Page 68 - Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha elections: BSP releases fresh list with prominent candidates

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Friday released its fourth list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding former state president of the party Bhim Rajbhar from Azamgarh and ex-MP Balkrishna Chauhan from Ghosi. Mohammad Irfan has been fielded from Etah, while Shyam Kishor Awasthi is the BSP candidate from Dhaurahra Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement. Sachidanand Pandey and Dayashankar Mishra have been fielded from Faizabad and Basti Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. From Gorakhpur, the BSP has given party ticket to Javed Simnani. Satyendra Kumar Maurya is the BSP candidate from Chandauli and from Roberstganj (SC) constituency, the BSP has fielded Dhaneshwar Gautam, it said.

'Royal vs ordinary citizen' battle erupts in Mysore Lok Sabha constituency

In a battle involving the 'royal' and the 'ordinary', the voters of Mysuru are faced with a dilemma of choosing between BJP's Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Congress's M Lakshmana in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. While Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family is making his political debut from the Mysore Lok Sabha segment, Lakshmana is state Congress spokesperson and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's confidant. It's no secret that Siddaramaiah has chosen to focus on this constituency given the number of his visits and campaign meetings in the region. "Voting for Lakshmana is like voting for me. His victory means my victory," says Siddaramaiah, who represents Varuna Assembly segment in the district. The Congress has also chosen to play the caste card, highlighting that Lakshmana is a Vokkaliga, the agrarian community that dominates the region. "National issues do matter but we have to think locally as well," Raju Gowda, a farmer, sitting at an 'Ashwatha Katt

Left devoting campaign to attack me, tactic can only help BJP: Tharoor

Accusing the Left of dividing anti-BJP votes in Thiruvananthapuram, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said the Left claims to be very concerned about opposition unity, but fails to address why it is devoting most of its energies in the constituency to undermining him instead of focusing on the "BJP's misrule". Tharoor, who is locked in a three-way contest with BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI's Pannyan Raveendran in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, said it is ironical that the Left seeks to divide the anti-BJP vote in the parliamentary seat, and preach alliance dharma in Wayanad, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting. In an interview with PTI, the former Union minister said that putting up a candidate against him is something the Left has done every time, and he can't criticise them for that, since he took the seat from them in the first place in 2009. "But devoting their entire campaign to attacking me is a tactic which can only help the BJP. The Left claims

LS polls: Even oppn believes NDA govt will return to power, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the BJP used its majority in Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms to strengthen the country while the Congress used its decades-long majority to strengthen its "family", asserting that even the opposition believes that his government will retain power for a third term. In an interview to Hindi daily Hindustan, Modi underlined his commitment to taking strict action against the corrupt amid criticism by opposition parties that probe agencies were used by his government to target their leaders. Steps against corruption are being taken even in states where the BJP is in power, he said, adding that the narrative that only political corruption is being targeted is being circulated by people who are under the sword of investigative agencies. He said, "Of the corruption cases probed by the Enforcement Directorate, only three per cent have people associated with politics. The remaining 97 per cent cases are linked to officials and criminals. Those wh

Gujarat officials to send over 2 mn invites to voters to increase turnout

Election authorities in Gujarat will dispatch more than 20 lakh invites to voters, particularly women, across the state in their attempt to increase voter turnout in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, officials said on Friday. The initiative will target over 13,000 polling stations where the difference between men and women voters remains at over 10 per cent, and where the overall voter turnout was less than 50 per cent during the last legislative elections, an official release said. Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi will extend the invitation to about 20.3 lakh voters, mainly women, urging them to participate in the ensuing general elections, it said, adding that families will be requested to vote together. The 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will go to polls in the third phase on May 7. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, Gujarat registered a voter turnout of 64.11 per cent, compared to the national average of 67.40 per cent. The Chief Electoral Officer has appealed to wo

LS polls: Rahul to address election rallies in TN, share stage with Stalin

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address election rallies in Tamil Nadu on Friday, in his first set of such engagements after the announcement of the poll schedule. The Wayanad MP will address a public meeting in Coimbatore along with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. He will also address a rally in Tirunelveli. The Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 19.

Nomination process begins for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha elections on May 7

The nomination process for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls to be held in 94 constituencies across 12 states on May 7 began on Friday. The process started after a notification was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the President. April 19 is the last date for the filing of papers. Separately, another notification was issued for the "adjourned" poll in the Betul constituency of Madhya Pradesh, the EC said. The election in the Betul Lok Sabha seat was "adjourned" following the death of the BSP's candidate. In case a candidate of a recognised national or state party dies before the polls, the election is postponed to allow the party to identify and field a fresh candidate. Voting in the Betul constituency was earlier scheduled to be held in the second phase on April 26. The states and union territories included in the third phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya

Lakshwadeep LS polls: Women voters demand gynaecologists, better transport

"We need good hospitals as well as doctors. For better access to education, we need more schools as well as teachers," a woman voter from Lakshwadeep said

RO notifies postal voting dates in Udhampur LS constituency from April 14

Rakesh Minhas, the Returning Officer (RO) for Udhampur parliamentary constituency, on Thursday notified the dates for postal ballot voting. This enables the voters falling under the categories of senior citizens, persons with disability and COVID-19 suspect or affected persons to exercise their right to franchise for two days from April 14. In a proactive measure to ensure inclusion of all eligible voters in the electoral process, these categories of voters have been provided with the option to exercise their franchise through postal ballot, police officials said. The officials said this initiative aims to accommodate the specific needs and circumstances of individuals who may face difficulties in physically visiting polling stations on the election day. Under the supervision of respective assistant returning officers (AROs), the polling teams will conduct two home visits on April 14 and 15 in the respective assembly segments, they said. The officials said these visits will allow

LS polls: PM resorts to polarisation on critical issues, says Venugopal

The senior Congress leader and AICC member claimed that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would win all the Lok Sabha seats in Kerala

Cong facing problems in supporting candidates due to fund issues: Ramesh

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that the party is facing difficulties in supporting its candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, mainly due to financial crunch caused by "steps taken by the central government". Addressing a press conference here, he said the party will fare very well in the polls and the opposition alliance will secure a "clear and convincing majority" despite all attempts to scuttle its progress. "There has been an attempt to create problems for us. Our accounts were frozen and Rs 300 crore of money received through public funding were stolen by the PM," Ramesh said. In February, the Income Tax department has frozen four main bank accountants of the Congress on a tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19. The Congress leaders are humiliated daily and such attacks are being led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Ramesh alleged. Asked if the party is facing any problems due to such action from the government, he said: "I will not disagre

Decision to quit AAP wasn't taken under pressure: Raaj Kumar Anand

A day after announcing his resignation as a minister in the Delhi government and quitting the AAP, Raaj Kumar Anand asserted on Thursday that he did not take the decision under any pressure but was unable to tolerate "injustice". The Patel Nagar MLA also kept people guessing about his next move by saying that "politics is a game of possibilities and no one knows what lies ahead in the future", even as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have claimed that he might join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Anand is still "technically" a minister although he has resigned, officials said. "He has claimed to have sent his resignation to the Chief Minister's Office but the chief minister is in judicial custody. There is no possibility in the near future that his resignation letter will reach the chief minister for his approval," a senior Delhi government officer said on Thursday. The resignation letter of a minister, approved by the chief minister, has to be forwarded to the lieutenant governor f

Farmers asking for MSP, youngsters want jobs, but no one listening: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP-led Centre on Thursday, saying farmers are asking for a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, youngsters are seeking employment, women want relief from inflation, but no one is listening. The upcoming Lok Sabha polls are about protecting the country's Constitution and democracy, the former Congress chief said. "It is an election of the backwards, Dalits, tribals and poor people in the general category," he said, addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Bikaner. Gandhi said the bank accounts of the Congress have been frozen. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre has taken money from big industrialists through electoral bonds, he claimed, adding that the upcoming election is a battle between the country's poor people and 22-25 billionaires. "Farmers are saying give us MSP, youngsters are saying give us employment, women are saying save us from inflation, but no one is listening," Gandhi said at the rally organised in ...

Maha Congress could have bagged better deal for LS seats: Varsha Gaikwad

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday said the party's Maharashtra leadership should have pursued equal seat-sharing among the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies for the Lok Sabha polls to ensure a better deal in the metropolis. There are six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai - Mumbai North, Mumbai North-Central, which have been allotted to the Congress in the seat sharing deal, while four others - Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North-East and Mumbai North-West went to the Shiv Sena (UBT). The MVA coalition in Maharashtra announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday with the Shiv Sena (UBT) securing a substantial portion with 21 seats, while the Congress will contest 17 seats, and the NCP (SP) 10 seats. Talking to reporters here, Gaikwad said, "Earlier, Congress used to contest five seats in Mumbai, leaving only Mumbai North-East to the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). So we were demanding equal seat-sharing this time.

Lok Sabha polls: Former Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta joins BJP

Former Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta joined the BJP on Thursday, marking the defection of yet another visible opposition face to the ruling party in the election season. Gupta, along with some other leaders, joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. He had resigned from the Congress last month after withdrawing his candidature from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency. Gupta had blamed his "constant humiliation and character assassination by a leader connected with communication department" of the Congress for his decision. Recently, another former Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh had also joined the BJP.

LS polls: BJP manifesto promises protection to rights of Sikkimese people

The BJP on Thursday released its Sikkim election manifesto which promised to ensure the protection of the rights of the Sikkimese people and to make the Himalayan state an educational hub, if the party wins the Assembly elections. BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday released the party's Sikkim Assembly election manifesto here in the presence of BJP Sikkim incharge, Dilip Jaiswal, Sikkim state president, DR Thapa and other party leaders. "Enough is enough, it is time Sikkim comes to join the mainstream. We have had enough of regional parties in Sikkim. We have to say goodbye to regional parties and corruption which these regional parties are involved in" said Nadda. He said that the BJP wanted a people-oriented, progressive and development-oriented government in Sikkim. "We want the lotus to bloom even in the mountains. Our manifesto ensures that every Sikkimese gets the best from the schemes and policies being given to the citizens. We want a clean government in Sikkim. Development

Nominations for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls to begin tomorrow: ECI

The Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases, with voters across the country going to the polls on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1

Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP gaining ground in Tamil Nadu under K Annamalai

Often considered a fringe player in Tamil Nadu's electoral arena dominated by the Dravidian heavyweights, a resurgent BJP in Tamil Nadu has seen it's stock rising much beyond its expectations this time, thanks to an assertive and aggressive K Annamalai who is steering the party. The BJP has made no bones about its intentions to make good electoral inroads in the Dravidian heartland and is hopeful of turning the positive wave into votes for the April 19 general election. It is heading a non-DMK, non-AIADMK bloc and is contesting directly from 19 seats, including Coimbatore from where Annamalai has been fielded. Much of the party's newfound confidence stems from Annamalai's "En Mann, En Makkal" (My Land, My People) padayatra, a crucial political journey that made many heads turn towards the Tamil Nadu BJP and the former IPS officer. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the culmination of the nearly seven month-long yatra. Though how much of the frenzied crowd that swarmed

Arunachal Assembly polls: 23 candidates have criminal cases against them

Twenty-three candidates in the fray for the April 19 Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, have criminal cases registered against them, according to a report of a civil society organisation. The report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Arunachal Pradesh Election Watch, which was released on Wednesday, revealed that out of the 23 candidates with criminal cases in the northeastern state, 20 have declared serious criminal cases against them in their affidavits. The report was prepared after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of 142 out of 143 contesting candidates in the assembly polls. The affidavit of BJP candidate Ratu Techi, who won from the Sagalee constituency unopposed, could not be analysed due to the unavailability of his clear and complete affidavit on the Election Commission website, the report said. In the 2019 assembly polls in the state, out of 184 candidates analysed, 29 had declared criminal cases and 26 have declared serious criminal cas

LS elections 2024: EC issues notice to VPP for MCC 'violation' in Meghalaya

The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the Voice of the People's Party in Meghalaya over an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by its supporters who were accused of disrupting Lok Sabha poll campaigns of the ruling NPP by raising slogans during public meetings in several locations. The Returning Officer of Shillong parliamentary constituency SC Sadhu also issued another notice to VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit after the election agent of NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh alleged that the opposition party was "spreading fake news" using social media. Basaiawmoit was asked to reply by April 12 as to why action should not be taken against his party under the relevant provisions of the model code of conduct. In a complaint to the returning officer, the NPP accused VPP supporters of disrupting election meetings of the party in Ri-Bhoi district on Monday. The VPP supporters allegedly raised slogans while former MLA and NPP state working president Hamletson Dohli