Page 52 - Lok Sabha

LS polls: Rahul Gandhi to address two poll rallies in Jharkhand today

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Jharkhand on Tuesday and address two election rallies in support of INDIA bloc candidates, a party spokesperson said. Gandhi will address his first rally at Tata College in Chaibasa, seeking votes for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Joba Manjhi for Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat. "His Chaibasa rally is scheduled at 11.30 am. Thereafter, he will address another rally at Gumla's Basia around 2 pm in support of Congress candidate Sukhdev Bhagat for Lohardaga Lok Sabha seat," party spokesperson Sonal Shanti said. Singhbhum and Lohardaga seats will go to polls on May 13 along with Khunti and Palamu. JMM has fielded Joba Manjhi as the INDIA bloc candidate in Singhbhum against BJP's Geeta Kora, who recently switched to the saffron party from Congress. In Lohardaga, Congress' Sukdhev Bhagat will contest against BJP's Samir Oraon. Gandhi had earlier stayed in Jharkhand for eight days during his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in February this year, Shanti

LS polls: Vote to save Constitution, democracy, says Cong chief Kharge

Urging people to vote in large numbers in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said they will exercise their franchise not just to elect their representatives but to decide whether they want to secure their constitutional rights or witness the nation "veer towards dictatorship". Voting is being held in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union territories in the third phase of the parliamentary polls. In a post on X, Kharge said, "Vote to save Constitution, vote to protect democracy! 11 crore people in 93 constituencies shall exercise their democratic right, not just to elect their representatives, but shall decide whether they want to secure their constitutional rights or witness our great nation veer towards dictatorship." "I sincerely urge you to choose democracy, so that our institutions can return to their independent form and are not pressed under the thumb of brute power," the Congress chief added. "We are right in the middle

LS polls: INDIA bloc will usher 'jungle raj' if it wins, says HM Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday alleged that there will be jungle raj in the country if INDIA bloc partners - Congress and RJD - are voted to power. He also claimed that the cash recovery in Jharkhand proves leaders of the opposition alliance are corrupt. Addressing an election rally in favour of BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in Bihar's Samastipur district, Shah said, This is not the first time earlier Rs 350 crore was recovered from the house of a Congress MP in Jharkhand, and now the recovery of more than Rs 30 crore. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday claimed to have recovered a huge amount of "unaccounted" cash during searches at the premises of a domestic help allegedly linked to the secretary of Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam. If they (INDIA bloc partners Congress and RJD) come to power, there will be a complete 'jungle raj' in the country as well as in Bihar," Shah asserted. I must tell you the NDA government will no

LS polls: Opposition remembers people only during elections, says Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday alleged that his opponents remember the people of the state only during elections and have no sincerity towards them. Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Bhawanipatna and Khariar in the Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency, Patnaik claimed that they disappeared after the elections. "Leaders of the opposition party tell lies to the people and shed crocodile tears during elections. They are only seen during elections and then they disappear," he said. He asked the people if his government's social welfare schemes were helping them, to which they responded with a loud "yes". Urging the people to vote for candidates of his party in the twin polls, he said, "Please bless Naveen Patnaik and vote twice on the conch symbol, one for the MP and another for the MLA." The chief minister was accompanied by his close aide VK Pandian, who claimed that Patnaik will take oath as the chief minister for the sixth time on June 9. He also criticised

Manoj Tiwari richest Lok Sabha contender in Delhi, BJP's Bidhuri is 2nd

Bhojpuri singer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari (53) is the richest among the prominent candidates from the BJP, AAP and the Congress in fray for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi with total assets worth Rs 28.05 crore. Second in line is Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (71), the BJP's candidate in South Delhi, with total assets of Rs 21.08 crore. According to his 2022-23 Income Tax returns, Bidhuri had an income of Rs 14.93 lakh. The third richest among poll contenders is Mahabal Mishra (69), the AAP's candidate from West Delhi. He has declared Rs 19.93 crore. Mishra's highest qualification is pre-university certificate from LS College Muzaffarpur, Bihar obtained in 1971. Oxford-returned lawyer Bansuri Swaraj (40), daughter of former external affairs minister late Sushma Swaraj, with total assets worth Rs 19 crore, stands fourth in the row, followed by former AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand who jumped ships to the BSP and owns assets worth Rs 17.87 crore. Swaraj, who is the BJP's debutant contender

Lok Sabha polls: Key seats, battle of prestige in Phase-III vote on Tuesday

BJP logged strong performance in these seats in last election; PM likely to cast vote at Ahmedabad

Repolling to be held at a voting booth in Barmer LS seat on May 8: Raj CEO

Repolling will be held at a polling booth in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha seat on May 8 due to breach of vote confidentiality, an official on Monday said. Four members of the polling party have been suspended in this case. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Praveen Gupta said that the Election Commission has issued instructions for repolling at a polling booth in Dudhwa Khurd village in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha constituency. Voting was held in this Lok Sabha constituency during the second phase on April 26. Gupta said that repolling will be held on Wednesday - May 8 - from 7 am to 5 pm at polling centre number 50, Government Higher Secondary School, Dudhwa Khurd booth of Chauhtan assembly constituency. The chief electoral officer said the department has made all preparations for repolling as per the instructions of the Election Commission and added webcasting will be done at the polling station. Gupta said that after receiving a complaint about breach of confidentiality of vote at

LS polls: Will remove 50% cap on caste-based reservation, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed the BJP-led NDA will not even get 150 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and that these elections were aimed at saving the Constitution which the saffron party and RSS want to change. Addressing an election rally at Jobat town in Alirajpur district under the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi also said the Congress government will ensure the 50 per cent cap on reservation is removed in the interest of the people. The former Congress president again batted for a caste census, saying it will reveal everything about the status of people and change the direction of politics in the country. "BJP leaders have clearly said that they will change the book (Constitution). They have given the slogan of 'abki baar, 400 paar'. Leave aside 400, they won't even get 150 seats," Gandhi claimed. "These Lok Sabha elections are for saving the Constitution which the BJP and RSS want to scrap, change and throw away," he further ...

Remove fake content from social media within 3 hours: EC tells parties

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday directed political parties to remove fake content from their social media platforms within three hours of such content being brought to their notice. This is part of directives issued by the poll panel to political parties for responsible and ethical use of social media in election campaigning to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders after taking cognisance of certain violations by them. Recently, deepfake videos featuring Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and actors Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh posted on certain social media handles were taken down and criminal complaints were filed. The EC also warned the parties against misuse of artificial intelligence-based tools to create deepfakes that distort information or propagate misinformation and emphasised the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. "Taking cognizance of certain violations of MCC and the extant legal provisions by Political ..

BJD govt will expire on June 4: PM Narendra Modi at Odisha rally

PM says June 4 as the expiry date of the BJD government in Odisha

Polling in 93 LS seats on Tuesday; PM Modi, Shah to cast vote in Ahmedabad

Voting will be held in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls, with stakes being high for the BJP which had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, in the last election. Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat will go to polls on May 7, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa. The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) and nine seats in Madhya .

Will waive farm loans, raise MGNREGA allowance after coming to power: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said loans of farmers will be waived and the daily allowance under the MGNREGA scheme will be raised from Rs 250 to Rs 400 soon after the party government is formed at the Centre post elections. Addressing a campaign rally at Segaon under Khargone Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made up his mind to alter the Constitution and eventually scrap it. "Soon after coming to power at the Centre, the Congress government will waive loans of farmers and raise the MGNREGA allowance from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per day," he said. Congress has fielded Porlal Kharte and Narendra Patel from Khargone (ST) and Khandwa Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. "This election is being fought for saving the Constitution, reservations, and also the Jal, Jungle, and Jameen of tribal people, and public sector," Gandhi said. PM Modi wants to give all these things to 22-25 billionaires including Adani, he alleged. He s

Statements made by INDIA bloc leaders echoes voice of Pakistan: BJP

The BJP on Monday highlighted a series of statements made by INDIA bloc leaders that it said were against the nation's interest, as the ruling party accused the opposition of echoing the voice of Pakistan and asked people to be wary of such "traitors". BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi cited Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's allegation that an RSS-affiliated police officer and not terrorist Ajmal Kasab killed the then anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's claim that the attack on IAF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir was a poll stunt to slam the party. He cited five other instances, including Pakistani leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praise of Rahul Gandhi, and Farooq Abdullah's reference to Pakistan having nuclear weapons, to allege that these INDIA bloc leaders are echoing the neighbouring country's stand. What the National Conference leader has said is very ...

LS polls 2024: SC grants bail to Umar Ansari in violation of MCC case

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Umar Ansari, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a criminal case registered against him during the 2022 assembly elections for alleged violation of the model code of conduct. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and PK Mishra asked Umar to appear before the trial court in connection with the case. On January 25, the top court had granted him protection from arrest in the case. The Allahabad High Court on December 19 last year had rejected the anticipatory bail application of Ansari, and said that looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, the offence is made out. An FIR was lodged on March 4, 2022 at Kotwali police station in Mau district against Abbas Ansari (SBSP candidate from Mau Sadar seat), Umar Ansari and 150 unknown people. It was alleged in the FIR that on March 3, 2022 at Pahadpura ground, Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and organiser Mansoor Ahmad Ansari in a public meeting called for settling a score w

PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Ram temple in Ayodhya, holds roadshow

Modi's Ayodhya visit coincided with the conclusion of the campaigning for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, in which polling for 93 seats will be held on Tuesday

Lok Sabha polls Phase 3: 93 seats go to polls on May 7; all details here

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Seats contested by key candidates Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Supriya Sule, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Dimple Yadav, & Pralhad Joshi, will go to polls on May 7

LS polls 2024: PM Modi to address two poll rallies in Andhra Pradesh today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two NDA election meetings in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, featuring alliance partners N Chandrababu Naidu from the TDP and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan. The first meeting is scheduled in the afternoon at Vemagiri in Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, followed by another one later in the day at Anakapalli. "The Prime Minister is expected to land at Rajamahendravaram airport around noon. He will address his first meeting here at 3:30 pm and then proceed to Anakapalli for the second meeting scheduled at 5:30 pm," a BJP leader said. The PM's meetings , titled "Prajagalam" (people's voice) in the southern state follow the first NDA poll rally at Boppudi village in Palnadu district on March 17, in the run-up to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on May 13. State BJP chief D Purandeswari is contesting from the Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha seat. She will take on the YSRCP's G Srinivasulu. The saffron party's C M Ramesh is fighting

LS polls 2024: First-time voters in Delhi at 243,000, says poll body

The number of first-time voters in Delhi has risen to 2.43 lakh, the Chief Electoral Officer's office said on Sunday, citing the latest data. The final electoral roll published on January 22 had shown a significant increase in the number of first-time voters in Delhi to 1.47 lakh, it said in a statement. "The latest data reveals a remarkable increase from 1,47,074 (1.47 lakh) to approximately 2.43 lakh first-time voters enlisted in the voting list. The CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) hoped that the final figure would increase up to approximately 2.50 lakh after publication of the supplementary electoral roll," the Delhi poll body said. "This achievement stands as a testament to the effective implementation of voter awareness campaigns, targeting the youth demographic," it added. The concerted efforts of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities have sparked a significant surge in youth voter registration across Delhi, the poll body said. SVEEP ...

Lok Sabha elections: Modi missing, it is Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati

The electoral battle here is shaped by a slew of local factors as well as the ongoing tussle between the two Pawar factions

PM Modi to address two NDA election meetings in Andhra Pradesh on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two NDA election meetings in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, along with alliance partners TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan. The first meeting is scheduled in the afternoon at Vemagiri in Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, followed by another public meeting in the evening at Anakapalli in the eponymous district. The prime minister is expected to land at Rajamahendravaram airport around noon. He will address his first meeting here at 3.30 pm and then proceed to Anakapalli for the second meeting scheduled at 5.30 pm, according to a local BJP leader. The twin PM meetings dubbed 'Prajagalam' (people's voice) come ahead of Andhra Pradesh's simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections on May 13. The first NDA election meeting was held at Boppudi village in Palnadu district's Chilakaluripeta mandal on March 17. Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari is contesting from the Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha seat. She will t