News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha polls

  • Lok Sabha polls: EC asks political parties to share details of aircraft, helicopters used in campaigning

    The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked political parties to furnish details of aircraft and helicopters being used for campaigning, including their origin and destination and details of people ferried in them. A letter by Tejas Samel, deputy election officer of Mumbai Suburban district, dated April 12, said such information has to be furnished three days before the journey to the district election office, but that duration has now been reduced to 24 hours.

    “We are sending a revised letter on April 17. Instead of three days, they have to inform us 24 hours in advance,” Samel told PTI on Tuesday night.

    The details should also include the make of the aircraft/helicopter and people travelling in them. The letter said this information has to be furnished under the Model Code of Conduct in force for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, which has to be sent to the ECI.

    Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, which has 48 seats, will be held in five phases between April 19 and May 20.

  • 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, 2024

    5:20 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.

     

     

     

  • Lok Sabha Elections LIVE Updates | BJP Rebel Eshwarappa Files as Independent, Challenges Yediyurappa’s Son In Shivamogga |

    Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday  is scheduled to kick off an election rally in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a public gathering in Barmer and a roadshow in Dausa, Rajasthan, as part of the Lok Sabha elections. The Prime Minister will commence a public gathering at 11 a.m. at Modi Ground in Udhampur, followed by a roadshow. The BJP has nominated Jitendra Singh from the Udhampur Parliamentary seat for the third consecutive time.

    Following his engagements in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to address a public gathering at the Adarsh Stadium in Barmer at 2:45 p.m., campaigning for the BJP candidate from the Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency, Kailash Choudhary. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will conduct a roadshow in Dausa at 4.45 pm, commencing from Gandhi Tirahe and concluding at Gupteshwar Darwaza, where a significant number of constituents from this Lok Sabha constituency will be present.

    *Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public meetings in Tamil Nadu on Friday. His first election rally will be at 3:15 p.m. at the Bell Ground in Tirunelveli district. Later, he will join Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK National President M.K. Stalin for a joint election rally in Coimbatore at 6:15 p.m.

    *Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will address two public meetings in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi and Bidar Lok Sabha constituencies.

    *Akhilesh Yadav will initiate the Samajwadi Party’s election campaign from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. He will start campaigning for Samajwadi Party candidate Bhagwant Sharan Gangwar from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency, who is contesting against Uttar Pradesh Minister and BJP candidate Jitin Prasada. Akhilesh will reach Bareilly at 12 noon to campaign for Gangwar and will address a public meeting at Assam Road Puranpur in Pilibhit at 12.30 p.m.

    Follow Live Updates Here:

    3:00 PM: Rebel BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa on Friday filed his nomination from Shivamogga for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate to take on official party nominee B Y Raghavendra, who is seeking reelection from the segment.

    In Kalaburagi, Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, also filed his papers. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar.

    Raghavendra is the son of BJP veteran and member of the party’s Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

    BJP leaders had appealed to Eshwarappa to desist from contesting but he remained steadfast on his decision.

    Eshwarappa, who had also served as the party’s state unit president, is miffed over his son K E Kanthesh being denied the ticket from the neighbouring Haveri segment.

    2:20 PM: “The people of Congress and INDI alliance do not care about the sentiments of most of the people of the country, these people were enjoying cooking mutton by going to the house of a criminal in the month of Saavan:” PM Modi 

    1:45 PM: Here’s what Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing an election rally in UP’s Pilibhit. “Someone new has come (BJP candidate Jitin Prasada) who is saying if he would have known earlier that he would be nominated from Pilibhit then he would have turned it into Mumbai. Mumbai is known as the financial capital of the country. BJP has spent more than 40 crore rupees to make UP roads potholes-free but did that happen?”

    1: 30 PM: Three farm laws were scrapped by BJP govt as they were afraid of strength of farmers: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:15 PM: Faces of BJP leaders turn pale on hearing name of Pilibhit: Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:00 PM: Congress to become extinct like dinosaur in a few years: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at poll rally in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal

    12: 30 PM: During a public gathering in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “The primary factor for PM Modi’s ascension to the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 and 2019 was the support from Uttar Pradesh. With 73 seats in 2014 and 65 seats in 2019, Uttar Pradesh enabled PM Modi to secure a full majority. Our goal is to ensure his third term as PM, this time not with 73 or 65, but all 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh will go to Modi.”

    12:00 PM: Shivamogga, Karnataka: Former Dy CM and rebel BJP leader K S Eshwarappa holds a road show ahead of filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections polls from Shivamogga. BJP has fielded former CM and party leader BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat.

    11:55 AM: Speaking at a public gathering in Udhampur, PM Modi stated, “Modi thinks far ahead. So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir. The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers…”

    11:45 AM: Kalaburagi: Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says, “A big trend is going on here. There is no wave of BJP in the state. It is only a Congress wave and five guarantee wave which has been there. Congress party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka… There will be a change in Karnataka. His party (JDS) is going to merge with BJP or BJP will throw them out of their NDA…”
     

    11: 30 AM: At a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Modi said, “J&K: Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi says, “For the sake of power, they had built a wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir…Due to your blessings, Modi demolished the wall of Article 370. I have also buried the debris of that wall in the ground. I challenge any political party in India, especially Congress, to announce that they will bring back Article 370. This country won’t even look at them.”

    11:15 AM: During a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The purpose of this election extends beyond merely electing Members of Parliament. It is about establishing a robust government in the nation. A strong government is capable of overcoming obstacles and accomplishing its tasks.”

    10:15 AM: People start to arrive at Modi Maidan in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir to attend PM Modi’s rally scheduled to be held later today.

     

  • Excise policy case: Manish Sisodia moves Delhi court seeking interim bail for election campaigning

    AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by the CBI and ED in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case, on Friday moved a court here seeking interim bail for poll campaigning. Special Judge for the CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, is likely to take up the application for hearing later in the day.

    The CBI as well as the ED have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, licence fee was waived or reduced and licences were extended without the competent authority’s approval.

    The beneficiaries allegedly diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies have alleged. The former deputy chief minister was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the “scam”. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sisodia in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

    Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Annamalai hits back at Dayanidhi Maran after his ‘joker’ remark: ‘Useless without family’s name’ – The Economic Times Video

    Tamil Nadu’s BJP president, K Annamalai, strongly criticized the DMK party, labeling it as one of the most unsightly political entities in the nation. He went on to assert that the DMK has introduced a level of derogatory language into the political discourse that has not been witnessed in the state’s political landscape over the past seven decades.

  • Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat: KS Eshwarappa using Modi photo, BJP complains to EC

    The BJP on Wednesday sought the Election Commission’s intervention to restrain senior leader KS Eshwarappa from using the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shivamogga where he is contesting as an independent candidate.

    Modi’s picture can be used only by BJP candidates or alliance partners. But the independent candidate Eshwarappa has been misleading, saying he is contesting on behalf of Modi and other BJP leaders. He is confusing the voters, and his act will have a bearing on the elections and hence constitutes an office, the BJP said in a letter to the Commission.

    The party also sought stringent action against Eshwarappa and a direction to him not to use the image of Modi and other BJP leaders.Eshwarappa, a senior Kuruba (other backward classes) leader and a former state BJP president, has been firm in his decision to take on Yediyurapps’s son, BY Raghavendra, the official BJP candidate in Shivamogga.

    The senior leader did not agree for a compromise when the BJP’s national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and State General Secretary (Organisation) GV Rajesh visited his house in Shivamogga ahead of the PM’s visit, last month.

    Eshwarappa, a former deputy chief minister, has been miffed over denial of ticket to his son KE Kantesh from Haveri, and he holds Eshwarappa responsible for this.

  • Smriti Irani decodes Congress’s masterplan for Lok Sabha polls: ‘Hugging, Begging and …’ – The Economic Times Video

    Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Union Minister Smriti Irani held a special interaction with businessmen in Bengaluru, Karnataka on April 05. In this special meeting, she urged the audience to vote for BJP in order to make India a developed country and the third-largest economy in the world. She also took a dig at the opposition, the Gandhi family and their politics over the years. She went ahead and also criticized them for rejecting the invitation to the inauguration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. During her address, the Union Minister took a jibe at the opposition and said “Gandhi family looted and cheated the citizens of India by smiling and clicking pictures.”

  • Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Kerala’s Wayanad, to face CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran – The Economic Times Video

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has filed his nomination from Kerala’s Wayanad. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi secured a landslide victory with a margin of over four lakh votes. He also conducted a roadshow in his constituency. The CPI candidate from Wayanad, Annie Raja, who will face Gandhi, filed her nomination papers on Wednesday morning, and the BJP fielded its state unit chief, K Surendran. The voting for the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala this year is scheduled for April 26.

  • Sandeshkhali survivor Rekha Patra on candidature: ‘PM Modi gave responsibility; ready for fight for victims…’ – The Economic Times Video

    Rekha Patra, BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency after talking to PM Modi said that the PM has given her a big responsibility and she will fulfill every responsibility, she added that PM Modi has shown trust in her by giving poor woman ticket and she will fight for the victims of Sandeshkhali. Speaking to ANI, Rekha Patra said, “We will fulfill the responsibility given by PM Modi. He has shown his trust by giving a ticket to a poor woman like me from Basirhat… The mothers and sisters who are being tortured in Sandeshkhali, we will fight for them. Our efforts will take their fight forward.”

  • TMC: Modi hits out at TMC over corruption and dynasty politics

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday upped the ante against the TMC on the issue of corruption and dynasty politics and said the opposition alliance INDIA parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Congress are bothered only about the development of their families. Giving a clarion call to defeat the Mamata Banerjee-led party in West Bengal, the prime minister while addressing a mega rally in Siliguri said, “The road to oust the corrupt TMC government from West Bengal will open from the Lok Sabha polls.”

    “I have seen mothers of our country struggling for basic amenities. That is why I stress on sanitisation, free electricity, bank accounts and tap water to make the lives of our mothers and sisters easier. But here, first the Left Front and then the TMC government have ignored the basic needs of the people of the state,” he said.

    Modi said the TMC has been looting the people of the state and had indulged in creating fake job cards for looting central funds sent by the Centre under MGNREGA. Hitting out at dynasty politics of opposition parties, Modi said the “TMC is only bothered about its nephew whereas the Congress is bothered only about the royal family,” in an apparent reference to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and the Gandhi family in Congress.