Page 84 - Lok Sabha

No jobs and a bleak future: Has the political class failed India's youth?

Rahul Gandhi has been criticised for "trivialising" the security breach in Parliament by belatedly raising unemployment as a political issue

LS polls: Will do away with 'secular' in Preamble, says Karnataka BJP MP

Six years since Anantkumar Hegde said the BJP would change the Constitution to do away with the word "secular" in its preamble, the BJP MP on Sunday reiterated it, exhorting the public to ensure two-thirds majority for the saffron party in Lok Sabha to amend the country's founding document. The BJP needs a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress", Hedge said, addressing a gathering here, going on to explain the numbers required to amend the preamble of the Constitution. The party would also need to come to power in more than 20 States for this, the six-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka said. "If the Constitution has to be amended -- the Congress fundamentally distorted the Constitution by forcefully filling unnecessary things in it, especially by bringing in laws that were aimed at suppressing the Hindu society -- if all of this has to be changed it is not possible with

Lok Sabha elections: En route to 370 seats, BJP looks for co-travellers

It is tying up with regional parties - big and small - to reach the target the PM has set for the 2024 polls

BJP, TDP, Jana Sena will form alliance for upcoming LS, Andhra polls: Naidu

The BJP, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party have come to an understanding for stitching up an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls, former chief minister of the southern state N Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday. "Andhra Pradesh has been destroyed badly. The BJP and the TDP coming together is a win-win situation for the country and the state," Naidu told a group of reporters here while lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. The alliance will sweep the polls in Andhra Pradesh, he asserted, lashing out at the YSR Congress, which is in power in the southern state. The three parties sealed their alliance following a second round of talks involving their senior leaders on Saturday, sources said. They said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jana Sena may together contest around eight and 30 Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh. The TDP will contest the remaining 17 Lok Sabha and 145 Assembly seats, they said

We converted difficulties into opportunities: Rajnath Singh lauds PM Modi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said it is the result of the "jan seva" (public service) being done by the double engine government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance that the entire country along with Lucknow is progressing by leaps and bounds. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 782 development projects worth Rs 34,700 crore from Azamgarh that included inauguration of the airports of Azamgarh, Shravasti, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Aligarh, and the new terminal of Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow. Addressing the gathering at an event in his parliamentary constituency, Singh said, "Under the visionary leadership of the prime minister, the specialty of our government has been that we converted difficulties into opportunities. There was already a system running in the country which kept the common man away from the elite class and we removed this system." "If I talk about the infrastructure in the aviation sector, ..

Lok Sabha polls: Lord Krishna is with us, says Kejriwal in Kurukshetra

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his party has 'dharma' with it and asked people to decide whether they are with 'dharma' or 'adharma'. Addressing a public meeting in Haryana's Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency, the Delhi chief minister urged people to vote for his party candidate Sushil Gupta from the seat. The AAP and the Congress will fight the Lok Sabha polls in alliance in Haryana. Under the tie-up, the AAP will contest from the lone Kurukshetra seat out of total 10 parliamentary seats in the state. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal invoked the Mahabharata and said Kurukshetra is a pious land where the 'dharmayudh' was fought. 'Pandavas' had won it despite 'Kauravas' having everything, said the AAP convener who was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. "What Pandavas had? Lord Shri Krishna was with them," he said. "Today, what we have with us. We are too small. Lord Shri Krishna is with us," said Kejriwal. Referring to the BJP-led Centre, Kejriwal sa

Will voice aspirations of people of Kashmir in Parliament: Sajad Lone

Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday sought support of the electorate in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency and said he will restore the region's glory and voice the aspirations of the people in the Parliament. "These elections will undoubtedly pave way for the collective betterment of our region, provided the right choices are made by sending representatives who can truly convey the aspirations and pain of the people of Kashmir in the Parliament," Lone, who is the party candidate for the Baramulla constituency, said at a convention of the party workers at Baramulla town. Questioning the performance of the National Conference MPs, who have been elected by the people for more than half a century, Lone criticized them for failing to meet the hopes of the people and remaining mute spectators to the issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "There is a lot of pain, agony and suffering among the people, and only those who understand it can truly speak up for

Rahul pays tributes to Sardar Patel on last day of his yatra in Gujarat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Swaraj Ashram in Surat on Sunday and paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel during the last leg of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Gujarat. After covering seven districts of Gujarat in four days, the yatra ended in the state and it will resume from Maharashtra's Nandurbar district on Tuesday after a one-day pause, senior leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters here. Gandhi visited the Swaraj Ashram at Bardoli in Surat district and offered tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "For a few minutes, he went to the Swaraj Nivas which was set up by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1922. It was a moment of inspiration for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra amid injustice being meted out to farmers from different states gathered at Delhi-Haryana border," Ramesh said. Gandhi later left for New Delhi from Vyara in Tapi district after completing the Gujarat leg of the yatra, a mass outreach programme ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, covering more than 400 kilometres in

Yusuf Pathan, Mahua Moitra among names in TMC's Lok Sabha candidate list

The TMC on Sunday announced the candidate list for all 42 Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal, dropping at least eight sitting MPs and bringing in several new faces such as former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kriti Azad. The party renominated 16 sitting MPs and fielded 12 women. Cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest from the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat, whereas Kirti Aazd will fight from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency. From the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where Sandeshkhali is situated, TMC pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam by dropping sitting MP Nusrat Jahan. The TMC also renominated expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar seat for the second consecutive term. The list was announced from TMC's mega rally held at Brigade Parada Grounds in Kolkata, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the party will contest Lok Sabha elections alone in all 42 seats in the state.

Demand for private jets, helicopters likely to rise 40% during LS polls

As political parties prepare to fight it out in the Lok Sabha polls, the demand for chartered planes and helicopters is expected to jump by up to 40 per cent compared to the previous general elections, according to industry experts. Helicopters are anticipated to be more in demand compared to fixed-wing aircraft as choppers will help in providing accessibility to rural and remote areas in a shorter time. "There will be an exponential demand for private jets and the demand is expected to outstrip the availability of chartered planes and helicopters. There is a limited supply of chartered planes and helicopters," Club One Air CEO Rajan Mehra told PTI. With increased demand, some players will be taking chartered planes and helicopters on lease during the general elections for which the dates are expected to be announced in the coming days. Chartered plane and helicopter services are charged on an hourly basis. The industry experts opined that the prices can vary between Rs 4.5 lakh t

PM Modi, what he stands for, will be at centre of LS polls: Kapil Sibal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at the centre of the Lok Sabha polls and whether what he stands for is for the good of the people of the country would be the subject matter of the elections, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said on Sunday. In a video interview with PTI, Sibal also said the opposition INDIA bloc needs to come out with a joint vision document which entails what key issues are there before the country which need to be addressed. Asserting that no election is a done deal, Sibal quipped, "I don't know whether picture baki hai ki nahi lekin jo picture chal rahi hai woh desh ke liye theek nahi hai (I don't know whether or not there is more to the film but the one that is playing is not good for the country)." Asked about the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) losing its way with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar crossing over to the NDA and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee saying her party will go solo in the polls, Sibal said negotiations with Banerjee were still o

Gurugram Police issues traffic advisory for PM Modi's visit on March 11

In view of the inauguration of Dwarka Expressway by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 11, Gurugram Traffic Police has issued an advisory prohibiting heavy vehicles to ply on the road. A senior traffic police officer said the prime minister will also hold a rally on the same day near the Antariksh Chowk here, due to which traffic congestion is expected in the area. Therefore, it is advised that people going from Dwarka Clover Leaf towards IMT till 4 pm on March 11 use the Antariksh Chowk route only if it is absolutely necessary, he added. "Antriksh Chowk Road will be closed for some time due to crowd in the rally. On the other hand, movement of heavy vehicles on Dwarka Expressway will be prohibited from 5 pm on Sunday, hence all heavy vehicle drivers should use KMP during this period," read the advisory issued on Saturday.

Highlights of the day: Naidu-Pawan Kalyan seal alliance with BJP

From govt's decision to cut LPG cylinder prices to Rahul Gandhi's poll promises, catch all the latest news from around the world here

Cong expresses 'deep concern' over election commissioner Goel's resignation

The Congress on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over Election Commissioner Arun Goel's resignation, alleging that there is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the Election Commission has been functioning and the manner in which the government "pressures" it. Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said in a post on X, "It is deeply concerning for the health of the world's largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections." There is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressures it, he said. During the 2019

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigns weeks ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 2027. According to a law ministry notification, Goel's resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu with effect from Saturday. It was not immediately known why he stepped down. Goel, a retired bureaucrat, was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He had joined the Election Commission in November 2022. Following the retirement of Anup Pandey in February and Goel's resignation, the three-member EC panel has now only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.

11 Himachal MLAs move to U'khand, Union minister says Sukhu govt will fall

Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against party nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, along with three Independent lawmakers, have shifted to a hotel in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand amid an ongoing rebellion against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Two BJP MLAs Vikram Thakur and Trilok Jamwal from Himachal Pradesh were accompanying the legislators, who arrived in Rishikesh from Haryana's Panchkula by a chartered flight late on Friday and checked into Hotel Taj. Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhuttu, Ravindra Thakur and Chaitanya Sharma have since been disqualified for defying the party whip on the state budget. They have approached the Supreme Court for relief in the matter. Three Independent MLAs Hoshiar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma were also with them when they arrived. The Congress currently has 34 MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly while the BJP has 25. The three Independent MLAs had als

Rahul should contest Lok Sabha polls from seat challenging BJP: D Raja

Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja on Saturday said a leader of Rahul Gandhi's stature should contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from a seat where he can directly challenge the ruling BJP, even as he said it is a political party's prerogative to decide who would it field from a seat. The remarks came a day after the Congress announced that Gandhi will contest the parliamentary polls, likely to be held in April-May, from Wayanad in Kerala, the seat he currently represents in the Lok Sabha. CPI's Annie Raja, wife of D Raja, has been fielded as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate from Wayanad. Asked about the Congress's decision to field Gandhi from Wayanad, Raja said, "Within the LDF, the CPI has got four seats to contest and Wayanad is one of those, so we have announced our candidate. Secondly, it is the prerogative of any political party to choose its candidate from a constituency. In this case, it is the prerogative of the Congress." However, he pointe

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh praises strong first list for Lok Sabha polls

Congress released its first list of 39 candidates for Lok Sabha elections on Friday with party General Secretary KC Venugopal asserting that his party's priority is to win maximum number of seats

Congress would need 20 yrs to do what we did in 5 yrs in Northeast: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the kind of work done by his government in the last five years in the Northeast, the Congress would have taken 20 years to do it. The PM was addressing a public meeting in Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar after unveiling development projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in the region. "The Northeast is going to become a strong link in India's trade, tourism and other relations with South Asia and East Asia. Today, projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore have been unveiled here," he said. "Congress would have taken 20 years to do what we have done in the last five years in the Northeast," he added. The prime minister said that one can clearly see what "Modi's guarantee" is if he visits Arunachal Pradesh. "The entire Northeast is watching how Modi's guarantee is working," he said. The PM also said that as he was working for the development of the country, leaders of the opposition bloc INDIA were attacking him.

Cong leader Suresh Pachouri, ex-MP Rajukhedi to join BJP ahead of LS polls

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri and ex-MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday morning, party sources said. Pachouri, who was close to the Gandhi family, was Union minister of state for defence (defence production and supplies), and also served as a four-time Rajya Sabha member of the grand old party. Rajukhedi, a prominent tribal leader, was elected as an MP from Dhar (Scheduled Tribes) seat on the Congress ticket for three terms. In 1990, he was elected as a BJP MLA, but later joined the Congress, the sources said.