News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha Elections

  • Muslim community: ‘Muslims use condoms the most’: Asaduddin Owaisi fires back at PM Modi, alleges BJP’s anti-Muslim propaganda

    Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks about the Muslim community, stating that Muslim men use condoms the most in India. His comments came in response to PM Modi’s statement referring to Muslims as “those who have more children.”“The Prime Minister is saying Muslims are producing more children. The Modi government’s data itself says the fertility rate of Muslims has dropped, but he is saying we are producing more children. The BJP and RSS are spreading this lie to claim that Muslims will become the majority in India,” said Owaisi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Hyderabad, said at a public rally.Owaisi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Hyderabad, accused PM Modi of spreading lies to incite hate among the Hindu community. He pointed out that government data shows a drop in the fertility rate of Muslims, contradicting PM Modi’s claims about Muslims producing more children.”If anyone uses condoms the most among men in India, they are Muslims. I am not saying this. This is government data,” Owaisi said at a public rally.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesPM Modi’s remarks were made during a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, where he criticized the Congress party over its wealth redistribution survey promise. He alleged that if the Congress is voted to power, it would distribute the country’s wealth to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children.”Owaisi also accused PM Modi of instilling fear and spreading hate towards Muslims and Dalits since 2002. He criticized PM Modi’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” calling it deceitful.The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief further criticized PM Modi for referring to Muslims as “infiltrators,” stating that this is the real face of Modi.”Every newspaper writes Modi Ki Guarantee. There is only one Modi Ki Guarantee, that is the hatred towards Dalits and Muslims. How long will you continue spreading this hate? Our faith and religion are different, but we are also citizens of this country,” Owaisi said.

    “I was watching him on TV. People were showing his speech to me. I asked them, why are you surprised, this is the real face of Modi,” Owaisi charged.

    “He was just cheating all by saying Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” he added.

    PM Modi’s remarks have sparked controversy, with the Congress party lodging a complaint against him with the Election Commission. The BJP has not yet responded to Owaisi’s comments.

  • SC to hear Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against arrest in money laundering case on April 29

    New Delhi, The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is likely to hear the matter. Kejriwal had earlier told the apex court that his “illegal arrest” in the case constitutes an unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy based on “free and fair elections” and “federalism”. In a rejoinder to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) reply affidavit filed on his petition challenging his arrest in the case, Kejriwal said the mode, manner and timing of his arrest just before the Lok Sabha elections when the Model Code of Conduct had come into play, speaks volumes about the “arbitrariness” of the agency. Kejriwal claimed it is a “classical case” of how the Centre has misused the ED and its wide powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to “crush” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesIt claimed that the ED illegally ‘picked up’ a sitting chief minister and the national convenor of one of the national Opposition parties, five days after the general elections were announced and the Model Code of Conduct came into force. He said a level playing field, which is a pre-requisite for ‘free and fair elections’, has clearly been compromised with his illegal arrest. It said the entire basis of Kejriwal’s arrest rests upon certain statements which are in the nature of “self-incriminating confessions” by alleged accomplices who have been given the immunity by way of pardon etc. “Whether such statements could qualify as materials to reach the conclusion of guilt as envisaged under section 19 PMLA to justify the arrest of a sitting chief minister of NCT of Delhi or a national convenor of a national political party in India in the midst of general elections,” it asked.

    In the rejoinder, Kejriwal alleged the only objective of the ED was to procure and obtain some statement against him and as soon as the statement was taken, the mission of the probe agency was accomplished and thereafter, the co-accused were neither arrested nor any further statements were taken.

    The AAP leader claimed the malicious intent of the ED in conducting the investigation was apparent from its deliberate concealment of statements made by co-accused individuals where either no allegations were made or allegations were explicitly denied.

    Kejriwal also said there is no link whatsoever established by the ED to claim that an amount of Rs 45 crore was transferred by the South group as advanced kickback which was then utilised by the AAP in the Goa elections.

    The chief minister said the ED, in its reply affidavit filed in the apex court, has said that one of the reasons which necessitated his arrest was that he did not remain present before the investigating officer (IO) despite being summoned nine times.

    In its reply affidavit filed in the apex court earlier this week, the ED has claimed that Kejriwal is the “kingpin and key conspirator” of the excise policy scam and the arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the “concept of free and fair elections”.

    The ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.

    On April 15, the top court issued a notice to the ED and sought its response to Kejriwal’s plea.

    The high court had on April 9 upheld Kejriwal’s arrest in the money laundering case, saying there was no illegality about it and that the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.

    The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.

  • Large number of Sikhs, including DSGMC members, join BJP in the presence of JP Nadda – The Economic Times Video

    Over 2,000 people from the Sikh community in Delhi joined the BJP amid ongoing Lok Sabha Elections, in the presence of party National President JP Nadda, National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva. Voting for all seven Lok Sabha Parliamentary seats in Delhi will be held on May 26 as part of Phase 6 of the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections.

  • LS Polls Phase 2: PM has made a ‘liar’ image of himself, says Congress’ Pawan Khera – The Economic Times Video

    As the 2nd phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway, Congress leader Pawan Khera on April 26 hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking lies during the election campaigns. “The first phase of voting for 102 seats, scared the PM and thus he lies, today, the second phase will end, where PM Modi’s sources tell him that this too has gone out of hands. Through you, I would like to warn the people of this country that lies will increase, and new lies will come up from the PM’s mouth. So, countrymen should stay alert and just like they have stopped believing in WhatsApp messages, they have also stopped believing in whatever the PM says. The PM himself has created this liar image of himself,” said Pawan Khera.

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Voting begins in 88 seats across 12 states, one UT – The Economic Times Video

    Second phase voting for Lok Sabha elections is taking place across 13 states and union territories today. The campaign has been marked by intense campaigning and sharp exchanges between political parties. The polling was supposed to be held in 89 Lok Sabha constituencies, but voting in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul was postponed to third phase after the death of Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) candidate.

  • lok sabha: India readies for 2nd Phase of Lok Sabha elections; Here are the key battles across 88 seats

    India is gearing up for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, set to take place across 13 states and union territories tomorrow. The campaign has been marked by intense campaigning and sharp exchanges between political parties. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the upcoming phase:Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: Voting DetailsConstituencies: The second phase covers 88 Lok Sabha constituencies, including all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and others.Voting Schedule: Polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm. The election is being held in seven phases till June 1, with vote counting on June 4.Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: INDIA Bloc and Opposition Unity:AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesSeveral opposition parties have formed the INDIA bloc to field common candidates against the BJP.Key Personalities:Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is re-contesting from Wayanad, Kerala.Shashi Tharoor: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is seeking a fourth successive term from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.Hema Malini: Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini is contesting from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.Bhupesh Baghel: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: Previous Phase Recap:The first phase of voting was held on April 19 across 102 constituencies. The voter turnout was over 62 per cent.Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: States and Seats in Phase 2:Assam: 5 seats – Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nawgong, KaliaborBihar: 5 seats – Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, BankaChhattisgarh: 3 seats – Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, KankerJammu and Kashmir: JammuKarnataka: 14 seats – Various constituenciesKerala: All 20 seatsMadhya Pradesh: 6 seats – Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, BetulMaharashtra: 8 seats – Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, ParbhaniManipur: Outer ManipurRajasthan: 13 seats – Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, Jhalawar-BaranTripura: Tripura EastUttar Pradesh: 8 seats – Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, BulandshahrWest Bengal: 3 seats – Darjeeling, Raiganj, BalurghatLok Sabha Polls Phase 2: Voter Eligibility

    An estimated 16 crore voters, including 8.08 crore male, 7.8 crore female voters, and 5,929 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote in this phase.

    Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: Key Candidates in Phase 2

    Kerala: Rahul Gandhi (Wayanad), Shashi Tharoor (Thiruvananthapuram), Hema Malini (Mathura), Bhupesh Baghel (Rajnandgaon)Karnataka: HD Kumaraswamy (Mandya), Yaduveer Wadiyar (Mysuru), DK Suresh (Bengaluru Rural), Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South)Assam: Pradyut Bordoloi (Nagaon), Dilip Saikia (Darrang-Udalguri), Kripanath Mallah (Karimganj), Parimal Suklabaidya (Silchar)Bihar: Santosh Kushwaha (Purnia), Mohammed Jawed (Kishanganj), Ajay Kumar Mandal (Bhagalpur), Giridhari Yadav (Banka)Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel (Rajnandgaon), Tamradhwaj Sahu (Mahasamund), Bhojraj Nag (Kanker)Madhya Pradesh: Virendra Kumar Khatik (Tikamgarh), RB Prajapati (Khajuraho), Tarbar Singh Lodhi (Damoh)Maharashtra: Prataprao Chikhalikar Govindrao (Nanded), Ashtikar Patil Nagesh Bapurao (Hingoli), Sanjay alias Bandu Jadhav (Parbhani)The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections is poised to be a significant chapter in India’s democratic process, with key battles and prominent leaders vying for the mandate of the people.

  • Swami Speaks: PM Modi doing more wealth redistribution than Gandhis did when in power – The Economic Times Video

    Explore the differences between Rahul Gandhi’s and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approaches to wealth redistribution. Join us as we delve into their policies and decipher the core of the matter with Swaminathan Aiyar, Consultant Editor at The Economic Times. Swamy will guide us through the ideologies, strategies, and implications shaping India’s socio-economic fabric. Watch!

  • M Abdul Salam: BJP’s only Muslim candidate soldiers on in LS seat with 70% Muslim voters, banking on Modi factor

    Malappuram (Kerala): On the day of Eid, when people gave him angry looks at a mosque as he went around greeting people after offering namaz, BJP’s only Muslim candidate in the country, M Abdul Salam, was crestfallen. One person even refused to shake hands as a mark of disapproval of his joining the saffron party.“I never had such a bad experience,” said the 71-year-old former vice chancellor of Calicut University, who swears by the Modi model of development.In a constituency of 4 million people where 70% are Muslims, and where the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is the dominant political force, Salam started feeling unwelcome in his early days of campaigning. Unfazed, the agriculture scientist with specialisation in cashew research, went about his job, highlighting Modi’s programmes and India’s progress over the past 10 years.“Initially I had a lost feeling, but now I feel my graph is gradually going up,” the BJP candidate told ET in Malappuram, reposing his faith in women, educated youth and those Muslims dissatisfied with the report card of other parties. “Many Muslims are not aware of the good programmes of Modi ji because of the false propaganda of the UDF and LDF. But I could see that the Modi ji model of development agenda has reached the grassroots with many houses benefitted by three to six programmes.”AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesSalam, locked in a contest with ET Mohammed Basheer (IUML) and V Vaseef (CPI-M), said he got a dose of confidence when a 40-year-old Muslim woman joined the BJP in his presence. The woman told him that she has a 20-year-old daughter and that with triple talaq outlawed, her daughter was safe now, Salam said. She, according to him, also told him that only Modi could bring the uniform civil code which would establish the rights of Muslim women over inheritance of family property.Salam is confident the BJP’s vote share would see a big jump this time due to the Modi factor. “Muslim women are happy with Modi as his action on triple talaq has boosted their confidence. They respect him in their hearts but cannot express it openly as they live in a closed ecosystem with limited gender equality and other restrictions,” he said, adding: “The PM wants to bring Muslims to the mainstream and make them beneficiaries of a New India.”Salam called the reports suggesting that he was not allowed to join Modi’s roadshow in Palakkad, last month, as inaccurate. “I was not invited to be part of the road show in the first place. I went there on my own to meet the PM and invite him to my (Malappuram) constituency. He agreed to visit my constituency and wished me good luck. This is the reality, but it was given a political twist.”

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: From Vijay to Suriya to Trisha Krishnan, celebrities cast their votes – The Economic Times Video

    Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections has begun in 21 states and UTs. Over 16.63 crore voters, including more than 8 crore men and 8 crore women, will cast their vote across 1.87 lakh polling stations. Here are some visuals of celebrities casting their votes…

  • lok sabha elections: Tamil Nadu demographic could hurt the BJP’s ambitious plans for the state

    Coimbatore: As the BJP looks to get the lotus to bloom in Tamil Nadu, the stumbling block for the national party would be its anti-minority image in a state where minorities are among the highest in any state in the country, said experts and analysts ahead of the upcoming polls on April 19.

    As per the Census in 2011, Hindus are a majority in the state constituting 87.58% of Tamil Nadu’s 7.21 crore. The Muslim population comprise 5.86% of the total population while the Christians make up 6.12%.

    The BJP has laid constant electioneering siege with the prime minister making multiple visits to Tamil Nadu. While the party’s popularity has been growing owing to leaders like the BJP state chief Annamalai, who is being touted as a dark horse who could spring a surprise in Coimbatore this election. However, the demographics of the state might come in the way of the BJP’s ambitious plans.This time, the party has also taken the decision to ditch its alliance with the AIADMK and go solo in as many as 19 of the 39 constituencies and contest four others with the help of its allies. However, analysts said the BJP’s performance in these constituencies may suffer owing to their perception of being against minorities, despite their best efforts to shed this image through vigorous outreach.

    During his 168-day ‘yatra’ by foot and on wheels from Rameswaram, Annamalai met several leaders from Muslim and christian communities, the dialogue with these leaders was to convey to minority community leaders that the BJP was not against them in any way and was only keen on fighting terrorism, perpetrated by militant organisations.

    On Saturday too Annamalai met Bishop Paul Alappat and the members of the Coimbatore Diocese pastoral council in Ramanthapuram and Coimbatore and later wrote on ‘X’ “Bishop Paul Alappat’s wisdom & community service has inspired countless lives,” Annamalai said on X (formerly Twitter). While the BJP is reaching out to the communities, there is scepticism on whether this approach would work. “The anti-minority tag of the BJP will cost them dearly,” political analyst Tharasu Shyam told ET. “The minority percentage in Tamil Nadu varies from 10-20% and constituencies like Vellore and Ramanathapuram have got a heavy concentration of Muslims. The BJP may come second in about four constituencies. Theni, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli are witnessing tough competition by the BJP alliance, but ultimately the numerical strength of the DMK alliance and anti-minority tag of BJP is likely to prevail.”

    A report by the Pew Research Center said the largest numbers of Christians in India were still concentrated in the Southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It went on to add that the Christian population grew the most in Tamil Nadu of all the states in India, increasing by 6 lakh to touch 40 lakhs.

    “The demographic of Tamil Nadu with its larger minority populations has always made it harder for parties that are perceived as being anti-minority to make a mark,” political analyst N Sathiya Moorthy said. “Both the minorities combined should make up around 15-20% of the total population in Tamil Nadu and so parties they perceive to support them start with that advantage.”

    For example, he said, if the combined percentage stood at 15%, then most of it will likely go to the DMK-Congress combine – giving them an edge over rivals.

    “The question is how many of the minority votes may shift to the AIADMK because they are not aligning with the BJP. I don’t see that happening because suddenly the BJP and Modi have become election issues this time,” Moorthy said.

    As per the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), Christians in Tamil Nadu are spread across nearly all the districts, but their presence is relatively higher in a few pockets spread across different parts of the state. Their highest presence is in the south, particularly in Kanyakumari, home to one-fifth of all the Christians in the state.

    The CPS said that besides Kanyakumari, the growth of Christians was ‘remarkable’ in Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts that surround Chennai city. It also observed that the number and share of Muslims in Tamil Nadu was almost like that of the Christians but that they were spread more uniformly across the state. It said their highest concentration is in Ramanathapuram, where they formed 15.4% of the population.

    “Religious polarisation will not work in Tamil Nadu because this is the land of social reformer EVR (Periyar),” senior journalist S Murari said. “The BJP knows minorities won’t vote for it, so it is banking on majority Hindus by saying the DMK is anti-God and anti-Hindu and like the Congress, it is a party of corrupt dynasts.”