News Analysis India

Tag: LS Polls 2024

  • LS Polls 2024: EC Asks Congress’ Jairam Ramesh To Share Details Of Amit Shah’s Pre-Counting Day Calls To DMs |

    New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) sought factual information from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday on his claim that Home Minister Amit Shah has called up 150 district magistrates and collectors ahead of the June 4 counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls. In a letter to Ramesh, the poll panel has asked him to share details regarding his claim by 7 pm on Sunday.

    The EC has referred to his post on X on June 1, in which the Congress general secretary had alleged that “the outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far, he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is….”

    The process of counting votes is a sacred duty cast upon every returning officer and such public statements “tend to put an element of doubt and thus, deserves to be addressed in larger public interest”, the EC has told Ramesh.

    It has also told the Congress leader that when the Model Code of Conduct is in force, all officers are under the deemed deputation of the commission and they report directly to the poll watchdog for any directions.

    “However, no DM has reported any such undue influence as alleged by you…,” the EC’s letter to Ramesh has stated.

    “It is requested that details of 150 DMs to whom such calls have been allegedly made by the Home Minister along with the factual matrix/basis of your information are shared by 7 pm today — June 2, 2024, so that appropriate action can be taken,” it has told the Congress leader.

    It has said that being a responsible, experienced and very senior leader of a national party, Ramesh must have made such a public statement ahead of the counting day on the basis of facts or information he believes to be true.

  • Congress To Move Gauhati HC Over Voting By Police Personnel In LS Polls |

    Aizawl: Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Monday said that it will move the Gauhati High Court against the Election Commission for not facilitating voting for about 1,047 police personnel who were deployed for poll duty in other states. They had failed to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha polls held on April 19 in the state, the MPCC said.

    It said that the party had on May 13 written to the state chief electoral officer (CEO) asking him to take steps so that the policemen could exercise their franchise.

    As per the reply of the CEO, the Election Commission is unlikely to arrange voting facilities for the policemen, who did not cast during the elections due to their deployment for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, the MPCC said.

    The party said that it will file a Public Interest Litigation at the Aizawl bench of Gauhati High Court to ensure that the police personnel cast their votes before the counting of votes.

    Although they were supposed to exercise their franchise at facilitation centres, no such arrangements could be made for them as they had to leave the state, before the candidates could be finalised, due to direction from higher authorities, officials said.

    The state election department has claimed that it requested the Election Commission at least two times to allow the police personnel to cast their votes for the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat.

    However, the Central poll panel rejected the requests, the CEO office in the state said.

    On Saturday, the People’s Conference (PC) party also wrote to the Election Commission principal secretary S B Joshi, urging the poll panel to allow 1,047 policemen from Mizoram, to cast their votes.

    The party blamed the authorities for failing to arrange the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for the police personnel.

    It said that 1,047 votes will have a meaningful impact on the poll results in a small state like Mizoram.

  • LS Polls 2024: Indian Cricketers Suryakumar Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane Cast Vote In Mumbai | cricket news

    Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and his wife cast their vote on Monday during phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Mumbai. Rahane took to his official social media handle and shared a picture with his wife as they flaunted their inked fingers after casting votes in Mumbai. While sharing the photo on social media, he wrote, “We did our duty. Have you?”

    Star India batsman Suryakumar Yadav cast his vote during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai on Monday and also urged his citizens to perform their duty as voters. India’s 360-degree batter took to X and shared a picture of him showing off his inked finger, urging people to “shape the future of our nation”.

    “Let’s shape the future of our nation by casting our vote today,” tweeted Suryakumar.

    On the work front, Suryakumar recently featured for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). MI finished at the bottom of the points table with four wins, 10 losses and eight points.

    Suryakumar had a mixed IPL campaign, scoring 345 runs in 11 matches at an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of 167.47. Though he scored a century, a knock of 102* against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and three half-centuries, Suryakumar had a patchy form and recorded six scores below 20 runs, including three ducks.

    He would be next in action during the ICC T20 World Cup from June 1 onwards at West Indies and the USA. With his supreme T20I stats and status as the world’s number-one ranked T20I batsman, he is expected to play a big role in India’s campaign. In 60 T20Is, he has scored 2,141 runs at an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55, with four centuries and 17 fifties. His best score is 117.

    The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections marks an important part of the seven-phase electoral process, with extensive arrangements made to ensure a smooth and secure voting experience for all citizens. Elections in 6 Lok Sabha seats of Mumbai are underway for Phase 5.

    The seats are Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central. The other constituencies of Maharashtra that are a part of the ongoing election in the fifth phase include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi and Thane. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second largest after Uttar Pradesh.

    The fifth phase witnesses key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are looking for electoral success.

    Eight states/UTs going for polls in phase 5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    In a bid to create a peaceful atmosphere for the electors, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock across the 94,732 polling stations.

  • ‘Modi Ji’s Retirement Necessary For Youth To Get Employment’: Rahul Gandhi |

    New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi retirement from politics is necessary as it will prove beneficial for the youth to get more employment opportunities in the future.

    In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Whatever I want Narendra Modi to say, I can get it said. There is just one more word left to come out of their mouths: unemployment. Modi ji’s retirement is necessary for the youth to get employment.”

    Earlier in March, Rahul Gandhi claimed that India’s unemployment rate is double compared to Pakistan’s and said the situation has been the outcome of the poor financial politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “The country is facing injustice on many fronts. There is economic and social injustice. Farmers are facing injustice. Our country is facing the worst unemployment rate in the last 40 years. India’s unemployment rate is double that of Pakistan. 23 per cent of youth were unemployed in India and 12 per cent in Pakistan. Our unemployment rate is higher than in Bhutan and Bangladesh as well,” he said.

    According to a 2022 World Bank report, India’s youth unemployment rate stood at 23.22 per cent, surpassing that of its neighbouring countries Pakistan (11.3 per cent) and Bangladesh (12.9 per cent).

    Rahul Gandhi on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi again over public debate and claimed that he is ready but the PM will disagree, adding that PM Modi is incapable of answering questions about his “links” with a few favoured businessmen and how he “misused” electoral bonds.

    “He (PM Narendra Modi) gave 30-35 interviews to the same 5-10 journalists. 2-3 intellectuals and journalists wrote to me and made public announcements. They also wrote to Narendra Modi and said that there should be a debate in democracy, it is essential; that he should have debate with Rahul Gandhi…I am ready, Narendra Modi can have a debate with me wherever he wants. What do you think, will he come to have a debate with me? No, he can’t…Narendra Modi can’t have a debate,” Rahul Gandhi said addressing a rally in Delhi.

    Referring to PM Modi’s recent claim that Congress gets money Adani-Ambani in tempos, Rahul said, “PM Modi talks about Congress getting tempo-loads of money from Adani-Ambani, but he doesn’t dare to get it probed.”

    He further said that PM Modi did nothing for small businessmen but gave Rs 16 lakh crore to industrialists like Adani-Ambani.”Tell me whatever you want Narendra Modi to say, I will make him say that in his speeches. I told him, “Narendra Modi, you don’t mention the names of Adani-Ambani. You should mention their names.” 2-3 days later, Narendra Modi said “Adani-Ambani, Adani-Ambani,” he said.

    Reacting to several opposition leaders joining BJP “fearing CBI-ED action”, Rahul said, “We don’t want ‘darpok’ leaders to stay with us, only want ‘Babbar Sher’.”
    Rahul Gandhi further said that one woman from each of these families will be selected and Rs 1 lakh per annum will be deposited in the account of that woman by the INDIA bloc. 

  • ‘Not A Single Party Contesting 272 Seats…’: PM Modi Takes A Dig At Opposition |

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on opposition parties and said that no political party except BJP is contesting 272 seats in Lok Sabha polls which is a minimum number of seats required to form a government.

    Attacking on Congress in Banaskantha’s Deesa in Gujarat ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi said, “If you want to form a government, then at least 272 seats are required. Except for the BJP, no political party in the country is contesting 272 seats, and then they are saying they will form the government.”

    “Even the royal family of Delhi is not going to vote for Congress… There is no Congress candidate where they vote… Ahmed Patel’s family in Bharuch will not vote for Congress… A big Congress leader who votes in Bhavnagar, will not be able to vote for Congress. This is the condition of the Congress..,” he added.

    Further escalating his attack on Congress, Modi said party targeted him in 2014 as a ‘tea-seller’, had got such a reply from the country that the party which once used to occupy 400 seats, is now being brought down to 40 only.

    He alleged that the government that was there before 2014 in Centre was only known for news of terrorism, scams and corruption all around the country.

    “This Congress ‘Jamat’ should listen, as long as Modi is alive, there will be no reservation on the basis of religion. Reservations for SC, ST, and OBCs have been given by the Constitution, and no one can take them away,” he added.

    PM Modi also challenged the Congress to declare that they would not provide reservations on the basis of religion.
    “Today, I want to challenge the prince of Congress and his party to declare that if they have the courage, they will never provide reservations on the basis of religion and will not play with the Constitution. They will not do this because “Dal mein kuch kaala hai,” he said.

    PM Modi also emphasised that as long as the BJP is there, reservations will be protected.

    “The prince of Congress proudly called the entire Modi and OBC communities thieves. No opportunity is being left to spread hatred against Gujaratis. In 2024, Congress and the INDI Alliance have come up with the new lie that reservations will end. Those who are talking about 400 seats, even today, the NDA has around 360 seats in the Parliament, and parties like BJD and YSRCP, which were not in our alliance, supported us anyway. I had the strength of 400 in Parliament. But we did not commit the sin of withdrawing the reservation,” PM Modi said.

    Sharpening his attacks on Congress, the Prime Minister added that even today, Congress has no issues, no vision, and no passion to work. “The country was immersed in despair. I left no stone unturned in my efforts. I spent every moment in the name of my countrymen and the country. I tried to take the country out of that troubled situation. “In 2014, Congress tried to belittle me by calling me “chai wala” and doubted what I could do for the country. I was made fun of. But the country gave them such an answer that the party that once used to occupy 400 seats, now being brought down to 40 only,” he said.

  • LS Polls 2024: ‘Not just an election for me but a mission…’ says Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar – The Economic Times Video

    While speaking on his preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that it’s not just an election for him but a mission. He said that he aims to set Thiruvananthapuram, the constituency from where is contesting from, on a path forward to start gaining benefits of schemes of PM Modi’s governance.He further said, “It’s not just an election for me but a mission where I can put Thiruvananthapuram at a path that it can move forward and starts gaining benefits of schemes of PM Modi’s governance. This election is about the performance of the sitting MP and about which govt has delivered. Opposition parties don’t want to discuss performance, the economy but everything else.”