News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha Elections

  • Election Commission issues notification for first phase of Lok Sabha elections

    The Election Commission of India on Wednesday issued the notification for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 to be conducted on April 19.

    In the notification, the ECI informed that March 28 will be the last date for filing nominations for Bihar and March 27 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

    “March 30 will be the date for scrutiny of nominations for Bihar and March 28 for others,” the notification said.According to the ECI’s notification, April 2 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidatures for Bihar and March 30 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry;

    “June 6, the date before which the election shall be completed in all the above-mentioned parliamentary constituencies,” the notification read.

    Elections will be held in 102 Lok Sabha seats in 17 States and Four Union Territories in this phase.39 seats in Tamil Nadu, 12 in Rajasthan, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, and 6 in Madhya Pradesh will go to polls in the first phase.Along with them, five seats in Uttarakhand, Assam and Maharashtra, four seats in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and one seat in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry will also go to polls on April 19.

    The Election Commission on March 16, announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    The polling will be conducted in seven phases across the nation from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will be on June 4.

  • Jammu & Kashmir administration a stumbling block to assembly election as they are ruling with no accountability: Omar Abdullah

    Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the administration in the union territory sabotaged the decision of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections here concurrently.

    Abdullah while addressing a rally in Noorabad area of southern Kashmir started the party’s election campaign urging people to come out to vote in large numbers to reject the ‘loot, deception and injustice’ done on August 5 2019.

    “ECI is on record saying that political parties wanted simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections…these officers ruling here without any accountability sabotaged the process citing security reasons,” alleged Abdullah. He referred to the officers posted here as ‘uncrowned kings’ who are ‘passing laws and giving land and contracts to outsiders at their own will.’ The last assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014, when BJP-PDP formed a coalition government, which fell in 2018, when BJP withdrew its support. Since then J&K is without any elected government. “They claim that the situation has improved in J&K and stone pelting, guns and separatism has ended. If everything is fine then why didn’t you allow conducting assembly elections with Lok Sabha elections,” Abdullah asked. The NC leader said that ECI is also on record saying that elections will be conducted before September, 2024. “From October, there will be no rule of Raj Bhawan or Delhi or the parliament or any of these officers from outside. People of J&K will elect their representatives and decide the policies of who will get the land here, who will get the contract and who will come from outside,” said Abdullah.

    The NC leader urged people to vote in Lok Sabha elections terming it as a ‘semi-final’ before the assembly elections in J&K. “This is an important and first big election after August 5, 2019, when our constitution, flag, identity and honour was snatched from us. We have to convey through our vote that we are ready to fight for our rights and will beat the forces who are attempting to rob our land and snatch our jobs,” said Abdullah.

    The NC is a part of INDIA bloc, however, they have repeatedly asserted that they will fight on all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir division. The BJP is aiming to make inroads into the Valley through trans-Pir Panchal Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, which has a sizable Gujjar-Bakerwal and Pahari population. “Despite changing the map of Anantnag constituency by connecting Rajouri-Poonch with Anantnag of southern Kashmir which is a step towards implementing Dixon Plan, people won’t vote for the BJP or any of its proxies, as they know what they are doing in the rest of the country,” said Abdullah. He accused the BJP of following theBritish policy of divide and rule. “BJP wants Kashmir to fight with Jammu, Hindu with Muslims, Gujjar with Paharis to ensure that somehow they win this Anantnag seat. But people are aware enough to make the right decision through their vote,” said Abdullah.

  • 1 Out Of Every 5 Sitting BJP MPs Lost Their Ticket Despite ‘Clear Wave’: A Look At The Big Faces Rested |

    New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a decisive move by replacing 21% of its sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) with new candidates, NDTV reported. This change comes as the party announced 267 Lok Sabha candidates across two lists. The second list, released on Wednesday, introduced 30 fresh faces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to NDTV, this strategic candidate reshuffle is a response to potential anti-incumbency sentiments. The party’s choices reflect the grassroots feedback and are aligned with its ambitious goal to secure 370 seats in the forthcoming polls, an increase of 67 seats from the 2019 elections.

    New Faces in Key Regions

    In the nation’s capital, the BJP has nominated Harsh Malhotra for the East Delhi constituency, replacing former cricketer and sitting MP Gautam Gambhir. For the North West Delhi seat, reserved for the Scheduled Caste, Yogendra Chandolia has been chosen over the incumbent Hans Raj Hans.

    In Gujarat, the home turf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the party has introduced five new candidates, including Bhikhaji Dudhaji Thakore for Sabarkantha and Nimuben Bambhania for Bhavnagar, signaling a significant change in representation.

    In Haryana, The BJP has opted for Ashok Tanwar, a former Congress leader, for the Sirsa seat, while former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been fielded from Karnal, indicating a high-stakes play in the state.

    The party’s second list features five new faces in Karnataka, including Basavaraj Kyavator for Koppal and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for Haveri, showcasing a mix of seasoned politicians and new entrants.

    Changes Across the Map

    In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has nominated Savitri Thakur for Dhar, and in Maharashtra, new candidates like Smita Wagh for Jalgaon and Union Minister Piyush Goyal for Mumbai North have been introduced, reflecting a nationwide strategy to rejuvenate the party’s electoral appeal.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has selected Anup Dhorte to contest from the Akola constituency in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha seat, replacing the current MP, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre.

    In Mumbai North East, the BJP has chosen Mihir Kotecha over the incumbent MP Manoj Kishorebhai Kotak. Pankaja Munde has been announced as the candidate for the Beed Lok Sabha seat, taking over from her sister Pritam Gopinath Rao Munde, who has served for two consecutive terms.

    For the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat in Telangana, reserved for the Scheduled Caste, the BJP has nominated Godam Nagesh, moving away from the sitting MP Soyam Babu Rao. Anil Baluni, the party’s chief spokesperson and a member of the Rajya Sabha, has been fielded for the Garhwal seat, succeeding the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat.

    Trivendra Singh Rawat, another former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, has been chosen to run for the Haridwar seat, replacing the two-term MP and former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

    From the Tripura East seat, the BJP has put forward Maharani Kriti Singh Debbarma, taking the place of the current MP Rebati Tripura. This follows the party’s earlier decision, announced on March 2, to introduce new candidates for over 190 Lok Sabha seats, which included changing at least 33 incumbent MPs.

  • Haryana Crisis: CM Manohar Lal Likely To Resign; Nayab Saini, Sanjay Bhatia Frontrunners For Top Post, Say Sources |

    New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will resign from the CM post on Tuesday, sources said to Zee News Television. CM Khattar can contest Lok Sabha elections from Karnal. The alliance between BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in Haryana is on the verge of breaking as the two parties failed to finalise seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha elections. CM Khattar has convened an urgent assembly with party lawmakers and seven Independent MLAs in the state’s heart at 11.30 am today. However, souces say that JJP legislators will boycott the meet called by the CM.

    Zee News TV souces said that Nayab Saini and Sanjay Bhatia are the two frontrunners for the CM post if Khattar steps down.

    Speaking to reporters, Gopal Kanda, the MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) has claimed that the political alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). Speaking to ANI, Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat voiced on Tuesday that the coalition is teetering on the edge, yet he assured that the independent MLAs backing the ML Khattar government will be the linchpin of its endurance.

    “During my conversation with the Chief Minister just a day ago, we reaffirmed our allegiance to the administration spearheaded by CM Manohar Lal. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections were a key topic of our strategy session. It became apparent to me that the severance of ties with the JJP is underway,” said Haryana’s Independent MLA Nayan Rawat post his dialogue with the Chief Minister.

    Nayan Pal Rawat secured his seat in the Haryana Legislative Assembly representing Prithla in 2019 as an Independent candidate. Echoing the sentiment, Independent MLA Dharampal Gonder confirmed the independents’ support for the BJP-dominated government.

    Within the 90-seat Haryana Assembly, the BJP holds 41 seats and is bolstered by the backing of 5 independent MLAs, including HLP’s Gopal Kanda.

    In a parallel development, sources reveal that the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) convened a meeting in Delhi, with discussions slated to occur at the abode of Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala. These sources also divulged that the Deputy Chief Minister has relinquished the government motorcade, signaling a potential dissolution of the alliance.

    In a notable shift, Brijendra Singh, erstwhile BJP MP from Hisar, Haryana, defected to the Congress on March 10 after resigning from the incumbent party.

    Reflecting on the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the BJP clinched victory across all 10 constituencies, while the JJP, allied with AAP, failed to make significant inroads in the 7 contests it entered.

    The anticipation builds as the Lok Sabha elections are slated for the window between April and May of this year.

     

  • Ayodhya: Maharashtra cabinet gives nod to 300-acre park in Mumbai; guesthouse for pilgrims in Ayodhya

    Just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra cabinet on Monday cleared 18 proposals, including the development of a 300-acre park in Mumbai and the construction of a guesthouse in Ayodhya for pilgrims from the state. As per an official statement, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a cabinet meeting, during which he cleared the urban development department’s proposal to develop a 300-acre landscaped park along the lines of New York’s Central Park.

    The cabinet approved the public works department’s proposed construction of a guesthouse in Ayodhya for pilgrims from the state visiting the newly inaugurated Ram temple and other sites in the Uttar Pradesh town, it said.

    Among other decisions, the cabinet also cleared a proposal by the women and child development to include names of mothers in all state government documents. The department had earlier said that this decision could be seen as a step towards giving more recognition to mothers as government documents traditionally carry the father’s name.

    The cabinet also approved the housing department’s proposal to reduce stamp duty for residents of the BDD chawl and slums and a plan for permanent houses for families of workers from 58 textile mills, which were once operational in the city.

  • Bansuri Swaraj hits back after AAP alleges BJP candidate represented ‘anti-national powers’ in court

    New Delhi, The AAP on Sunday attacked the BJP for fielding Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, claiming she had represented “anti-national powers” in court, even as she hit back at Delhi’s ruling party over its choice of candidate from the seat. Delhi Minister Atishi said at a press conference that Swaraj — the daughter of late BJP leader and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj — should apologise to the people of the country for taking up such cases and also demanded that the saffron party replace her.

    “Bansuri Swaraj has replaced Meenakshi Lekhi from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. She has represented anti-national powers in courts of law,” the senior AAP leader claimed.

    “She (Swaraj) represented the Chandigarh mayor who was elected by cheating in the recent mayoral polls. She has represented Lalit Modi, a fugitive, from 2012 to 2014 in courts of law,” Atishi alleged. She also demanded that the BJP change its candidate from the constituency.

    Hitting back, Swaraj questioned the AAP on its choice of candidate, who was allegedly beaten up by his own cadre in Rajendra Nagar on Saturday.

    Responding to the AAP’s allegations, she said, “I would like to ask the AAP — why have you fielded a candidate who was beaten up by his own cadre in Rajendra Nagar yesterday (Saturday)?” “They have named a candidate who is not liked by his own party members. They can put allegations against us but people will give them a reply in the elections,” she said.

    The AAP has named Somnath Bharti as its candidate from the New Delhi seat.

  • BJP trying to woo BSP’s dalit vote bank in Uttar Pradesh

    BJP, which has been constantly working to expand its base among the SC voters, finds itself in an advantageous position with the waning hold of BSP, which once enjoyed considerable support among Dalits in the state. As of now, BSP has not aligned with any party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and has decided to go solo on all 80 seats in the state.

    BJP, which won 62 seats in the 2019 LS elections in UP, is eyeing to maximise its tally in the state by crossing 70. To achieve that goal, BSP vote bank becomes crucial for the party. SCs account for 20% of the state’s population and BSP has more or less managed to hold on to this vote bank. However, in the 2022 assembly elections, BSP lost its vote share from around 19.43% in 2019 Lok Sabha to 13%.

    BJP’s internal calculation is that in the absence of any alliance, most BSP voters are looking for options and the saffron party considers itself the most suitable party.”SC community has got maximum benefits from Modi government’s schemes. The government policies are formulated keeping in mind the welfare of the SC community,” Lal Singh Arya, BJP SC Morcha president told ET. “If you look at the recent assembly elections, SCs have voted for BJP in large numbers. Now, our job is to convince SC voters that BJP should be their natural and preferred choice.”

    Starting from Ravidas Jayanti on February 23, BJP SC Morcha will kickstart ‘Basti Sampark Abhiyan’ in different parts of the state. As part of the campaign, BJP leaders will visit nearby SC areas to discuss Modi government’s welfare schemes and present a future roadmap for the development of their localities. The PM will visit Varanasi to take part in Sant Ravidas Jayanti programme on February 23.

    A national convention of BJP SC Morcha will take place in Agra in March which will be attended by BJP SC leaders, Union ministers and leaders from other states. BJP president JP Nadda will make a special address during the meeting. Agra has been chosen considering the high concentration of SC voters in West UP, where BSP performed well in last LS polls.

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  • ‘Even Foreign Countries Know Aayega To Modi Hi’: 10 Key Points From PM Modi’s BJP National Convention Speech |

    New Delhi: Addressig the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) Convention on Thursday at the Bharat Madapam,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his confidence in the party’s return to the poewer in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. PM Modi also heavily critisied the opposition party and said that the Congress has no vision for the development of the country.

    “Today every country in the world is emphasizing on building deeper relations with India. Despite pending elections, I’ve received invitations from various countries extending into July, August, and September. This suggests widespread confidence in the potential return of a BJP government,” said PM Modi. “
    Discussing the Indian economy’s growth during the BJP’s tenure over the past decade, the Prime Minister highlighted, “It took India 60 years to reach a 1 trillion dollar economy milestone. In our 10 years, we have accelerated this progress to achieve a 3 trillion dollar economy.”

    “The previous government failed to elevate India from the 11th to the 10th largest global economy. In contrast, the BJP has elevated India to the top 5,” he added.
    In a strong rebuke to opposition parties, the Prime Minister said that the parties may not know how to fulfill their promises but they don’t hesitate to make false commitments. 

    Congress Lacks Agenda For Development: PM Modi

    PM Modi also targeted the Congress, stating that the grand old party has resorted to desperate measures, with hurling abuses and false allegations against him becoming their sole agenda. “Congress has become so desperate that it does not even have the courage for principled and ideological opposition. Therefore, abuses and false allegations against Modi have become their only agenda,” said PM.

    Commending the unwavering dedication of BJP workers to the party, PM Modi underscored the significance of the upcoming 100 days leading to the Lok Sabha Elections. He urged them to approach this period with renewed energy, zeal, enthusiasm, and faith.

  • Rahul Gandhi to be arrested after Lok Sabha elections: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, against whom an FIR has been registered here on the charge of instigating violence will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday. The Assam police suo motu registered the FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other leaders for “wanton acts of violence” here during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ on Tuesday.

    ”We have filed an FIR. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will conduct the investigation and he (Gandhi) will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections”, Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme at Nazira in Sibsagar district.

    The Lok Sabha elections are due within a few months in the country. Director General of Police G P Singh said that the case has been transferred to the Assam CID for a thorough investigation through an SIT to be constituted by the Additional Director General of Police (CID).

    Sarma had instructed the DGP to register a case against Gandhi for provoking the crowd to break barricades in an attempt to enter Guwahati city during the Yatra on Tuesday leading to a scuffle with the police in which some senior Congress leaders, including the state party President Bhupen Bora and leader of opposition in the state assembly, and four police personnel were injured.

    The FIR was filed against Congress leaders under IPC sections that deal with criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duty, damaging public property and others.

  • Threat to INDIA bloc, some may form separate alliance: Farooq Abdullah

    National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said there is a threat to the INDIA bloc if a consensus on seat sharing is not reached soon, asserting that some members may try to form a separate grouping. In a discussion with former Union minister Kapil Sibal on his YouTube channel, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said very little time is left for the Lok Sabha elections. When asked about lack of clarity on seat-sharing arrangements in the INDIA bloc, Abdullah said: “If we have to save the country, we will have to forget differences and think about the country… If seat-sharing arrangement is not finalised then there is a threat to the alliance. It should be done in a time-bound manner. It is possible some may come together to form a separate alliance, which I feel is the biggest danger. There is still time.”