Page 62 - Lok Sabha

Andhra Cong chief Y S Sharmila files nomination for Kadapa Lok Sabha seat

Andhra Pradesh Congress President Y S Sharmila on Saturday filed her nomination for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat. Sharmila was accompanied by Sunitha Narreddy, her cousin and daughter of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, who was murdered in the run-up to the 2019 polls. Filed the nomination as Kadapa MP candidate. Kadapa people did not forget Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and Vivekananda. We believe that they will vote this time by keeping them in their mind, said Sharmila, addressing a press conference. Prior to filing the nomination, Sharmila offered prayers at her father Rajasekhar Reddy's grave at Idupulupaya. As Congress candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, she will take on her cousin Y S Avinash Reddy from the ruling YSRCP run by her older brother and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Elections for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on May 13.

Lok Sabha polls: BJP to win all 25 seats in Rajasthan, says HM Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Rajasthan is going to give all 25 Lok Sabha seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third time. Addressing a poll rally in Bhilwara, Shah also targeted former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, saying that he was stuck in the election campaign of his son Vaibhav Gehlot, the Congress candidate from the Jalore seat. Vaibhav Gehlot is going to lose the election by a huge margin, the Union minister claimed. "The first phase of elections was yesterday (Friday). All 12 seats of Rajasthan that voted in the first phase are going to Narendra Modi. Rajasthan is going to make a hat-trick of giving all 25 seats to Narendra Modi for a third time," Shah said. He also hit out at Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claiming that they go on vacations abroad every three months. "Priyanka Gandhiji returned from Thailand after a vacation in the middle of the elections," he added.

CJI Chandrachud urges voters to not miss voting in 2024 general elections

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has urged citizens not to miss the opportunity to vote in the general elections, saying that it is the "foremost duties" in a constitutional democracy. In a video message for the Election Commission's 'My Vote My Voice' mission for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Justice Chandrachud said, "We are citizens of the world's largest democracy, which is our country. "The Constitution gives us a multitude of rights as citizens but it also expects that each of us performs the duty, which is cast upon us. And one of the foremost duties of citizenship is to cast a vote in a constitutional democracy," he said. "I will request every one of you please do not miss this opportunity to vote responsibly as citizens of our great motherland. Five minutes, every five years for our nation. It's doable, isn't it? Let's vote with pride. My vote, my voice," the CJI said. Justice Chandrachud said the citizens have a participatory role in electing the government and that is w

LS polls: K'taka BJP chief Vijayendra rubbishes 'dynasty politics' charge

Rubbishing criticism, especially from within the party, that he is a product of "dynasty politics", Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra said he has been appointed to the post based on his performance and commitment, and not just because he is the son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa. His primary objective as the party president is to consolidate BJP's base pan-Karnataka, he said as he also asserted that people want to see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister for the third term, and no factors including Congress government's guarantee schemes will come in the way of this. "I would have agreed with Eshwarappa or Yatnal's statements, if I had been appointed as the party President by Yediyurappa himself, but I'm president because of the decision of the national leadership, not by Yediyurappa," Vijayendra told PTI in an interview. Responding to senior party leaders K S Eshwarappa and Basangouda Patil Yatnal's repeated attacks on him accusing him of being a product of "dynasty ...

Will PM deliver on his 'promise' to put Ashok Chavan in jail asks Congress

The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking whether he would deliver on his promise to put the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan in jail. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed a few questions for Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Nanded and Parbhani. "Today's questions for PM Modi as he heads to Nanded and Parbhani: Will the PM deliver on his promise to put BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan in jail? What is the BJP's plan to deal with Marathwada's worsening drought and water scarcity? Why has the Indian Railways performed so poorly in Nanded division," Ramesh said in a post on 'X'. Elaborating on what he dubbed as "jumla details", the Congress leader said the prime minister should revisit his words from his campaign in Nanded on March 30, 2014, when he launched a ferocious attack on Chavan -- "now the latest labaarthi of the 'BJP Washing Machine Yojana'". "The PM declared Chavan an 'Adarsh candidate', and said that 'the Congress is

LS polls: 5K electors to cast votes for first time at former Maoist hotbed

Around 5,000 electors from 'Budha Pahad'--a former Maoist hotbed --will cast their votes at their own booths for the first time after several decades in Lok Sabha polls, an election official said on Saturday. Located along Jharkhand's Latehar and Garhwa districts, Budha Pahad was freed recently from the red rebels' control by security forces after over three decades. There are five polling stations in Budha Pahad comprising around 5,000 voters. Earlier, these booths were used to be relocated to safe areas in view of Maoist activities, the official said. Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar along with senior police officers on Friday visited the difficult terrain of Budha Pahad, which falls under Palamu Lok Sabha constituency, and took stock of the facilities extended to the voters. The Palamu constituency will go to the polls on May 13. Kumar visited the polling booths and also talked to voters and polling officials. "The voters here will exercise their franchise

PM Modi running 'school of corruption' in country, says Rahul Gandhi

The former Congress chief claimed that the prime minister was teaching chapters on how the collection of donations is done through raids and how contracts are distributed after taking donations

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Tamil Nadu voter turnout at 69.46%, says EC

The EC has revised the voter turnout in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha polls held on Friday to 69.46 per cent, from the earlier 72 per cent. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo had on Friday said the state witnessed a turnout of 72.09 per cent. However, officials had then indicated there could be changes in the turnout figure. Asked about the difference in the figures, officials on Saturday said the earlier "figures were based on sample data from some polling stations," and that the accurate numbers were arrived upon past midnight. Of the 39 constituencies, Dharmapuri topped with an 81.48 per cent turnout while Chennai Central recorded the lowest at 53.91 per cent, according to latest EC data.

DD News comes under Opposition fire over new saffron logo ahead of LS polls

On Tuesday, national broadcaster DD News launched its new logo, which was changed from ruby red to saffron

PM Narendra Modi to campaign in Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru and neighbouring Chikkaballapura district for the Lok Sabha poll campaign on Saturday. He will address mega rallies both in Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura. Modi held mega rallies in Kalaburagi and Shivamogga last month. On April 14, he addressed a rally in Mysuru, during which he shared the dais with JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, and later held a roadshow in Mangaluru. According to the state BJP, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a mega public meeting at Chokkahalli village in Chikkaballapura district at 2 PM, covering Chikkballapur and Kolar Lok Sabha constituencies, and later at 4 PM he will participate in a massive rally in Bengaluru's palace ground, covering Bangalore North, Bangalore South, Bangalore Central and Bangalore Rural segments. Bangalore -North, South and Central have been BJP's bastions, while Rural is represented by Congress' D K Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K ...

LS polls 2024: Over 68% polling recorded in J-K's Udhampur amid rains

An estimated 68 per cent of the total 16.23 lakh registered voters cast their ballot in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Udhampur, officials said, as Jammu and Kashmir witnessed incident-free polling in what was its first major electoral battle since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In 2019, Udhampur parliamentary constituency had recorded a total poll percentage of 70.22 per cent. Voting began at 7 am at 2,637 polling stations across the constituency, including 31 near the International Border, to decide the fate of 12 candidates and ended at 6 pm. The voting percentage was around 68.27 per cent. It is especially highlighted that due to weather latest updated reports are awaited from some of the Polling Stations, specially located in remote hilly areas of Kishtwar, Gandoh, Ramban and Dudu-Basantgarh, the polling percentage is likely to increase slightly, the election office said in a statement shortly after midnight. It said once all polling parties, especially in .

LS polls: Congress, Left have become ideologically bankrupt, says Nadda

BJP chief J P Nadda on Friday said parties within the INDIA bloc, such as the Congress and the Left, have become "ideologically bankrupt". He highlighted their fierce electoral battles with each other outside of Delhi while maintaining cordial relationships within the national capital to oppose the BJP. Apart from Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram, Nadda addressed election meetings in Palakkad and Kottayam as well. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of a roadshow organised by the BJP-led NDA in Sulthan Bathery for its candidate K Surendran, the BJP chief cited the electoral battle between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and LDF's Annie Raja of the CPI in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. He pointed to this fight between the Congress and the Left parties to reinforce his claim, highlighting the apparent camaraderie among their top leadership in New Delhi despite the rivalry elsewhere. "The double standards and hypocrisy of Rahul Gandhi, the Indian National Congress, CPI(M), and CPI are visible h

LS polls: High turnout in first phase in Bengal raises hope for BJP, TMC

Both ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP hoped that the high turnout of 77 per cent recorded in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in three constituencies in northern West Bengal will be in their favour. While the TMC exuded confidence that despite the BJP "terrorising" its activists, it will win by massive margins, the saffron party said that the "strong arm tactics" of the ruling party in the state failed under watchful eyes of central forces people "ignored intimidation and threats of TMC leaders". Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee said, "A large number of women voted in the three seats of north Bengal. This shows people, particularly women, have not been misled by the false propaganda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He alleged that the BJP did not find polling agents in all booths in Alipurduars. BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said "strongarm tactics" of TMC leaders have been countered by ordinary people, including women. "The high voting percenta

LS polls: In Bangalore Rural, Congress-JD (S) rivalry, two Dr Manjunaths

In a bypoll in 2002, after the sitting Congress MP passed away, Deve Gowda defeated Shivakumar from the seat. The constituency votes in the second phase on April 26

Shia-Sunni dynamic, special status: Key factors at poll play in Kashmir

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is contesting from Baramulla, which is closely watched due to shifts in electoral dynamics post-delimitation

62% voter turnout on Lok Sabha polling Day 1, down from 2019's 69%

In 2019, turnout in the first phase comprising 91 seats was 69.43 per cent, suggesting a dip in total voting percentage this time

Kept away from BJP, Congress as both cheated people: BSP chief Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday said her party stayed away from alliances led by the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress since both had cheated citizens. Addressing a poll rally here, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also claimed the BJP would struggle for victory in the Lok Sabha polls "if EVMs are not tampered". "The BSP did not ally with the BJP or Congress as both these parties have cheated people. Both their manifestos are weak. We are fighting the Lok Sabha polls relying on the strength of Dalits, tribals, Other Backward Classes and Muslims," she said. "After Independence, the Congress ruled the country and states with a casteist and capitalist approach. That party's words and deeds did not match," she added. Mayawati also said the BJP would struggle in the Lok Sabha polls since it had not fulfilled promises. "Even one-fourth of their guarantees have not been implemented. The BJP will not sail through easily in the polls if it is conducted fairly and E

Lok Sabha polls 2024 phase 1: 60.03% aggregate voter turnout at 7 pm

The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will see 102 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats go to polls, across 17 states and four Union Territories (UTs)

LS polls: The electoral litmus test for Rajasthan's CM Bhajan Lal Sharma

With opposition branding Sharma as 'Parchi CM', party stalwarts in the backseat. He has got lot to prove. With BJP sweeping last two elections, anything less than a perfect score would raise eyebrows

Lok Sabha polls 2024 phase 1: Over 40% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

The first phase will see 102 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats go to polls, across 17 states and four Union Territories (UTs)