Page 64 - Lok Sabha

LS polls: 150 polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh to be managed by women

A total of 150 polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh, which goes to simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls on Friday, will be managed by women, a senior election official said here on Thursday. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said over 1,000 women officers and officials have been deployed across these stations to facilitate the electoral process, with women security personnel also stationed for assistance. Terming it as unique' for a record number of women to participate in the electoral process this time, the CEO highlighted that six district election officers (DEOs) in the state are women. "In Roing, the headquarters of Lower Dibang Valley district, the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and majority of the polling officials are women. It is a encouraging that women are contributing in the election process," Sain said. Altogether 50,842 government employees have been deployed for conducting polls in the state. The CEO informed that 2,073 polling

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase-I: Here's how to download voter slip online

The Election Commission of India has already started sending the voter information slip (VIS) to registered voters whose names are in the electoral roll

SC reserves verdict on cross-verification of votes using EVMs with VVPAT

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict after hearing the response of Election Commission on the pleas. The petitioners have also sought reversal of the poll panel's 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass through which a voter can see the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, explained the process of how an EVM functions. Advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Gopal Sankararanarayanan appeared for the petitioners. Other lawyers represented the intervenors. On April 16, the top court had deprecated criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and calls for reverting to ballot papers, saying the electoral process in India is a "humongo

LDF to lodge complaint with EC over EVM wrongly recording votes for BJP

The CPI(M)-led LDF said on Thursday that it would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission over a few voting machines allegedly having recorded votes wrongly in favour of the BJP candidate during a mock poll conducted in Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency. Talking to PTI, senior CPI(M) leader K P Satheesh Chandran alleged that there were instances where two or three voting machines exhibited such errors during the mock poll on Wednesday, and a complaint will be filed before the EC. CPI(M) leader M V Balakrishnan is contesting against Congress leader and current Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan and BJP's M L Ashwini in the constituency for the April 26 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP nominates Union Minister Narayan Rane in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat

2024 Lok Sabha Elections: BJP releases 13th list with one candidate name, nominating Rane against Shiv Sena (UBT)'s MP Vinayak Raut

Helicopters arranged to ensure casualty-free LS polls in Uttarakhand

To increase voter turnout in the hill state, more than 11,000 polling booths are being set up across the state. The counting of votes is scheduled on June 4

Election Commission issues notification for fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls

According to the poll body's notification, the last date for making nominations is April 25. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 26

Lok Sabha Polls Phase-I: 102 constituencies in play, 8 ministers in fray

Here's a list of constituencies, incumbent parties, key candidates, and voter turnout in the 2019 General elections

Complaint against Flipkart, BigBasket for making employee work on polls day

A complaint has been filed against e-commerce major Flipkart and Tata Group firm BigBasket for allegedly making delivery boys work on the day of voting on April 19 in the state. In the complaint filed before Tamil Nadu state election commissioner B Kothi Nirmalasamy on Wednesday, Chennai High Court lawyer K Narasimhan has stated that despite the state government declaring leave of April 19 for the election day, Flipkart and BigBasket are promising guaranteed delivery of orders even on the day of voting. Narasimhan said that as per government order April 19 has been officially declared a public holiday under section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 to facilitate the electoral process. He said that the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department of Tamil Nadu has mandated a paid holiday for all employees working in shops, commercial establishments, industrial establishments and IT companies on April 19 to ensure their participation in the democratic process. "Despite the

Came with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that he went to people with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024. Addressing an election rally at Borkura ground here, the Prime Minister said there is 'Modi's guarantee across the country and I am giving the guarantee of fulfilling all these guarantees'. "The North East is a witness to Modi's guarantee as the Congress had only given problems to the region but the BJP has made it a source of possibilities,' the Prime Minister said. 'Congress fuelled insurgency but Modi embraced people and brought peace in the region. What could not be achieved in 60 years of Congress rule, Modi achieved it in ten years', he added. He said that birth celebrations of Lord Ram are being held in Ayodhya after 500 years with a 'Surya Tilak' ceremony. 'We cannot join the celebrations in Ayodhya, but let us participate in the event by switching on our mobile flashlights and sending light and prayers to Lord Ram', he said. 'A new atmosphere

LS Polls: 1,400 polling stations to have webcasting facilities in Udhampur

A total of 1,472 polling stations out of 2,637 will be equipped with webcasting facilities in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur parliamentary constituency which is going to polls in the first phase on April 19, officials said. More than 16.23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 12 candidates, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in the fray from the constituency consisting of 18 assembly segments spanning five districts -- Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua. The constituency, which was reshaped with three assembly constituencies of Reasi district carved out on the recommendations of the delimitation commission, had recorded 70.2 per cent polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Encompassing an expansive area of 16,707 square kilometres, the constituency boasts of a diverse electorate comprising 16,23,195 eligible voters. Among them are 8,45,283 male voters, 7,77,899 female voters and 13 third-gender voters, reflecting the inclusivity of the democratic process, they said. To

Overseas friends of BJP meet in Israel to help party's prospects in polls

Ahead of the polling for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in India, members of the Overseas Friends of BJP in Israel met here to discuss strategies to bolster the party's poll prospects amid slogans like Vande Maatram' and Abkee Baar 400 Paar'. Campaigning ended on Wednesday for the first phase of general elections for 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories on April 19, part of the seven-phase long Parliamentary exercise till June 1 for a total of 543 seats across the nation. Some 80 members of the Overseas Friends of BJP in Israel (OFBJP) met at the Tandoori Indian restaurant of Pravasi Bharatiya Award winner Reena Pushkarna in Herzliya, an affluent coastal town in northern Israel on Tuesday evening. The gathering was given a detailed account of the achievements of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government during the last 10 years, prominent among them being the repeal of Article 370, the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat an

PM dashed hopes in 2014, betrayed trust since 2019, to exit in 2024: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he dashed the hopes of 2014, betrayed the people's trust since 2019, and his exit is now guaranteed in 2024. The opposition party's dig came after Modi asserted in Assam's Nalbari that he went to the people with hope in the 2014 general elections, trust in the 2019 polls and guarantee in 2024. "PM Modi claims he came to the people in 2014 with hope, in 2019 with trust, and in 2024 with his guarantees. In reality, he's dashed the hopes of 2014, betrayed the people's trust since 2019, and his exit is now guaranteed in 2024," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. Addressing an election rally at Borkura ground in Nalbari, the prime minister said there is "Modi's guarantee across the country and I am giving the guarantee of fulfilling all these guarantees." "The North East is a witness to Modi's guarantee as the Congress had only given problems to the region but the BJP has made it a .

Lok Sabha election a fight between two ideologies, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a battle between two ideologies -- INDIA bloc "fighting for Constitution" on the one hand and BJP, which wants to "abolish constitution and democracy," on the other. He said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will be "a government of ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders", while highlighting his party's manifesto for the polls. This is a fight between two ideologies. There is Congress and INDIA bloc on one hand, which fought for the Constitution, gave Constitution and democracy to the country. On the other hand there is BJP, which wants to abolish the Constitution and democracy and is placing their people in all the institutions, Gandhi said, addressing an election rally here. While the BJP-government "belonged to 22 to 25 rich people", Congress will give a government which will work for the ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders, he said. He alleged that the BJP-led ...

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi, Kerala CM Vijayan one and the same, says Congress

The political ripples created by the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are yet to die down in Kerala, with the Congress on Wednesday alleging that the BJP leader and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were trying to convince people that they were not similar. But the people of the state are well aware that they are one and the same, the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, told reporters here in Panur near Kannur. Hitting hard at CM Vijayan, the leader said that for the past one month, he had been constantly criticising the Congress and senior leader Rahul Gandhi without uttering a word against Modi. Satheesan alleged that the CM was humble and careful even while replying to Modi's allegations against the state government during his recent election rallies in Kerala. "Both the PM and the CM are now speaking to convince the people that they are not the same. But the people of the state know very well that they are one and the same," he said. Vijayan is

JMM's Nazrul Islam apologises for making derogatory statement against PM

Senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Nazrul Islam on Wednesday apologised for making a derogatory statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that his remark was not intended to hurt anyone. His apology came a day after the state BJP demanded Islam's arrest for the comment that the prime minister "would be buried 400-foot below" in the election, instead of winning 400 seats. During a political speech, I was speaking against the prime minister's claim of winning 400 seats. I intended to say that they (BJP-led NDA) would not get 400 seats and they will be out of power, Islam said in a video statement. The JMM central committee member said, I am an educated person and a professor. I cannot speak such words against the prime minister. But if, for some reason, my words have accidentally hurt anyone, I sincerely apologise. He made the remarks against Modi at a public meeting in Sahibganj on Sunday. The BJP's Sahibganj unit lodged a complaint with the police against Isl

DMK accuses federal agencies of phone tapping ahead of Lok Sabha polls 2024

DMK leader R S Bharathi said the ED and the CBI are illegally intercepting the telephones of party's candidates, frontline leaders, and their close relatives

Delhi: BJP aims 3rd consecutive sweep, AAP hopes to capitalise on sympathy

With the BJP looking to increase its vote share and sweeping Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats for the third consecutive time, the AAP -- contesting the polls in an alliance with the Congress -- hopes to use the "sympathy wave" for arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to break the saffron party's streak. Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) constituents Congress and AAP are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Delhi, paving the way for a direct contest with the BJP. The AAP has fielded candidates from four seats while the Congress is contesting from three constituencies. Both the BJP and the AAP-Congress combine have fielded high-profile candidates, setting the stage for a keen contest to gain electoral supremacy. Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP's Delhi unit chief, has said the challenge for the party this time is to increase the margin of victory. The Northeast Delhi seat, dominated by Purvanchalis and Muslims, will witness a key battle between two ..

LS elections: Poll strategists turn campaign makers in political war rooms

It is said elections are fought on emotions and they are an art more than science, but the rise of poll strategists would suggest otherwise

LS polls: 15 'crorepati' candidates in fray for five seats in Assam

Of the 35 candidates in the fray for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam going to the polls on April 19, fifteen are 'crorepati' with the richest being independent woman candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury from the Kaziranga seat. The five Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on April 19 are Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur. Five BJP candidates, three of Congress, two of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), one each of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP) and three independents have assets over Rs one crore, according to the affidavits filed by candidates. The average assets of AAP candidates are the highest at Rs six crore, followed by the BJP candidates at over Rs four crore, the Congress at Rs three crore, the AITC and the BGP at Rs one crore each. Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury who owns fuel stations has total assets of over Rs 17.58 crore, comprising Rs 4.65 crore as movable and Rs 12.92 crore as immovable