Page 110 - Lok Sabha

EVMs have increased transparency, efficiency of poll process: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said nearly 100 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in the Lok Sabha elections next year and asserted that the electronic voting machine has increased transparency and efficiency of the country's electoral system. Addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here, he invited the delegates to visit India again next year to witness the "festival of democracy" (the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2024 summer). He said the large voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls shows the trust people have in the country's parliamentary practices. Over 67 per cent of the 91 crore eligible voters had exercised their franchise in the last parliamentary polls. He said the electoral process of the country has been modernised and now the electronic voting machine (EVM) has been in use for the past 25 years. The EVM has brought transparency and efficiency to the election process he said, adding now election results a

Congress to take out 'Pratigya' rallies in all 7 LS constituencies of Delhi

In the first phase of the 2024 general election campaign, the Congress will organise "Pratigya" rallies in all the seven Lok Sabha segments of Delhi and the first such rally will be taken out at Bawana in the North-West parliamentary constituency on October 15. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the rally at Bawana will be taken out at 3 pm on Sunday and the AICC's Delhi in-charge, Deepak Bawaria, will address it. Lovely said before the rally, Congress workers will cover 15 km in their vehicles mounted with party flags to reach the venue. "To expose the failures of the BJP government (at the Centre), the Delhi Congress will mount a do-or-die battle against the saffron party. In the first phase of the election campaign, the Congress will organise Pratigya rallies in all the seven parliamentary constituencies and the first such rally will be taken out at Bawana," he said. Lovely also said a "Jawab Do, Hisab Do" campaign wi

Elections and their discontents

EC pushes for fiscal responsibility

Modi govt weighs giving small farmers more cash ahead of LS polls in 2024

If approved, the plan would cost the government an extra Rs 20,000 crore, according to the people, on top of the Rs 60,000 crore budgeted for the programme in the current fiscal year

Objectionable remarks row: Bidhuri skips LS Privileges Committee meeting

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who was scheduled to appear before a parliamentary panel on Tuesday in connection with his controversial remarks against BSP's Danish Ali, excused himself from the appearance citing prior engagements, sources said. Bidhuri is busy in campaigning for the party in poll-bound Rajasthan where the BJP has made him in-charge of Tonk district, which has four assembly seats. Assembly polls are due in the state on November 23. The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha had asked Bidhuri for "oral evidence" in relation to complaints received from several MPs against him and BSP MP Ali for "alleged improper conduct during the discussion on Chandrayaan-3 mission in the House". While several opposition MPs had demanded action against Bidhuri, some BJP members said Ali "incited" him and also made objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A member from Gujjar community, Bidhuri has been drafted in by the BJP for poll work in Tonk, where it is present in a larg

If Modi govt comes to power again, it will lead nation to destruction: Cong

The opposition Congress in Kerala on Monday said that if the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction and therefore, the grand old party decided to unify all secular groups to defeat the BJP. Former Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala made the statement while speaking to reporters in New Delhi. Chennithala said Congress took the initiative to create the INDIA bloc or front with the deliberate intention of ensuring, at any cost, that the BJP does not return to power for a third time. "If the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction. There is no doubt about that," he said. That is why the Congress decided to unify all secular groups to fight against the BJP, he added. His remarks come a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that if the BJP comes to power for a third time, the country would be in an .

Fuel price hike unlikely despite oil price surge as polls loom: Moody's

Petrol and diesel prices are unlikely to be increased despite firming raw material costs because of upcoming general elections next year, Moody's Investors Service said. Three state-owned fuel retailers -- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) -- which control roughly 90 per cent of the market, have kept petrol and diesel prices on freeze for a record 18 months in a row. This is despite the raw material (crude oil) cost surging last year, leading to heavy losses in first half of 2022-23 fiscal year before easing oil prices propelled them to profitability. International oil prices have firmed up since August, leading to margins of three retailers turning negative again. "High crude oil prices will weaken the profitability of the three state-owned oil marketing companies in India -- IOC, BPCL and HPCL," Moody's said in a report. "The three companies will have limited flexibility to pass on higher raw mate

INDIA bloc a challenge, BJP doesn't take elections casually: Pradhan

The opposition INDIA bloc is a challenge, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday, adding he has requested his party to allow him to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from his home state Odisha. In an interview with PTI, Pradhan, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said the BJP doesn't take any elections casually and the party's agenda is to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets to serve the nation for a third term. Asked about whether the INDIA bloc is a real challenge, Pradhan said, "I consider this as a challenge." "The BJP and the NDA do not take any election casually. From ground workers to top leaders, everybody takes each election very seriously and the prime minister leads us from the front, provides a report card of his work, appeals to the people, and exposes the misleading statements and double standards of the opposition. "Some people make alliances out of fear, arrogance or selfishness. They form alliances without principles. Our ...

Two-day P-20 summit to begin from October 13: LS Speaker Om Birla

Speaker Lok Sabha announced on Friday that Two day P-20 Conference will be inagurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13th October 2023

Goldman Sachs cautious on 'expensive' Indian stocks ahead of elections

The polls are likely to have a bearing on economic policy and reforms at a time the world's fastest-growing major economy is increasingly seen as an alternative to China

Sanjay Singh produced before court, says his arrest 'Modiji's injustice'

AAP leader Sanjay Singh was produced before a court on Thursday, a day after he was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case. The Rajya Sabha MP said his arrest was an act of injustice by Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose party was going to lose the next Lok Sabha elections. Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with its money laundering probe linked to the 2021-22 Delhi Excise policy case, in a huge blow to the city's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "This is Modiji's injustice. He will lose election, he is losing election," he told journalists while being produced before Special Judge M K Nagpal.

House panel to hear Bidhuri on Oct 10 on row involving remarks against Ali

The Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha will hold its meeting on a row involving BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri's use of objectionable remarks against BSP's Danish Ali on October 10, during which the MP from the ruling party will give oral evidence to the panel. "Oral evidence of Ramesh Bidhuri, MP, in respect of complaints received from various Members of Parliament against him and Kunwar Danish Ali, MP, for alleged improper conduct during the discussion on 'Chandrayaan-3 Mission' in the House," the agenda of the meeting read. The issue polarised political parties as a number of opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha wrote to Speaker Om Birla seeking action against Bidhuri, while several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members accused Ali of making disparaging comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his "running commentary" when Bidhuri, the MP from South Delhi, was speaking. BJP MPs, including Nishikant Dubey, have criticised Bidhuri's derogatory comments but also accused Ali of .

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President Droupadi Murmu gives assent to Women's Reservation Bill

According to a law ministry notification issued on Friday, the president gave her assent on Thursday

Next LS polls fight to save Constitution, democracy: AAP MP Sanjay Singh

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday said that the next Lok Sabha elections will be a fight to save the Constitution and democracy in the country. Addressing the AAP's 'Leadership Development Conference' here, he said, "The BJP-led government is spreading hatred and communal poison... next Lok Sabha elections will be a fight to save the Constitution and democracy," he said. He claimed that the AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab were working for development. The Rajya Sabha MP said the Congress was in power in Assam for 15 years and the BJP for seven years but neither parties worked on the burning issues of the state. Stating that AAP will contest panchayat and assembly elections in Assam, he urged party workers and leaders to work for the welfare of the people. He claimed that Assam is facing price hike and the state's economy is burned by excessive debt.

Lok Sabha Speaker refers complaints on Ali-Bidhuri matter to committee

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred MPs' complaints on the issue involving BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri's use of objectionable words against BSP's Danish Ali to the Privileges Committee, sources said on Thursday. While Ali and several other opposition MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's Kanimozhi, demanded action against Bidhuri, several BJP parliamentarians like Nishikant Dubey said the BSP member "incited" the South Delhi MP when he speaking in the House and urged the Speaker to look into this aspect as well. Sources said the Chair has sent all these complaints to the Privileges Committee headed by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh. In a post on X, Dubey thanked the Speaker for referring the matter to the committee. "It was possible because the BJP has a majority in Lok Sabha," he said, as he cited several previous incidents to assert that no committee was formed to probe these issues and nor was anyone punished. In this context, Dubey alleged that the ...

Uttarakhand CM assigns new roles to state leaders, names 10 appointees

The Uttarakhand government, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, released the names of candidates who have been given new responsibilities in the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Rethinking alliances

The AIADMK split should make BJP revisit its southern strategy

AIADMK exits BJP-led NDA alliance ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections

The AIADMK had demanded that BJP's Tamil Nadu head K Annamalai apologise for his remarks against late former Chief Minister CN Annadurai or be replaced

Cong list of candidates for LS polls in Karnataka likely before Jan: Dy CM

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday claimed that following the BJP and JD(S) deciding to forge an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, several leaders from both parties have contacted him expressing their displeasure and wanting to join the Congress party. The state Congress President also indicated that the Congress' list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls is likely to be finalised before January. "Following the BJP-JD(S) alliance, several BJP and JD(S) leaders have expressed their displeasure and are talking to me. I will have to discuss with the Chief Minister, some cabinet colleagues and party leaders. I have told them (BJP-JD(S) leaders) after discussion I will get back to them," Shivakumar said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Several BJP-JD(S) leaders -- those who had won or lost -- have expressed their desire to join Congress, stating that they are not happy with the alliance, as they were not consulted. I will first consult within (Congress).