Page 48 - Lok Sabha

LS elections 2024: Sixth schedule, employment key issues in Ladakh

As Ladakh votes to elect its MP for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, safeguards under the sixth schedule, statehood and employment are the key issues in the two distant districts of the constituency that is the largest in the country in terms of area. Spread over more than 59,000 square kilometres -- around 40 times the size of Delhi -- the two districts of Leh and Kargil are divided by geography and religion. Buddhist-dominated Leh and Shia Muslim-majority Kargil have come together over four demands -- safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution, statehood, reservation in jobs for locals and a separate public service commission and two Lok Sabha seats for the region. After the abrogation of Article 370, Ladakh, which shares its border with both Pakistan and China, was carved out as a Union Territory without legislature. While Leh welcomed the move initially, people in Kargil were unhappy about the split. However, soon the concerns .

LS polls: Security tightened ahead of rallies by PM Modi, Rahul in Delhi

Security in parts of the national capital was beefed up in view of two different rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the local police having planned to deploy around 3,000-personnel strong force on the day. On Friday, the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, along with other senior officers, visited the northeast district and took stock of the security arrangements, where PM Modi will address a rally. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign at the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency. A senior officer said, Modi is likely to arrive at the rally site by a chopper after addressing another election rally in Sonipat in Haryana. At least four-layer security arrangements comprising the SPG, security wing of the Delhi Police, and the local police will be in place. "Meetings were held with other agencies responsible for the prime minister's security. "We have identified buildings and trees on all possible routes where police perso

Swati Maliwal blackmailed by BJP to go against CM Kejriwal, says AAP

AAP leader Atishi on Saturday claimed that party MP Swati Maliwal, who has accused Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her, is facing arrest in an illegal recruitment case and she was "blackmailed" by the BJP to become part of the "conspiracy" against the Chief Minister. Talking to PTI-Video, Atishi, who is also a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, alleged that Maliwal went to the chief minister's official residence on Monday without an appointment. "Why did she barge inside? Why did she land up at the chief minister's residence without an appointment? Arvind Kejriwal was busy that day and did not meet her. If he had met her that day, the allegations levelled against Bibhav Kumar could have been levelled against him," Atishi said. She said Maliwal was made the face of this "conspiracy" by the BJP. "The BJP has a pattern. First they file cases and then threaten to send leaders to jail. Swati Maliwal is facing charges in an illegal recruitment case registered by

LS polls: Modi's allegation of insult to UP 'cheap tactic' says Stalin

DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of picking up a "cheap strategy" of stoking confrontation between states as his "propaganda of communal hatred" did not help. Stalin slammed what he called Modi's "imaginary tales and bags of lies" by alleging that leaders of southern states including Tamil Nadu (INDIA bloc constituents) were speaking in a derogatory manner, against the people of Uttar Pradesh. Days ago, PM Modi had alleged in a poll rally that Samajwadi Party and the Congress's southern allies insulted Uttar Pradesh and Sanatana Dharma but the two parties remained quiet. The DMK president alleged that it was the BJP that supported and encouraged fake news items, such as the false claims made by "YouTubers like Manish Kashyap" of assault on guest workers in Tamil Nadu. Such fake claims were hate propaganda aimed at creating divisions in society. Kashyap was arrested last year by Tamil Nadu police for alleged circulation of

LS polls 2024: 37 candidates to contest four seats in Himachal Pradesh

Thirty-seven candidates will battle it out for Himachal Pradesh's four Lok Sabha seats while 25 are in the fray for the assembly bypolls in six seats. Friday was the last day to withdraw nominations. Polling for the four Lok Sabha seats and the bypolls to the six assembly constituencies will be held on June 1. The BJP, Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have fielded candidates from all four Lok Sabha seats but the main contest is between the ruling and the opposition parties. Ten candidates are in the fray in Mandi, where actor Kangana Ranaut is taking on Vikramaditya Singh. Singh's mother Pratibha Singh is the outgoing MP from the seat. In Kangra, which is also being contested by 10 candidates, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma is taking on the BJP's Rajiv Bharadwaj. The Congress has fielded Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri against incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap of the BJP in Shimla, where five candidates are in the fray. In Hamirpur, Union Minister

LS polls: Cong aiming to win 50 seats to save its honour, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress is aiming to win 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections to save its honour. Addressing an election rally here, Modi took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not contesting from Amethi, the seat which he lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections. The prime minister said he had predicted that Gandhi would not dare to contest from Amethi and this has turned out to be true. "The further news is that to save its honour, the Congress has now launched Mission 50. The target of the Congress is to get 50 seats in the entire country by any means," he said. The BJP has fielded Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur. She is pitted against the Samajwadi Party's Naresh Uttam Patel. Fatehpur goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

LS polls: Cong, SP will bulldoze Ram temple if voted to power, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the Congress and Samajwadi Party will run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if elected to power, and asked them to take "tuition" from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "where to run bulldozers". Addressing a rally here, he also said the INDIA bloc is in the fray to create "instability" and is collapsing like a pack of cards as the polls progress. Asserting that his government is going to score a hat-trick, Modi said in the new government, he has to take many big decisions for the poor, youth, women and farmers, and for that he has come here to seek the blessings of the people of Barabanki and Mohanlalganj. "June 4 is not far. Today, the whole country and the world knows that the Modi government is going to score a hat-trick," he asserted. "On one side there is the BJP-NDA alliance dedicated to national interest and on the other side, the 'INDI alliance' is in the field to create instability in the country. As the electio

PM Modi must explain why his govt scrapped Backward Region Grant Fund: Cong

The Congress on Friday hit out at the BJP for "scrapping" the Backward Region Grant Fund in 2015 and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain why his government "callously" did away with the "forward-thinking" scheme of the UPA. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Uttar Pradesh. "Why has the Modi Sarkar scrapped the Backward Regions Grant Fund? Why has the BJP neglected UP's mentha farmers? Why has CM Yogi repeatedly lied about reopening the Budhwal Sugar Mill?" Ramesh said. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", the Congress leader said the Backward Region Grant Fund, aimed at uplifting the backward districts of India, was "callously scrapped" by the Modi government in 2015. "This forward-thinking scheme was established by the UPA government in 2006 and by 2013, Uttar Pradesh's backward districts had received benefits worth Rs 4000 crore from it," he said. Ramesh pointed out that in 2015, the Modi

LS polls: PM Modi does not want to pave way for next gen, says Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for repeatedly targeting him and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and claimed that he is eager to reclaim the PM's post instead of paving the way for the next generation. Addressing an election rally in Thane to canvass for incumbent MP and his party candidate Rajan Vichare on Thursday, Thackeray called the contest a clash between loyalty and betrayal. The Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has nominated Naresh Mhaske for the Thane Lok Sabha constituency, which along with 12 other seats, including six in Mumbai, will vote in the fifth phase on May 20. The contest in Thane is a prestige battle for Shinde, an influential leader from the region who split the original Shiv Sena in 2022 and aligned with the BJP. However, Thackeray mainly focussed on Modi and his policies. He accused Modi of stirring controversies through his rhetoric and claimed that the BJP is shifting its narratives

LS polls: We are, will be part of INDIA at national level, says Mamata

A day after announcing that he would extend outside support to the opposition front INDIA after it comes to power, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she is very much part of the anti-BJP alliance at the national level and would form the next government with it. While addressing an election rally at Tamluk, Banerjee said that the TMC is not in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal. "At all India level, some people have misunderstood my statement yesterday. I am very much part of the INDIA alliance. The INDIA alliance was my brainchild. We are together at the national level and will continue to be together. INDIA bloc was brought together by me. We will form a government with that alliance and we are a part of it," she said. Banerjee alleged that the West Bengal units of both CPI(M) and Congress, who are part of the INDIA alliance, have joined hands and helped the BJP in the state. "Do not count on the CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal. Th

20,000 Congress volunteers to spread Rahul's message in LS polls: Report

The Congress has adopted a multi-pronged social media strategy with Rahul Gandhi directly reaching out to people via the 'speak to the camera' mode on various issues and deploying of 20,000 volunteers to spread his messages and views on WhatsApp, party sources said on Thursday. The core theme of the outreach is to directly connect with people and get feedback about their problems, aspirations and come up with solutions in the form of the party's much talked about Nyay Patra manifesto, they said. According to the sources, more than 88 lakh people have downloaded its manifesto from Congress website so far. Apart from his letter to party workers, rallies and press conferences, Gandhi is connecting directly with people through his interactive sessions such as Yuva Nyay Manch, lectures on Samajik Nyay and his outreach to farmers and women in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. The former Congress president's YouTube channel has 5.6 million subscribers and had about 350 million views in last one

39% candidates in phase 6 polls crorepatis, average assets Rs 6.8 cr: ADR

About 39 per cent of candidates contesting in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls are crorepatis with average assets of Rs 6.21 crore, according to poll rights body ADR. Among the candidates contesting in the sixth phase on May 25, the highest assets have been declared by BJP candidates from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal at Rs 1,241 crore followed by Santrupt Misra at Rs 482 crore and Sushil Gupta at Rs 169 crore, the analysis by Association of Democratic Reforms said. Out of the 866 candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls, 338 (39 per cent) are crorepatis and the average assets per candidate contesting in the Lok Sabha phase VI election is Rs 6.21 crore. Among the major parties, all six candidates from BJD, four out of four candidates each from RJD and JD(U), 48 (94 per cent) out of 51 candidates from BJP, 11 (92 per cent) out of 12 candidates from SP, 20 (80 per cent) out of 25 candidates from Congress, 4 (80 per cent) out of 5 candidates from AAP and 7 (78 per cent) candidates o

Nearly 67% voter turnout in first four phases of Lok Sabha elections: EC

The cumulative turnout in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections has been recorded at 66.95 per cent, the Election Commission said on Thursday, adding 45.10 crore of the nearly 97 crore electors have voted so far in the ongoing electoral exercise. In a statement, the poll panel urged electorate to come out and vote in large numbers in the coming phases. According to the poll authority, the updated voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling held on May 13 was 69.16 per cent, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary polls. The updated voter turnout figures for the third phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election stood at 65.68 per cent. In the third phase of the 2019 general election, the turnout was 68.4 per cent. In the second phase of the election held on April 26, the turnout was recorded at 66.71 per cent as against the 69.64 per cent in the second phase of the 2019 polls. In the first phase of the ongoing general election

Lok Sabha 2024: Rahul Gandhi, Modi declare assets; Amit Shah visits J&K

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: From crorepati candidates to rallies, here are the latest updates on general elections in India as of May 16

Elections: BJP 'promises' Rs 50,000 cash vouchers to women, then clarifies

Elections updates: In a now-deleted post on 'X', the BJP initially promised the cash vouchers to all eligible women; however, it later clarified that it applied to women in Odisha

LS polls 2024: Foreign investors most short on India stocks since 2012

Modi is still widely expected to secure a third successive five-year term with the leader having predicted that his Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will win more than 400 of the 543 seats

Congress wanted to allocate 15% of budget to minorities, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday alleged the Congress during its previous rule wanted to allocate 15 per cent of the government budget for minorities and vowed not to allow splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion. Addressing an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra's Nashik district in support of Mahayuti candidates -- Union minister Bharati Pawar (BJP) and Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena) -- the PM said splitting budget on religious lines was dangerous. The BJP's star campaigner maintained Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, was firmly against religion-based reservation in jobs and education. Modi claimed the Congress, when in power at the Centre, had drawn up plans to allocate 15 per cent of the total budget to minorities. "When I was the chief minister (of Gujarat), the Congress had brought up this proposal. The BJP opposed this move strongly and hence it could not be implemented. But ..

'PoK is a part of India, we have rights over it': Home Minister Amit Shah

Lok Sabha elections 2024: CAA is the country's law, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in an interview with ANI

LS elections: PoK is part of India, we will take it, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday referred to protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said "PoK is part of India and we will take it". Addressing a rally in Serampore, Shah said while peace has returned to once trouble-torn Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir "now echoes with slogans of Azadi and protests. "After the abrogation of Article 370 by the government in 2019 peace has returned to Kashmir. But now we witness protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Earlier slogans of Azadi were heard here, now the same slogans are heard in PoK. Earlier stones were pelted here, now stones are pelted in PoK," he said. Hitting out at Congress leaders for not supporting the demand of taking over PoK, Shah said, "Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar say it should not be done as they have an atom bomb. But let me say this Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of India and we will take it." Shah said the present Lok Sabha elections are about "choosi

LS polls: Narendra Modi will not be PM after June 4, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said no matter how much the BJP consoles itself through its "lies", it will not make any difference and Narendra Modi will no longer be the prime minister after June 4. Gandhi shared a video put out by the Congress on social media where they highlighted how his comments made during a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh were being "distorted" and differentiated between the truth and lies. "No matter how much the BJP consoles itself through the 'factory of lies', it is not going to make any difference. I am saying it again -- Narendra Modi will no longer be the Prime Minister after June 4," he said in a post in Hindi on X. "A storm is blowing in every corner of the country in favour of INDIA," he said referring to the opposition bloc. The Congress and Gandhi have been claiming that the INDIA bloc is forming the next government and the BJP was being thrown out of power in these Lok Sabha elections.