Page 86 - Lok Sabha Elections

Surat decided, diamond hub turns to Navasari, Bardoli for poll glitter

Have no demand from govt, says leading diamantaire Savji Dholakia

Lok Sabha polls: Abhay Chautala declares assets worth over 45 crore

INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala, who is fighting the Lok Sabha polls from Kurukshetra, on Wednesday filed his nomination papers and declared his assets worth more than 45 crore, indicating he is fond of cars. Haryana minister and BJP leader Ranjit Singh Chautala, who filed his nomination from Hisar seat, also declared a few buffaloes and cows among his movable assets. Abhay Chautala is grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal while Ranjit Chautala is Lal's son. In his poll affidavit, Abhay Chautala (60), son of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, has declared that he has combined movable assets worth Rs 32.61 crore while his wife has Rs 4.38 crore worth assets. He also has immovable assets worth Rs 12.70 crore while the value of such assets owned by his wife is Rs 11 crore. Abhay Chautala has declared that he owns a jeep with current value of Rs 25,000, a Ford car worth Rs 39,000, a Toyota Land Cruiser having current value of Rs 10.25 lakh, a Toyota Innova worth R

LS polls 2024: TV actor Rupali Ganguly, astrologer Ameya Joshi join BJP

TV actor Rupali Ganguly, famous for her roles in TV serials, such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Anupamaa, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party here on Wednesday ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Along with Ganguly, Ameya Joshi, a social worker and astrologer from Maharashtra, also joined the BJP at the party headquarters in the presence of senior leaders including national general secretary Vinod Tawde and national media department in-charge Anil Baluni. Tawde welcomed Ganguly and Joshi into the party fold and used the opportunity to attack the opposition parties over Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Maria Alam's appeal for "vote jihad". Alam, while seeking votes for the INDIA bloc's candidate from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, called for a "vote jihad," saying it was necessary in the current situation for the minority community to dislodge the BJP from power. Responding to the SP leader's remarks, Tawde said, "The Opposition, which has been spreading lies, has now started a

LS polls: EC says its focus on vulnerable tribal groups bearing dividends

The Election Commission said on Wednesday its efforts over the last two years to include the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in the electoral process have started showing results. The poll panel said members from these communities participated enthusiastically in voting in the first two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha election and pointed out that the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar voted for the first time in a parliamentary election. India has 8.6 per cent tribal population, including 75 groups that come under the PVTG category. Setting up polling booths in previously-inaccessible areas has led to a large-scale inclusion of the PVTGs, the EC said in a statement. In the last 11 state Assembly polls, there were around nine lakh eligible voters from 14 PVTGs. "The commission's special efforts ensured 100 per cent enrolment of PVTGs in those states," the poll authority said. In the last two years since he took over as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar ha

Lok Sabha polls 2024: After Nadda, PM Modi to campaign in Odisha on May 6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to campaign for the BJP candidates in Odisha's Berhampur and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituencies on May 6, a leader of the saffron party said on Wednesday. Modi will address his first public meeting at 10 am in Berhampur while the Nabarangpur rally will be held at about 12.30 am on Monday, Odisha BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra told a press conference here. Berhampur and Nabarangpur go to polls on May 13. The Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha. Berhampur in Ganjam district is considered a fort of the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The BJP has fielded expelled Biju Janta Dal MLA Pradeep Panigrahy in Berhampur Lok Sabha seat while the BJD nominee there is Bhrugu Baxipatra, a former BJP vice-president. The Congress has fielded Rasmiranjan Patnaik from the seat. Modi recently claimed in an interview that Odisha's pride and language are in danger. The Prime Minister is coming to Odis

Does being part of Modi's 'political family' guarantee protection: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the sexual abuse allegations against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, asking whether being part of "Modi's political family" a "guarantee of protection for criminals". Police on Sunday booked Prajwal Revanna and his father H D Revanna on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household. Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and nephew of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. Faced with the unrelenting attack from the Congress and other political parties, the JD (S), an ally of the BJP, suspended Prajwal. In a post in Hindi, Gandhi said, "As always, Narendra Modi has maintained shameful silence on the gruesome crimes committed against women in Karnataka." "The Prime Minister will have to answer: Despite knowing everything, why did he campaign for the devil who exploited hundreds of ..

Congress tried to defame Indian culture, civilisation: UP CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday attacked the Congress, saying after it became "directionless" post-Independence, it has now become "leaderless" as well and accused the party's leaders of attempting to defame Indian civilisation and culture. "Unfortunately, the country's oldest political party (Congress) went directionless after Independence and today it has become leaderless too. The Congress leaders have constantly tried to abuse the Indian culture and humiliate the 'sanatan dharma'," Adityanath told reporters here. "During the UPA government, a senior leader of the Congress and the then Union Home Minister had tried to insult India's 'sanatan' culture in the name of saffron terror," he said. The priest CM blamed the Congress's policies for the problem of terrorism and Naxalism in the country. He claimed that the central government has controlled the militancy in the Naxal-affected areas and pacified the restive northeast. "Every person knows that the ...

Cong promise of Rs 400/day national minimum wage is real '400 paar': Ramesh

The Congress on Wednesday reiterated its 'Shramik Nyay' guarantees on International Labour Day, and said its promise of Rs 400 per day national minimum wage is the real '400 paar'. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh listed the party's guarantees for labourers and alleged that the past 10 years have been of 'anyay kaal' for them. On the occasion of International Labour Day it is most appropriate to recall the 'Shramik Nyay' guarantees in the Congress Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said. Elaborating on the guarantees, Ramesh said the Congress has promised 'Shram ka Samman' (Dignity for Labour)' with Rs 400 per day national minimum wage, including for MGNREGA. "This is the real '400 paar'," Ramesh said at a press conference here, taking a jibe at the BJP's '400 paar' slogan of securing over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls for the NDA. Ramesh alleged that the BJP's call of '400 paar' is aimed at changing the Constitution. Holding a copy of the Constitution, Ra

Comedian Shyam Rangeela to contest polls against PM Modi from Varanasi

Comedian Shyam Rangeela, known for his impersonations of PM Modi, is set to challenge the PM in the elections from the Varanasi constituency

'Anupamaa' star Rupali Ganguly joins BJP, says 'big fan' of PM Modi

Popular TV actress Rupali Ganguly, also known for her role in the popular show 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai', joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi

Modi starts election campaign in Gujarat today, to hold rallies in 11 seats

On Gujarat's Foundation Day, he will address two public gatherings: one in Deesa, located in Banaskantha, and another in Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha

LS polls: Shiv Sena nominates Naresh Mhaske as its candidate from Thane

The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday nominated former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske as its candidate for the Thane Lok Sabha seat. Mhaske will take on Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and incumbent MP Rajan Vichare. It also officially announced the candidature of CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde as its candidate from the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat. He currently represents that seat. Shinde's nomination had been announced by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a candidate of the ruling 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance), comprising Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, last month. Thane is known to be bastion of CM Shinde. He represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in Thane. The party is yet to announce candidates for the Nashik and Palghar Lok Sabha seats.

Pre-election rally has more legs; stay cautious in small-caps: Apurva Sheth

The Sensex to SmallCap ratio is trading near its lowest levels since 2008. This means that smallcaps have outperformed relative to large-caps, Apurva Sheth said in this interview

If Hindus still at risk after BJP rule, it shouldn't return to power: Azad

TMC candidate and former India cricketer Kirti Azad sought to poke holes in the BJP's Hindu nationalism plank, saying if the saffron party persists in using the "Hindu Khatre mein" (Hindus in danger) narrative despite being in power for ten years, it raises doubts about the party's necessity to return to power. The former BJP MP-turned-TMC nominee from West Bengal's Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, also said the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was a ploy to communalise the polls since the saffron camp lacks an impressive report card to present before the masses. In an interview with PTI, Azad highlighted India's diversity and argued against the feasibility of implementing UCC in such a varied cultural landscape while stressing that history belies BJP's claims of Hindu insecurity under previous regimes. During the Mughal rule, Hindus were not under threat; they were not in peril during British rule; even under multiple governments post-Independence, Hindus never faced any ...

LS polls 2024: PM Modi's gurarantee vs Mulayam's legacy in Mainpuri

Even as a BJP wave swept through Uttar Pradesh in the last general elections, the Mainpuri constituency elected Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. With the saffron party determined to conquer the SP citadel this time, the fight is between 'Modi ki guarantee' and Mulayam's legacy. Around 220 km from the state capital Lucknow, Mainpuri is a pocket borough of the SP with the party retaining the seat for nearly three decades. It was among the five seats that the SP won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which it had fought in an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). After the death of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2022, his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav bagged the seat in a bypoll. Toiling hard to retain the seat, Dimple Yadav is pinning her hopes on the work done by the veteran SP leader, while reminding people at election meetings that her sole aim is to carry forward "Mulayam Singh's legacy" by following in his footsteps. Dressed in a saree, Dimple Yadav can be seen .

LS polls: 10 nations' political parties to visit India on BJP's invite

Representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries will interact with a host of BJP leaders, including party president J P Nadda and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during their visit to India on the ruling party's invitation to get a first-hand experience of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP said the foreign leaders will also be given insights into the party's election campaign and will be briefed about its strategies and the overall electoral process. They will meet Nadda on Wednesday and also interact with Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Australia's Liberal Party, Vietnam's Communist Party of Vietnam, Bangladesh's Awami League, Israel's Likud Party, Uganda's National Resistance Movement, Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi, and Russia's United Russia Party are among the political parties whose representatives are visiting India. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and United National Party from Sri Lanka, Militant Socialist Movement, Mauritius Labour Party, Mauritian Militant ...

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Shahabuddin's widow to contest as independent

Former Bihar assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary has entered the fray on a RJD ticket from Siwan, the lone parliamentary seat where the party did not formally announce its candidate. Choudhary, who has been a multiple-term MLA from Siwan, filed his nomination papers on Tuesday in the presence of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, son and heir apparent of party supremo Lalu Prasad. Choudhary, who is a few months shy of 70, had lost the Speaker's post in February after he was voted out following a no-confidence motion moved by the NDA upon realignment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president. The Siwan Lok Sabha seat is currently held by JD(U), which has dropped sitting MP Kavita Singh and announced the candidature of Vijaylaxmi Devi who joined the party recently. The pitch has been queered for both parties with Hina Shahab, the widow of multiple-term former MP Mohd Shahabuddin, filing her nomination papers as an Independent. Following the conviction of her husband in a num

Congress, TMC critique EC over delay in sharing phase 1, 2 voting data

The Congress, CPI(M) and the TMC on Tuesday criticised the Election Commission over the delay in publishing the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. The commission in the evening made public the voter turnout of the first and second phases of polling held on April 19 and April 26. Voting for the general elections is being held in seven phases, the remaining are on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. "Finally, ECI (Election Commission of India) has put out the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases which are substantially, not marginally as is normal, higher than the initial figures," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on X. "But why are the absolute numbers of voters in each parliamentary constituency not put out? Percentages are meaningless unless this figure is known," he said. Yechury alleged that apprehensions of manipulation of resul

LS polls: Andhra Pradesh NDA partners release welfare-heavy manifesto

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday unveiled the election manifesto of NDA partners TDP, Janasena and BJP in Andhra Pradesh, featuring "super six" promises and several other welfare-centric schemes. Elections for the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled to be held on May 13. The highlight of the manifesto is the "super six", which includes Rs 1,500 monthly pension to women in the age bracket of 19 to 59 years, 20 lakh jobs for youth or Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment aid, and free bus travel for women. "We conducted a thorough exercise on this (manifesto). Both TDP and Janasena sat together and came up with it. We also took some suggestions from BJP before going ahead," said Naidu while releasing the manifesto at his Andhra Pradesh residence in Undavalli, Guntur district. The other schemes under the "super six" are three free cooking gas cylinders to every household a year, Rs 15,000 to every school-going child per annum and Rs 20,000 annu

Cong Chief Kharge appoints Devender Yadav as interim chief of Delhi unit

Congress leader Ajay Maken took to X, formerly Twitter, and said that Yadav is the right choice for post