-way contest with Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP and P Raveendran of the CPI in Thiruvananthapuram where polling took place on April 26, said he is looking at a "very comfortable win". If he emerges victorious, it will be a fourth consecutive win for the author-politician from Thiruvananthapuram, who is the longest-serving MP from the constituency. Back in Delhi after a nearly two month high voltage campaign in Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress Working Committee member will now canvass in other parts of

Lookout notice, arrest warning for Prajwal Revanna in sex harassment row

Karnataka's Home Minister says that Prajwal Revanna must appear before the investigating Special Investigation Team (SIT) or face possible arrest

LS polls: Odisha CM Patnaik files nomination from Kantabanji Assembly seat

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday filed his nomination papers from Kantabanji assembly segment under Bolangir parliamentary constituency in the state's western region, two days after he filed his papers from his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district. After reaching Tushra Airstrip, Patnaik led a procession to the sub-collector's office at Titlagarh and filed papers in the presence of BJD leader and his schoolmate AU Singhdeo and party leader V K Pandian. Patnaik chose Kantabanji as the second seat as it is strategically located and connected to three Lok Sabha seats such as Kalahandi, Bolangir, and Bargarh. These three LS seats were won by the opposition BJP in the 2019 elections. BJD insiders feel that Patnaik decision to contest from Kantabanji will have a significant impact to raise BJD's stake in the region, particularly in Bolangir district. Kantabanji seat was last won by Congress candidate SS Saluja. Even in the 2019 elections, Patnaik

Seek votes on performance, not through 'hate speeches': Kharge to PM Modi

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said when the elections are over, people will only remember him as the PM who indulged in "divisive and communal speeches filled with lies" to avoid an inevitable defeat. Kharge urged the prime minister to seek votes on the performance of his government over the last ten years instead of indulging in "hate speeches". The Congress president made the remarks in a letter to Prime Minister Modi in which he rebutted the attack and charges levelled against his party in the PM's letter to NDA candidates after the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Modi has asked the BJP-led NDA candidates in the Lok Sabha polls to spread awareness among voters about the Congress's intention to snatch "reservation from SC, ST and OBC communities and give it away to their vote bank". In a personal letter written to them, Modi also accused the Congress and its allies of having divisive and

Disappointment in Lok Sabha poll outcome will be short-lived: Pradeep Gupta

The Indian markets appear to be expensive, on an absolute basis, with 1-year forward valuation at 20 times. The overall risk/reward ratio, thus, seem unfavourable on a historical basis, Gupta said

BJP govt has made Gujarat hub for drug traffickers from Pak, alleges Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan and asked what is Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing to confront the rise of drug smuggling in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rallies in Gujarat. "Who is the PM protecting in the rampant drug smuggling trade into Gujarat? Who is responsible for the lakhs of families affected by inaccurate land records? Why is Gujarat still suffering from water shortage after all these years of BJP rule?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan. "Just a few days ago, the Indian Coast Guard, Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized a Pakistani boat carrying 86 kg of heroin (worth Rs 600 crore) off the coast of Gujarat. Two days prior, mephedrone val

Hearing in 2018 defamation case against Cong leader Rahul Gandhi postponed

Hearing in a 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged objectionable remark targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah will now be held on May 14 as no judge was assigned to the MP-MLA court. According to Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla, the hearing was scheduled for Thursday but could not be held as a judge was yet to be assigned to the court. The MP-MLA court fixed May 14 as the next date of hearing in the matter, he added. The defamation complaint against Gandhi was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra six years ago. Last December, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi. Subsequently, Gandhi halted his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi on February 20, appeared in the court and was granted bail. The complaint was filed here on August 4, 2018, against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged objectionable comments against Shah made at a press conference in Bengaluru in May that year during the Karnataka elections. The complainant referred to Gandhi's comment

How Lok Sabha Elections are conducted in India | General Elections

The world’s largest election for the 18th Lok Sabha is currently underway in India. In this video we will explain you the complete process of general elections in India. Lok Sabha elections are the bi

TMC knew about school jobs scam before 2021 assembly polls: Kunal Ghosh

After his removal from the post of the TMC's West Bengal general secretary, Kunal Ghosh claimed that the party was aware of the school recruitment scam even before the 2021 assembly polls. The damaging statement from Ghosh, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, came amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as the SSC scam has escalated into a significant issue in the polls. Ghosh was removed from the post hours after he shared a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate and praised him on Wednesday. "The party was well aware of the fact that large-scale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls," he said in an interview with Bengali news channel ABP Ananda. Ghosh, who has been seeking more prominence for next-generation leaders and has been at loggerheads with the old guards in the TMC, said it was due to this "information about large-scale ...

49 Lok Sabha, 318 Assembly candidates withdraw nominations in Andhra: CEO

Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena on Tuesday said 49 Lok Sabha candidates and 318 Assembly candidates have withdrawn their nominations for the May 13 simultaneous elections in the state. Consequently, the number of candidates contesting the 25 Lok Sabha seats got pruned to 454 and the 175-member Assembly to 2,387 candidates, the CEO said. "Following the withdrawal of nominations on Monday, April 29, 454 candidates will contest from the 25 Parliament constituencies and 2,387 from the 175 Assembly constituencies, said Meena in a press release. After the scrutiny of nominations on April 26, the Election Commission rejected 183 out of 686 Lok Sabha nominations and 939 out of 3,644 Assembly nominations. It accepted 503 Lok Sabha and 2,705 Assembly nominations which now stand at 454 and 2,387 after the withdrawals.

Ghulam Nabi Azad welcomes EC decision to postpone polls in Anantnag-Rajouri

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairperson Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to postpone polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency and said this has relieved several political parties. Azad emphasized the importance of the assembly elections over parliamentary elections stating it is very important to have a legislative assembly and legislators put in place through polls. "It is never too late. The decision of the Election Commission of India has relieved us. I thank the ECI for taking this right decision. All political parties will benefit from the decision. Actually, all parties are happy," he told reporters here. Azad, who is on campaign trial in Rajouri for his party's candidate Mohammad Saleem pitted in triangular contest with PDP's Mehbooba Mufti and NC's Mian Altaf on Anantnag-Rajouri seat, pointed out that the Election Commission should have scheduled polling in this constituency for the sixth or seventh phase. He explained

LS polls 2024: EC increases polling time in Telangana in view of heat wave

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday increased the polling time for the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana by an hour in view of heat wave conditions prevailing in the state. The new timing would be 7 am to 6 pm against the earlier 7 am to 5 pm. Polling for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on May 13 in the fourth round of the seven-phase elections. While the extended time for voting will be applicable in all assembly segments of 12 Lok Sabha constituencies, in the remaining five parliamentary seats, the timing will apply in certain assembly segments, according to a notification issued by the commission. The hours of polling will be 7 am to 6 pm in the Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool (SC), Nalgonda and the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat, it said. The new timing will also be applicable in five assembly segments of the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat, three of Peddapalle seat, six of Warangal (SC) s

Apologise for seeking votes for Modi earlier, says Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government has betrayed Maharashtra, and he apologises to the people for seeking votes for the prime minister in earlier elections. Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke at a rally at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Hatkanangale constituency, Satyajit Patil. Talking about the circumstances in which his government fell in 2019, Thackeray said the Supreme Court had not delivered its verdict on whose Shiv Sena was the real one, but the "Election Commission and the arbitrator (Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar) who were working as their (BJP's) servants, gave their verdicts." "Now when PM Modi calls us fake Shiv Sena, he is putting pressure on the court," Thackeray said. Sharad Pawar said that Modi, during visits to Maharashtra, only criticises him (Pawar) and Thackeray instead of speaking about his ..

LS polls: BRS Supremo KCR critiques EC for inaction on CM Revanth Reddy

BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao, who has been barred by the Election Commission from campaigning for 48 hours, on Wednesday said that no action was taken against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy though he made objectionable comments on him. Rao, who addressed an election rally in the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha constituency, referred to the 48-hour ban on him and said that lakhs of BRS activists would work tirelessly for "about 96 hours". Referring to certain comments allegedly made against him by the chief minister, he said the Election Commission has not imposed any ban on Revanth Reddy. Chandrashekar Rao's son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao said on X: "You can ban him temporarily, you can't kill the truth that he wants Telangana to know. Remember, the only people who are scared of you for speaking the hard truths are those who are living a Lie Jai Telangana." The Election Commission on Wednesday reprimanded Chandrashekar Rao and barred him from campaigning for 48 hou

Some people have made me stranger in my party: Ex Haryana min Anil Vij

Former Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said some people have made him a stranger in his party. "Mana kuch logo ne mujhe meri party mein he begana bana diya hai, parantu kayee baar begane apno say bhi zyada kaam kar jaate hai, (It may be true that some people have made me a stranger in my party, but sometimes strangers do more work than own people)," the six-time Ambala Cantt MLA said here without taking any names. He was addressing a gathering before the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Ambala parliamentary seat Banto Kataria filed her nomination papers. Vij was earlier said to be upset with the BJP for not keeping him in the loop when the party decided to replace Manohar Lal Khattar as the chief minister in March and bring Nayab Singh Saini in his place. Vij later also did not find a place in the cabinet led by Saini. The senior BJP leader had also kept away from Saini's swearing-in ceremony in March. He has confined his electioneering in the Lok Sabha polls to the Ambala ..

Amid rising menace of deepfakes during elections, focus back on guardrails

Although precise figures are elusive, there is a perceived surge in electoral deepfakes

LS polls: HC dismisses plea to allow arrested leaders to campaign virtually

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to allow arrested political leaders to campaign through virtual mode for the Lok Sabha polls, terming the plea as "highly adventurous" and against the fundamental principles of law. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said courts do not take policy decisions and that it is for Parliament to decide on such issues. "We can't allow someone who is in custody to run a campaign. Otherwise, all rapists, murderers will start floating political parties just prior to the elections," the bench said. The high court warned the petitioner of imposing costs but later agreed not to do so as the arguing counsel pleaded that the petitioner was a student. The court was hearing a petition by Amarjeet Gupta, a law student, who was aggrieved by the timing of the arrest of politicians, particularly Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, after the announcement of the model code of conduct by the ECI. "Okay we

BJP hopes to taste Lok Sabha success in Samajwadi Party's citadel Mainpuri

The BJP, which won SP's other two strongholds in bypolls in 2022, Rampur and Azamgarh, hopes to wrest Mainpuri, too