Page 80 - Lok Sabha

LS polls: Number of veterans thinning faster amid rise in total candidates

Veteran numbers decline amid rising number of total candidates

The secondary sex

Parties should have given the election ticket to more women

Union minister Rijiju files nomination from Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency. Rijiju filed his papers at Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district, election officials said. The Union Minister of Earth Sciences and Food Processing Industries was accompanied by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and MLAs Kento Jini and Nyamar Karbak. Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the first phase on April 19. The northeastern state has two Lok Sabha seats and 60 assembly constituencies. I appeal to the people to participate in the electoral process peacefully, Rijiju told reporters after filing his nomination. Former chief minister and president of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Nabam Tuki, also filed his nomination from the Arunachal West seat. Counting of votes for the assembly polls would take place on June 2, and for the Lok Sabha elections on June 4.

EC asks K'taka poll officer to act on complaint by Deve Gowda on freebies

The Election Commission has directed the chief electoral officer of Karnataka to take "immediate appropriate action" on a complaint filed by JD (S) president H D Deve Gowda that Congress MP D K Suresh was allegedly planning distribution of freebies and the state poll machinery failed to take swift action. In a letter to the state CEO, the EC asked him to take action keeping in mind the provisions of the model code of conduct and relevant laws, and sought a compliance report at the earliest. The EC letter was sent out on March 21 based on a complaint of former prime minister Gowda to the poll panel. The JD(S) leader has alleged that the state election machinery failed to take swift action to prevent the "corrupt activities" in the Bengaluru (Rural) Lok Sabha seat. He alleged that the freebies were removed from a godown as the field machinery failed to take appropriate action. "...there is not only dereliction of duties by the concerned officer but the officers are afraid of taking

Lok Sabha polls: Cong's Nakul Nath files nomination from Chhindwara in MP

Nakul Nath, the lone Congress winner in the last general elections in Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday filed his nomination papers from his traditional Chhindwara constituency, which his father and former chief minister Kamal Nath represented for nine terms. Accompanied by his wife and parents, including former MP Alka Nath, Nakul submitted his papers to the returning officer in Chhindwara. Before that, the senior and junior Nath worshipped at the Lord Hanuman temple in the town. His supporters also took out a rally, which was attended by state Congress president Jitu Patwari and the Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar. Of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP, the BJP in 2019 had won 28, barring Chhindwara. The saffron party has fielded its district unit president Vivek Bunty Sahu against Nakul Nath. Though the Chhindwara seat has been the bastion of the Congress, with the grand old party losing elections here just once, BJP is channelling all its energies to wrest this seat this time. In 20

LS polls: Congress-Kangana row boils, BJP's solo bet in Punjab. Updates

Lok Sabha polls: The BJP has intensified its attack on the Congress over the objectionable remarks on Kangana Ranaut, made via the social media account its spokesperson Supriya Shrinate

Tale of two crossovers

Many ethical, competent corporate leaders aspire to join public life today. However, the transition to politics is far from easy

LS elections: Amid MVA seat-sharing talks, Sharad Pawar meets Uddhav

With consensus eluding Maha Vikas Aghadi on an agreeable seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar on Monday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in suburban Mumbai. Pawar was accompanied by Jayant Patil, who heads the Maharashtra unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was also present at the meeting held at Matoshree, the private residence of Thackeray. Notably, the deadline for filing nominations for the five seats going to polls in the first phase on April 19 is just two days away. The talks assume significance as MVA is yet to declare a seat-sharing formula and candidates for the first phase, apparently due to overlapping claims on certain seats. One of the MVA members, Congress, has so far declared 12 candidates for Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, in seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners, whereas Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) are yet t

LIVE: Congress releases sixth list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls

Lok Sabha elections 2024 latest news: Catch all the latest updates on the announcements related to General Elections here

SDF releases Sikkim's LS, state polls list; fields Bhaichung Bhutia

Former Sikkim Chief Minister and SDF supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling will seek election from Poklok-Kamrang seat in Namchi district while former India footballer Bhaichung Bhutia will contest from Barfung constituency for the state Assembly election, the party announced on Monday. The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) announced the names of 30 candidates for the state assembly election and for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Himalayan state. Chamling, a five-term former chief minister shifted to the Poklok-Kamrang seat from his sitting Namchi-Singhithang seat to avoid a contest with Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang's wife Krishna Kumari Rai who has entered the fray from there. Former India footballer Bhaichung Bhutia will contest from the Barfung (BL-Reserved) seat, while MG Bhutia has been given ticket for Yuksom-Tashiding (BL-Reserved) seat. Elections to the 32-member Sikkim Assembly and the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Himalayan state will be held simultaneously on April ...

LS polls: BJP's Narayana Gowda is in touch with Cong, says cabinet minister

Amid reports of some disgruntlement within BJP over ceding Mandya Lok Sabha seat to alliance partner JD(S), Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Monday claimed BJP leader and former Minister K C Narayana Gowda is in touch with the Congress. As part of the seat-sharing deal with the BJP, JD(S) will be contesting Kolar, Hassan and Mandya seats. Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by BJP, won the 2019 general elections in Mandya. "Yes, we have spoken to Narayana Gowda, he is in touch with us. At the earliest he along with several supporters of veteran leader from K R Pete -- late Krishna, who were earlier with the Congress and due to various reasons had gone along with Narayana Gowda together, are likely to join us," Cheluvarayaswamy, who is in-charge Minister of Mandya district, said. Speaking to reporters here, he said they may come into the Congress fold without any conditions and accepting the party's ideology and, after joining, the party will decide on who

Lok Sabha elections: Naveen Jindal, Kangana Ranaut on BJP's latest list

Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi has been replaced by Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada. However, Maneka Gandhi has been fielded again from Sultanpur

Lok Sabha elections: Parties line up merchandise, but demand is muted

Political parties are lining up merchandise ahead of the Lok Sabha polls but demand is muted

Lok Sabha elections: Meet the sons and daughters of political families

Karnataka has become a hotbed for political dynasties, with the Congress fielding five candidates who are either sons or daughters of current ministers in the Congress-led Karnataka government

Report card: BJP's campaign mantra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

The party campaigning over the past 10 years has been themed around Brand Modi. But the messaging has changed. Nivedita Mookerji explains

LS polls: BJP names 18 candidates for Odisha seats, drops 4 sitting MPs

The BJP on Sunday announced the names of its candidates for 18 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, while dropping four sitting MPs from the list. The nominees for Cuttack, Jajpur and Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituencies are yet to be named by the party. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be contesting from Sambalpur seat. The party has fielded four women - Aparajita Sarangi (Bhubaneswar), Sangeeta Kumari Deo (Bolangir), Malvika Keshari Deo (Kalahandi) and Anita Subhadarshini (Aska). The sitting MPs who were denied BJP tickets this time are Suresh Pujari (Bargarh), Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu (Mayrbhanj), Nitish Gang Deb (Sambalpur) and Basant Panda (Kalahandi). The party has nominated Pradeep Purohit in place of Pujari while Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan replaced Nitish Gang Deb in Sambalpur. Rairangpur MLA Naba Charan Majhi has replaced Bisheswar Tudu in Mayurbhaj seat. Malvika Keshari Deo is made the new candidate in place of Basant Kumar Panda in .

Chirag Paswan's party to declare LS poll candidates immediately after Holi

NDA ally Chirag Paswan on Sunday said his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will declare its candidates for the Lok Sabha polls "immediately after Holi". Paswan, whose party has got five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, also asserted he was "ready for any challenge" that came from his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. "We will announce all our candidates in a few days... immediately after Holi, said Paswan, but evaded a direct reply to the question whether he would accommodate Veena Devi and Mehboob Ali Kaiser, sitting MPs from Vaishali and Khagaria, respectively. Both the seats, contested by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party in 2019, have been assigned to the young leader's party this time. The MPs had rallied behind Paras when he split the LJP in 2021, but of late have been repenting that decision and swearing by their loyalty towards the late party founder's son. Paswan was also asked about the threat by Paras, who has resigned from his Union cabinet .

Lok Sabha elections: BSP names 25 candidates; JD(U) lists all 16 in Bihar

The Janata Dal (United), on the other hand, announced all its 16 candidates from Bihar, where the Opposition 'grand alliance' is seeing some friction between the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal

Pallavi Dempo first woman to contest Lok Sabha polls on BJP ticket in Goa

Dempo Industries executive director Pallavi Dempo is the first woman candidate in BJP's poll history in Goa who will contest Lok Sabha elections on the party ticket. The BJP on Sunday declared Dempo's candidature from South Goa in its latest list of 111 candidates for general elections. A Goan entrepreneur and educationist, Dempo holds a graduate degree in chemistry and a postgraduate degree in business management (MBA) from MIT, Pune. The 49-year-old entrepreneur oversees the media and real estate arm of Dempo Industries as its executive director. The South Goa seat is currently represented by Congress leader Francisco Sardinha. The BJP had won this constituency only twice since 1962. South Goa constituency, spread across 20 assembly segments, had changed hands among the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, United Goans Party, and Indian National Congress. The BJP won this seat in the 1999 and 2014 elections but couldn't retain it. Dempo's husband Shrinivas Dempo is a noted industri

Naveen Jindal joins BJP, says wants to contribute to 'Viksit Bharat'

Industrialist and former MP Naveen Jindal quit the Congress and joined the BJP on Sunday, saying he wants to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda of 'Viksit Bharat'. He joined the BJP in the presence of its general secretary Vinod Tawde, who said Jindal's presence in the party will help the government's agenda of boosting the country's economy and prosperity. Tawde noted that the Jindal Steel chairperson has a keen interest in sports and education as well. Jindal represented Kurukshetra constituency in Lok Sabha between 2004-14.