Lok Sabha Elections 2024 News Updates: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other INDIA bloc partners will take part in a large rally in Amethi at 1 pm. Rahul and Akhilesh will attend a joint rally in Raebareli later in the day at 3 pm.
Tag: General Elections
-
‘Last election of my life…’: Digvijaya Singh to retire from electoral politics after 2024 LS polls – The Economic Times Video
Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh, 77, shared a personal story about meeting a respected local merchant in Raghogarh after his father’s death. The merchant’s advice emphasised life goals like earning, saving for jewellery and a house, and making a name for oneself. Singh said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be the “last election of his life”.
-
LIVE Updates | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In Bastar, Rahul Accuses PM Of Favoring The Wealthy And Ignoring The Masses |
Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE Updates: Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds roadshow in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu. Congress, AIADMK, and BJP have fielded Vijay Vasanth, Nazerath Pasilian and Pon Radhakrishnan respectively. Congress’ Vasanth is the sitting MP from the seat who won the by-polls after the demise of his father H Vasanthakumar in August 2020. Later, he will campaign in the Bhandara-Gondia constituency of Sakoli district, Maharashtra at 3:30 p.m.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, along with other party leaders, released their manifesto titled ‘Parivartan Patra’ ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. At the launch, Yadav said, “Today, we have released our ‘Parivartan Patra’. We are bringing 24 promises in 2024, which is our commitment that we will fulfil. It has a lot of important issues regarding the development of Bihar.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be campaigning for party candidate Kawasi Lakhma from the Bastar constituency. He will address a public meeting at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Maidan at 12 p.m.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address a public meeting while campaigning for the BJP candidate from the Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency at Alampur Gawadi Maidan, Badhapur, at 12.25 p.m. He will also campaign for the BJP candidate Jitin Prasada from the Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency at Behedi in Bareilly at the Ramlila Maidan at 3.30 p.m.
Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav will hold a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. He will leave from Lucknow at 10:15 a.m., hold a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar at 1:30 p.m., and another meeting at Nahtaur in Bijnor at 2:30 p.m.
Follow Live Updates On Major Political Events In Run Up To Lok Sabha Elections Here:
6:00 PM BJP candidate from Mandi constituency Kangana Ranaut dances with people during a public meeting in Mandi’s Jogindernagar.
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: BJP candidate from Mandi Kangana Ranaut dances with people during a public meeting in Mandi’s Jogindernagar. pic.twitter.com/k3PODhNg9j
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 20245:20 PM CM Yogi Adityanath addressed a public rally in Bareilly and said that we believe in resolving the problems. “We believe in resolving the problems. You must have seen that we have made UP secure. We have done a lot of work for the development… This is the new UP of new India. We are standing with you for your security…” he said.
4:30 PM Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh said that the party believed in Vikramaditya’s candidature, “All our senior leaders believe that this time a young leader should be fielded. So, a consensus has been reached on the name of Vikramaditya (Singh)…The names will be finalised soon..,” she said.
2:30 PM: During a poll rally in Bastar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “It may astonish you that the wealth of 22 individuals in this nation is equivalent to that of 70 crore citizens. Prime Minister Modi dedicates his day to assisting these 22 individuals. The spread of unemployment is evident, and in every state, you will hear that the primary concerns are unemployment, rising prices, and engagement. Do the media ever discuss unemployment, inflation, and civic engagement? Instead, they broadcast images of PM Modi boarding planes, exploring the ocean depths, or praying in temples.”
1:00 PM: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s public meetings in Ramnagar of Garhwal district in underway. Addressing the large corwd, Priyanka said, “For how long you’ll keep blaming Congress. Congress is not in power for the last 10 years. For the last 10 years, they (BJP) have been in govt with a full majority, now they say ‘400 paar’ they want more majority. They say nothing has been done in 75 years. If nothing has happened, how have such skills developed in Uttarakhand, from where IITs, IIMs, and AIIMSs came into the country. Chandrayaaan landed on the moon, if Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru hadn’t built these, was it possible?…”
12:35 PM: BJP state president K Annamalai holds campaign in Theni, in support of Theni Lok Sabha constituency candidate TTV Dhinakaran.
12:15 PM: Here’s what BJP leader Samrat Choudhary said on RJD’s promise of 1 crore jobs in its poll manifesto that was released earlier today. “Lalu Prasad’s family didn’t tell how much land they would acquire in the name of giving 1 crore jobs. They can only do corruption and for that, they have made a roadmap.”
12 PM: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while talking to media in Dharamsala said, “Today we have our CEC meeting. In the meeting, discussions will be held on the Lok Sabha and assembly candidates who are shortlisted and then the candidates will be announced.”
11:45 AM: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi holds a roadshow in Tiruchendur.
11 AM: Tejashwi Yadav while releasing RJD’s manifesto said, “From 15th August, people will start getting freedom from unemployment. If our government comes to power, the process of providing jobs will start from 15th August. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, we will provide Rs 1 lakh to our sisters belonging to the poor household, every year. We will provide gas cylinders at Rs 500…”. He added, “If our INDIA alliance is voted to power, we will give government jobs to one crore youth across the country…Today unemployment is our biggest enemy and BJP people did not talk about this, they had promised to give 2 crore jobs but we do what we say and will give 1 crore jobs.”
On the release of ‘Parivartan Patra’, Yadav announced, “We will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) and we will provide special status to Bihar.” For better connectivity in Bihar, Yadav revealed plans to build 5 new airports in the state in Purnea, Bhagalpur, Muzzafarpur, Gopalganj and Raxaul.
-
Google To Suspend Political Ads In South Korea Ahead Of Elections
The company also plans to provide various election-related information panels via YouTube search results related to the election to connect users to credible sources for further information.
-
Misinformation Spread Via Deepfakes Biggest Threat To Upcoming Polls In India: Tenable |
New Delhi: Misinformation and disinformation spread through artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes and fake content are the biggest threats to the upcoming elections in India,” exposure management company Tenable said on Sunday.
According to the company, these threats will be shared across social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others.
“The biggest threats to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are misinformation and disinformation as part of influence operations conducted by malicious actors against the electorate,” said Satnam Narang, Senior Staff Research Engineer at Tenable, to IANS.
A recent report by Tidal Cyber highlighted that this year, 10 countries will face the highest levels of election cyber interference threats, including India.
Recently, deepfake videos of former US President Bill Clinton and current President Joe Biden were fabricated and circulated to confuse citizens during the upcoming presidential elections. (Also Read: Woman Falls Victim To Investment Scam, Loses Jewelry And Over Rs 24 Lakh)
Experts note that the proliferation of deepfake content surged in late 2017, with over 7,900 videos online. By early 2019, this number nearly doubled to 14,678, and the trend continues to escalate.
“With the increase in generative AI tools and their use growing worldwide, we may see deepfakes, be it in images or video content, impersonating notable candidates seeking to retain their seats or those hoping to unseat incumbents in parliament,” Narang added.
The Indian government has recently issued directives to social media platforms such as X and Meta (formerly Facebook), urging them to regulate the proliferation of AI-generated deepfake content.
Additionally, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) has issued an advisory to these platforms to remove AI-generated deepfakes from their platforms. (Also Read: WhatsApp Allows To Pin Multiple Messages In Chat; Here’s How to Pin Messages on Android, iOS, And Desktop)
Tenable suggests that the easiest way to identify a deepfake image is to look for nonsensical text or language that looks almost alien-like in language.
-
Bangladesh Goes To Polls Today Amid Tight Security | world news
Dhaka: Nearly 170 million people in Bangladesh will vote to elect 299 lawmakers during the 12th national election on Sunday amid a boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, after PM Sheikh Hasina denied its demand to resign and let A caretaker government runs the election, Al Jazeera reported.
More than 42,000 polling stations are set for Sunday’s elections, where a total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to cast their votes, as reported by the country’s Election Commission. Women make up almost half of the nearly 120 million eligible voters, while first-time voters number about 15 million.
Al Jazeera reported that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which on Saturday began a 48-hour nationwide strike against the “illegal government” amid violence and a crackdown on protesters, Al Jazeera reported.
The Supreme Court on December 27 provided clearance for the Election Commission (EC) to proceed with the general elections. Highlighting the security concerns, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed private hospitals and clinics across Bangladesh to keep health services operational and to remain prepared to handle emergencies from Saturday to Wednesday, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
The directive was issued in a letter signed by DGHS Deputy Director Abu Hussain Md Moinul Ahsan. This letter was sent to the president, secretary of the Bangladesh Private Clinic Hospital and Diagnostic Center Owners Association, and the president of the Bangladesh Private Medical College Owners Association, among other relevant parties.
As per the letter, private clinics, hospitals, and medical college hospitals must remain fully prepared to handle any emergencies during and after the election until January 10, according to Dhaka Tribune.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised to maintain cooperation and friendly relations with India if she is re-elected in the parliamentary polls next month. The reaffirmation came as she unveiled the manifesto of the ruling Awami League party in December, for the upcoming general elections.
Hasina underlined that if her party secures victory, Bangladesh will persist in its development collaboration with all nations, highlighting its commitment to fostering positive diplomatic ties and cooperation.
Specifically mentioning India-Bangladesh ties, the manifesto states, “The long-standing problem of demarcation of land boundaries and exchange of enclaves with India has been resolved. This achievement has encouraged continued multilateral cooperation and friendly relations with India.”
Moreover, earlier on Friday, three members of the Election Commission of India (ECI) arrived in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh’s 12th general elections. They will actively participate as part of the international election observer team, contributing to the monitoring process.
The Election Commission has made thorough arrangements for the upcoming 12th national parliamentary election on January 7 to ensure a peaceful process. As many as 127 foreign observers will track the election process to assess the election’ fairness.
International election expert teams from the European Union are present in Dhaka, with foreign observers from various countries, including a Commonwealth team, set to monitor the elections. Despite the preparations, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has decided to boycott the polls. To prevent voting, the BNP has started a 48-hour strike starting commencing on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “illegal government,” the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Under the leadership of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP has decided to boycott the general election scheduled for Sunday. The party is advocating for the formation of an interim non-party neutral government to oversee the election, a demand that has been rebuffed by the government led by Prime Minister Hasina.
The BNP will carry out processions, mass campaigns and distribute leaflets against the polls across the country, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. Moreover, the second day of the hartal coincides with the election, which has already gathered global attention.
Adding to the already existing hurdles, the Bangladesh Election Commission’s election application, “Smart Election Management BD” crashed on the eve of the general elections. The Tk21 crore app, launched by the Election Commission for voters to find election-related details, including polling center locations, stopped working a day before the polling date.
Furthermore, at least 14 polling centers and two schools in 10 districts of Bangladesh were set on fire between Friday evening and early Saturday hours before general elections, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
However, the general elections in Bangladesh will witness participation from approximately 30 countries and 180 overseas observers, signifying international interest and observation in the electoral process.