Page 17 - Lok Sabha

BJP stumbles in 2024 LS polls but stamps authority in state elections

The inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January was meant to deliver an unprecedented electoral harvest to the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. And when it lost its majority, many thought it was the beginning of reverses awaiting the BJP. The outgoing year followed anything but a predictable path for the party. However, as the year drew to its end, the BJP has stamped its authority on the country's political map once again with remarkably improbable wins in what were seen as difficult state elections in Haryana and Maharashtra. The BJP's vulnerabilities and as well as strengths were in full display in the year but what stood out is its ability to adapt its message and methods to the voices from the ground, underlining the full-spectrum of its campaign machine in which various components rise and fall in importance depending on its electoral needs. If the RSS was seen to be less than fully active during the national elections, its affiliates and sympathisers were in full force

Only 27% of registered third gender electors voted in 2024 LS polls: EC

More people enrolled themselves in the voters' list for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the 'third gender' category but only 27 per cent of them turned up at the polling stations, according to Election Commission data. According to the data issued by the poll authority last week, 48,194 people were eligible to vote as third gender elector in 2024, compared to 39,075 in 2019 -- an increase of 23.5 per cent over the five-year period. But only 13,058 of them actually exercised their franchise, which comes to 27 per cent of the total registered third gender electors. As per the data, Tamil Nadu had the highest number of registered third gender elector -- 8,467. But only 2,709 cast vote. Their overall participation in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was 14.64 per cent -- almost half as compared to the latest parliamentary polls. There have been reports that several enrolled third gender voters have expressed reluctance to queue up at polling booths, claiming that they are viewed with dis

Bills that rose above Parliament's din to become legislation in 2024

From 'One Nation, One Election' to financial reforms, here's a glimpse at the landmark bills passed this year that are poised to reshape governance, law, and the economy

Overseas Indian voters show poor participation in 2024 LS polls: EC data

Overseas Indians showed great enthusiasm in registering as electors, with nearly 1.2 lakh enrolling in the voter list, but a minuscule turned up to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections this year. According to the data released by the Election Commission, as many as 1,19,374 registered as overseas electors in 2024, with Kerala witnessing the highest registrations at 89,839. In 2019, as many as 99,844 had registered as overseas electors. The poll authority said only 2,958 overseas electors flew down to India to participate in the largest democratic exercise in the world. Of these, an overwhelming 2,670 were from Kerala alone. Several large states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu saw zero turnout of overseas electors. Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, saw only two out of 885 overseas electors casting their votes in the Lok Sabha elections. The same was the story in Maharashtra, where only 17 of the 5,097 NRI electors voted. Despite an

28% of Lok Sabha seats had no woman candidate in 2024, shows ECI report

The highlight of the 2024 LS election was again the better turnout of woman electors in percentage terms than men

86% of 8,300 candidates who contested LS polls lost deposit: EC report

As many as 86 per cent of the over 8,300 candidates who contested the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year lost their deposits. According to the statistical data issued by the Election Commission on Thursday, a total of 12,459 nominations were filed in 2024, compared to 11,692 in 2019. Out of the over 12,000 who filed nominations, 8,360 qualified as contesting candidates after rejection of nominations and withdrawals across the country. The number of contesting candidates in 2019 Lok Sabha elections was 8,054. According to the data, 7,190 of the candidates lost their deposits, which comes to 86 per cent. Of the 7,190 who lost their deposit, 584 were from the six recognised parties, 68 from recognised state parties, 2,633 from registered, unrecognised political parties and 3,095 independent candidates. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 6923 candidates had lost deposit. A total of 3921 independent candidates had contested but only seven were elected. The vote share in percentage terms po

ECI releases world's largest electoral dataset for 2024 LS & Assembly polls

As per the data, Lok Sabha Elections created world record with 646.4 mn voters exercising their franchise

Lok Sabha to assemblies: India's young lawmakers don't have the numbers

MPs and MLAs are typically middle aged and form a majority in most political parties

Parliamentary panel on One Nation One Election set for first time on Jan 8

The first meeting of the 39-member parliamentary panel on 'one nation, one election' is set to be held on January 8, setting the tone for nationwide deliberations on the key poll reform measure of the BJP-led NDA government. Parliamentary sources said the first meeting of the Joint Committee on bills for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, chaired by BJP member P P Chaudhary, is likely to be an introductory one with officials briefing the panel on the two bills to implement a long-cherished election promise of the BJP. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill were introduced in the Lok Sabha last week and referred to the joint committee of Parliament on Friday, the last day of the Winter Session. The government decided to increase the committee's strength from 31 to 39 as more political parties expressed the desire to be part of the exercise to examine the two draft legislations on simultaneous elections. Form

V-P Dhankar calls for accountability of MPs over Parliament disruptions

Against the backdrop of Parliament witnessing poor productivity due to disruptions, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday called for accountability of lawmakers and said people would force them to think why they were sent to Parliament. He also said that for any democracy to succeed, expression and dialogue must go hand in hand with great responsibility on both sides. Dhankhar is the Rajya Sabha's ex-officio chairman. Calling for accountability among parliamentarians, he said, "... Make no mistake, I am referring to parliamentarians. People have learned to take disorder as order. There is no sense of revulsion." Hopefully, people will write and their thoughts will move, the vice-president said, according to an official statement. "People will force you to think, why did you go there (Parliament)?" he said. Addressing awardees of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Awards - 2024, the vice-president said agriculture was the spine of rural development. "Unless agriculture develops, the

36 cr beneficiaries verified under Ayushman Bharat PM-Jan Arogya Yojana

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday

Parl winter session: 39-member House panel set up to scrutinise ONOE Bills

The committee will have 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha

Parliament scuffle: Case against Rahul Gandhi transferred to crime branch

Earlier, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, in connection to a scuffle that took place in Parliament. The tensions had erupted when members of the opposition and the ruling parties

Parliament highlights: Winter Session ends with both Houses adjourned sine die

Parliament highlights: On Thursday, INDIA bloc MPs took out a protest march in Parliament premises demanding the resignation of Amit Shah for his remarks related to BR Ambedkar

Winter Session of Lok Sabha sees 57.87% productivity despite disruptions

The Lok Sabha's Winter Session, hamstrung by disruptions over issues ranging from Adani to billionaire George Soros' "links" with the Congress leadership and Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks, had a productivity of 57.87 per cent, official sources said on Friday. The Lower House met on November 25 and was adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on Friday amid protests by the opposition and the treasury benches over the alleged insult to BR Ambedkar and directions by Speaker Om Birla to members against holding demonstrations at any gate of Parliament. Among the key bills introduced during the session were two that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections. The two bills were on Friday referred to a joint committee of Parliament for examination and wider consultations. The Lower House last week saw a debate on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption, during which the treasury and the opposition benches launched a series of attacks at each other. The Lok Sabha sat an extra day last

Amid din, Lok Sabha sends ONOE Bills to joint committee of two Houses

Minutes before the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, the House on Friday adopted a resolution recommending the two bills on holding simultaneous polls to a joint committee of the two Houses. Passed by a voice vote amid a din created by the opposition over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks related to Ambedkar, the resolution moved by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal recommended to the Rajya Sabha to communicate to the Lok Sabha names of the members to be appointed by the upper houses to the joint committee. While 27 members on the panel will be from the Lok Sabha, 12 others will be from the Rajya Sabha. Former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary from the BJP, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress are among the Lok Sabha members, who will be part of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise two bills on simultaneous elections. The two 'one nation, one election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in the Constitution, lay down the mechanism to

Lok Sabha speaker bans protests after NDA-Congress clash at Parliament gate

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla bans protests at Parliament gates after NDA-Congress clash at Makar Dwar turns violent, leaving two BJP MPs injured; cross-complaints filed by both sides

LS Speaker Birla bans demonstrations by MPs, parties at Parliament gates

After political protests turned ugly, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday banned demonstrations by MPs and political parties at any of the gates of Parliament, sources said. "Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued strict instructions that no political party, Member of Parliament or groups of members will hold any dharna and demonstration at building gates of Parliament House," parliament sources said. The instructions came on a day when Parliament premises saw rival protests by the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc parties on the alleged insults to B R Ambedkar which soon turned into jostling and scuffles leaving two MPs injured and a woman MP claiming intimidation by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Parliament scuffle highlights: LS Speaker bars parties from holding protests at Parliament gates

Parliament winter session news updates: The BJP has claimed that Rahul Gandhi pushed Pratap Sarangi during a melee, a charge rejected by the Congress leader

Rs 47.2K cr released to states, UTs under Smart Cities Mission: Centre

The Central government has released Rs 47,225 crore to the states and union territories under the Smart Cities Mission till November 15 and out of which Rs 44,626 crore has been utilised, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said the work orders have been issued till November 15 in 8,066 crore amounting to Rs 1,64,669 crore, of which 7,352 projects (i.e. 91 per cent of total projects) amounting to Rs 1,47,366 crore have been completed under the mission. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has a multi-level review structure to expedite the progress of projects under the Smart Cities Mission, said Sahu, adding mission implementation at the state level is monitored by the state level high powered steering committee chaired by the chief secretary. At the national level, the implementation is monitored by an apex committee headed by the HUA secretary, the minister said. The