Page 83 - Lok Sabha

Ahmedabad East LS seat Cong candidate Rohan Gupta withdraws from poll fray

Congress candidate from Gujarat's Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat Rohan Gupta has said he has withdrawn from the contest due to his father's serious medical condition. Gupta is the Congress' national spokesperson and his name was in the list of candidates declared by the party on March 12. "Due to serious medical condition, my father is admitted in hospital and I am withdrawing my candidature for Ahmedabad east parliament seat as Congress Candidate. I will extend complete support to the new candidate nominated by party," Gupta said in a post on X on Monday. He also posted an image of his handwritten letter to Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil, informing about his decision to withdraw from the poll fray. All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will witness polling in a single phase on May 7 and vote counting will be held on June 4. The Congress is yet to declare candidates for 19 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has declared 22 candidates in the state so far.

India's key Opposition alliance flounders as general elections near

India's finance minister last week defended the electoral bonds, saying cash received under the system was "legitimate"

India's key Opposition alliance flounders as general elections near

India's finance minister last week defended the electoral bonds, saying cash received under the system was "legitimate"

LS polls: BJP holds meetings to discuss candidates in various states

The states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, Sikkim, Maharashtra and Gujarat were discussed in the meeting

LS polls: 4,914 weapon holders in Jammu directed to deposit firearms

In view of the Lok Sabha polls being announced, the Jammu administration on Monday directed 4,914 licensed weapon holders to deposit their firearms with police to ensure peaceful conduct of elections. Polling for the Jammu Lok Sabha seat will be held on April 26. "A screening committee led by District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya has scrutinised 4,914 arms licences and instructed their holders to submit their weapons to ensure the peaceful conduct of the general elections for the Lok Sabha," an official spokesperson said. Vaishya has asked the senior superintendent of police to ensure the implementation of an order in this regard. "The arms and weapons are to be deposited within a period of seven days, and the station house officers (SHOs) concerned shall intimate the licence holders for compliance," the order stated. These licensed weapon holders fall in the catagories of persons released on bail, arms licence holders with criminal offences and arms licence holder who have bee

Lok Sabha polls highlights: PM Modi holds road show in Coimbatore

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

NDA seals Bihar deal: BJP to contest more seats than JDU in a first

As part of the seat sharing formula, the BJP will contest 17 seats, JDU 16, Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 5, Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) one each

PM Modi launches scathing attack on Rahul for 'destroying Shakti' jibe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "Shakti" remark, saying the opposition INDIA bloc was trying to destroy it. At a public rally in this district headquarters town, Modi said, Yesterday in Mumbai Shivaji Ground (park), INDI Alliance made an announcement that they want to destroy Shakti'. If they want to destroy Shakti', then worshipping Shakti' is our resolve. Gandhi had said at Shivaji park in Mumbai after the conclusion of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra': Our fight against Modi is not on a personal level. Modi is a mask' who works for a shakti' (power). He is a shallow man who doesn't have a 56-inch chest." In his nearly half-an-hour-long speech, Modi said when he heard the announcement to eliminate Shakti from Shivaji Park, he thought how it would have hurt Shiv Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray's soul. The Prime Minister noted that the announcement of eradicating Shakti was made at Shivaji Park where every child

LS polls: Gujarat govt appoints new home secretary following ECI order

Indian Administrative Service official AK Rakesh was on Monday appointed as additional chief secretary of the home department in Gujarat following an order of the Election Commission of India. Earlier in the day, seeking to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha elections, the ECI ordered the removal of the home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Rakesh, a 1989 batch IAS official, will replace Pankaj Joshi, as per a Gujarat government order. "AK Rakesh, Additional Chief Secretary to Government Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation Department, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar would hold the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home Department, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar until further orders relieving Pankaj Joshi, IAS of additional charge of the post," the state government order said. The ECI order had noted that the home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh ..

PM Modi holds roadshow in Coimbatore; pays tributes to 1998 blast victims

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow here on Monday, amid non-stop chants of 'Modi, Modi' by BJP workers and he paid floral tributes to the portraits of 58 people killed here in the 1998 serial bomb blast. The roadshow, amid tight police security, comes days after the Madras High Court green-flagged the event, directing the police to allow it with reasonable conditions. The police had initially refused permission citing reasons, including the "communally sensitive" nature of the area, and the ongoing public exams in schools. As Modi began his roadshow in an open, flower-decked vehicle, people who gathered on both sides of the road showered flower petals on him, chanted slogans hailing him. While traditional music was played to welcome him, several of them danced and waved at him enthusiastically. This is the first time such a road show, on a grand scale, has been organised by the BJP in Tamil Nadu, which witnessed a good turnout. "Meendum Modi, Vendum Modi," (Once again Mod

This is fight between 'Asuri Shakti', 'Daivik Shakti': Congress slams PM

The Congress on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that the INDIA bloc's manifesto talks about finishing 'Shakti', saying the elections will decide whether the country would be run by 'Asuri Shakti' (demonic power) or 'Daivik Shakti' (divine power). A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Mumbai, commented that the "fight against Modi is not on a personal level since Modi is a 'mask' who works for a 'Shakti' (power)", the prime minister asserted that the fight is between those who want to destroy 'Shakti' and those who worship it. Prime Minister Modi, referring to the opposition rally in Mumbai's Shivaji Park, said, "They announced their manifesto... and said their fight was against 'Shakti'. For me, every mother and every daughter is a form of 'Shakti'. Mothers and sisters, I worship you as 'Shakti'. I am Bharat Maa's pujari." In retaliation, the Congress likened the BJP to 'Asuri Shakti' and alleged that the nation has seen atrocities .

Preparation for Lok Sabha elections in Mizoram's Aizawl in full swing

Preparations for election to Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha seat are in full swing, an official said on Monday. Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Nazuk Kumar, who also serves as the returning officer, told reporters that training for various official teams assigned to manage the upcoming polls in 12 assembly constituencies within Aizawl district has been largely completed. The initial phase of training for polling parties is scheduled for March 26 and March 27, she said. Randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) has been finalised, and they are currently secured in strong rooms designated for each assembly constituency, she added. A total of 514 ballot units, 523 control units, and 541 VVPATs have been allocated for Aizawl district for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Kumar said. Voting is scheduled for April 19, with counting is on June 4. The deadline for filing nominations is March 27, while candidates have until March 30 to withdra

PM Modi has laid strong foundation for 'Viksit Bharat': BJP's Ashok Tanwar

A strong foundation for a 'Viksit Bharat' or developed India has been laid under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leader and party's Sirsa Lok Sabha candidate Ashok Tanwar said. Tanwar, who quit the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party two months ago, said it is "Modi ji's guarantee" that India will soon become the world's third largest and reach the top spot in the years to come. He said the people of the country want to give a third term to Modi as the prime minister and the people of Haryana also want to contribute by giving all the 10 seats to the BJP like they did in the 2019 parliamentary election. Tanwar had quit the Congress in 2019 and joined the AAP in 2022. In between, he had floated his own party and even joined the Trinamool Congress for a brief period. The BJP has fielded Tanwar from the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat from where he is a former MP. The seat is presently represented by BJP's Sunita Duggal. Tanwar said a strong foundation for a

EC launches special campaign in Himachal Pradesh to boost voter turnout

The Election Commission has launched a special campaign in Himachal Pradesh to maximise voter turnout in 414 polling stations which registered less than 60 per cent voting in the last Lok Sabha polls. Bypolls to six assembly seats that fell vacant after disqualification of Congress MLAs would be held simultaneously with four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh in the last phase on June 1. The main focus of the campaign -- "Mission 414" -- is increasing the vote percentage in 414 identified polling stations which registered less than 60 percent voting in the last Lok Sabha polls, Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, Maneesh Garg told PTI on Monday. Awareness campaigns and cultural events would be held besides making these 414 stations model polling stations. Booth youth icons from first time voters would be roped in and special invitation cards made by children would be given to prospective voters, he said. Letters had been sent to the respective Deputy Commissioners in Febru

Lok Sabha polls: Modi's south India visit, Kejriwal skips summon; 10 points

Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi is set to hold rallies in south Indian states on Monday. His visit follows two days after the Election Commission announced the poll dates, which will commence on April 19

LS elections 2024: PM Modi to address rally at Jagtial in Telangana today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Jagtial, part of the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in the state on Monday. The meeting is also expected to have an impact on the neighbouring Karimnagar LS constituency as well. Both Nizamabad and Karimnagar are held by BJP in the outgoing Lok Sabha. BJP had won four out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019 general elections and is looking to improve its tally in 2024, where it will be going solo. Winning more seats from Telangana forms part of BJP's plan to make significant electoral inroads in the south. Modi has already held a roadshow in the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat in Hyderabad and addressed a public meeting at Nagarkurnool in the state last week. In the rally at Nagarkurnool on March 16, a day after the arrest of BRS leader K Kavitha in a money-laundering case, Modi alleged that the BRS has entered into a partnership with other "hardcore corrupt parties", while asserting that no corrupt person will be able to

After Madras HC's nod, PM Modi to hold roadshow in TN's Coimbatore today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow here on Monday, days after Madras High Court green-flagged the event, asking the police to allow it with reasonable conditions. The PM will take out the roadshow in the city's Mettupalayam Road and is likely to end it at RS Puram later today. This will be his first political engagement in the state after the announcement of the seven-phase schedule of the Lok Sabha polls. The district BJP unit had on Friday moved the HC against the local police denying permission to the PM event, citing, among others, the "communally sensitive" nature of the area, and the ongoing public exams. However, the court had dismissed the contentions and asked the police to allow the roadshow with "reasonable conditions", such as erecting no flex boards by the organisers. The BJP, with a newfound vigour under its aggressive state unit president K Annamalai, is making all efforts to make significant inroads into Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian heartland that has ..

Over 24.3 mn to vote in upcoming LS polls in Assam; polling in 3 phases

The Chief Electoral Officer in Assam said that there will be 1,409 women-managed polling stations, 262 model polling stations and 15,777 polling stations where webcasting will be held

Poll positions

Enforcing the model code of conduct could be a challenge

2024 Lok Sabha polls: Women to overseas voters, here's what numbers say

The seven phases in the 2024 polls are scheduled for April 19 (102 seats), April 26 (89 seats), May 7 (94 seats), May 13 (96 seats), May 20 (49 seats), May 25 (57 seats) and June 1 (57 seats)