As the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday, various prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, took oaths as Members of Parliament. Watch.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday was administered oath of office for the third time by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
Several key leaders including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, JP Nadda, HD Kumaraswamy, Jitan Ram Manjhi and others were also sworn-in as ministers in PM Modi-led cabinet. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 240 seats, with the NDA obtaining a total of 293 seats out of 543 in the lower house. Congress fought the election as part of the INDIA bloc and the parties together were able to prevent BJP from getting a majority on its own in Lok Sabha.Team Modi 3.0 Amit ShahRajnath SinghNitin GadkariJP NaddaShivraj Singh ChouhanNirmala SitharamanS. JaishankarManohar Lal KhattarHD KumaraswamyPiyush GoyalDharmendra PradhanJitan Ram ManjhiRajiv Ranjan SinghSarbananda SonowalVirendra KumarKinjarapu Ram Mohan NaiduPralhad JoshiJual OramGiriraj SinghAshwini VaishnawJyotiraditya ScindiaBhupender YadavGajendra Singh ShekhawatAnnapurna DeviKiren RijijuHardeep Singh PuriMansukh MandaviyaG Kishan ReddyChirag PaswanCR PatilRao Indrajit SinghJitendra SinghArjun Ram MeghwalPrataprao JadhavJayant Chaudhary Jitin PrasadaShripad NaikPankaj ChaudharyKrishan PalRamdas AthawaleRamnath ThakurNityanand RaiAnupriya PatelV SomannaChandra Sekhar Pemmasani SP BaghelAllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States
Speech Affected as Hands Tied!During his Kathua speech, Rajnath Singh had to hold microphone as the mike installed on dais was not functioning. Rajnath said he couldn’t speak for long as he was not used to holding a mike while speaking as it distracted him. Singh may have made the remarks in jest, but organisers may not have had it that easy as Jitendra Singh, whose rally Rajnath was addressing, must have given his team a dressing down.Counting PunchesHeated exchanges are common during election time though senior leaders are expected to maintain decorum. In Jabalpur, a news channel had organised a debate in which a BJP MLA from one of the city seats and a former lawmaker almost came to blows on stage. They were pacified, but a few of their supporters in the audience got into a no-holds barred scuffle. Rescue Mission in KhajurahoAfter papers of Khajuraho’s SP candidate Mira Yadav were rejected, Congress and SP have decided to back All India Forward Block candidate Raja Bhaiya Prajapati, a retired IAS officer. Congress and SP leaders from the area have proposed to their party leadership to hold a joint rally of Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav in support of the candidate
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.
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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.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on April 07 during a press conference in Rajasthan’s Jaipur outfoxed the reporters with his witty replies. Be it the question on the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 result or Pakistan’s remark on the General Elections, Singh gave chucklesome answers to the reporters. “When results will come, see the margin. If there was no democracy, you wouldn’t be able to ask questions now. Don’t compare us with Pakistan,” said Rajnath Singh.
NEW DELHI: In a resolute warning to terror outfits, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has affirmed India’s commitment to thwarting terrorism, even if it means crossing the borders. Responding to recent allegations and echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertive stance, Singh stated that India would pursue terrorists who seek refuge in Pakistan after perpetrating acts of violence in India. “20 terrorists ko maara hai? Koi bhi terrorist hamare padosi desh se yadi Bharat ko disturb karne ki koshish karega, ya yahan par aatankwadi harkatein karega, to uska muh tod jawab denge. Yadi woh bhaag kar Pakistan mein jayega, to Pakistan mein ghus kar maarenge (Did you say we killed 20 terrorists? If any terrorist from Pakistan tries to disturb India, or commits terrorist acts here, we will give a befitting response. If he runs away to Pakistan, we will go there and kill him),” Rajnath Singh while speaking to a private media house.
No Tolerance For Terrorism: Rajnath
Singh emphasized India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, asserting that the country will not hesitate to take decisive action against those who disturb its peace. He reiterated India’s desire for peaceful relations with neighbouring countries but underscored the nation’s readiness to respond firmly to any threat to its security.
Escalating Tensions
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the 2019 Pulwama attack, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militants. The subsequent airstrikes by India on terrorist targets in Pakistan further strained relations between the two nations.
International Allegations
Recent allegations, particularly highlighted by UK-based media outlet The Guardian, have accused India of extrajudicial killings in Pakistan. These claims have sparked international scrutiny and contributed to the ongoing diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan. The Guardian report came months after Canada and the US accused India of killing or attempting to kill Khalistani terrorists in those countries. Canada said in September that it was pursuing “credible allegations” linking India to the death of a Sikh separatist leader shot dead in June – claims that India said were “absurd and motivated”. A top Canadian official said in January that India was cooperating in the matter and bilateral ties were improving. Similarly, the US said in November that it had thwarted an Indian plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader and announced charges against a person it said had worked with India to orchestrate the attempted murder.
Denial And Counterclaims
New Delhi, however, maintains that targeted killings in other countries are not a policy of the Indian government. The Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated its stand that it has no role to play in these killings. The MEA claimed that they were ‘false and malicious anti-India propaganda’.
Despite these tensions, efforts to improve bilateral relations have been observed, with India expressing a willingness to cooperate in investigations. Both Canada and the US have acknowledged India’s cooperation in addressing the allegations, signalling a potential thaw in diplomatic relations.
Prime Minister Modi has reiterated India’s commitment to investigating any information regarding alleged extraterritorial activities. This commitment underscores India’s adherence to the rule of law and its determination to address accusations transparently.
Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty has written to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressing concern about the alleged politicisation of Sainik Schools. According to a statement issued by Sivankutty’s office on Friday, the minister in his letter has said that handing over running Sainik Schools to organisations with political affiliations will erode the independence and openness of the institutions.
“Sainik Schools are important institutions for future defence personnel and therefore, should not be dragged into politics at any level. “For this reason, I request you to maintain the reputation of these establishments to guarantee national security and ensure fairness in education,” the minister has said in his letter to Singh.
Recently, an online media platform — ‘The Reporters’ Collective’ — had reported that the government handed over 62 per cent of the new Sainik Schools to people associated with Sangh Parivar, politicians from the BJP and its allies. Citing the report, the CPI(M)’s national leadership had alleged that a significant number of private institutions which have entered into an agreement with the Sainik School Society to run new Sainik Schools have RSS-BJP links.
The Left party had also condemned the government for facilitating the participation of private players to run Sainik Schools and said the move reinforces “communalisation of education” and can also impact the “high secular standards” of military establishment.
The report was rejected by the Defence Ministry which had asserted that a rigorous selection process was followed to finalise institutions to run the new Sainik Schools. “The political or ideological affiliation or otherwise of the applicant institution does not influence the selection process,” it had said. “Attempts to politicise or distort the objectives and implementation of the scheme by casting aspersions on it are unwarranted and misleading,” the ministry had added.
The coming general election may throw some surprising results in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-BSP alliance now replaced by the SP-Congress pact under the INDIA bloc. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in 2019 had offered some resistance to the BJP on a handful of seats in the western and eastern parts of UP, but failed to make a big impact.
With BSP supremo Mayawati deciding to duke it out alone this time, it will be up to the SP and Congress to stop the marauding juggernaut of the NDA, which has now has RLD on its side, as well as a number of caste-based regional parties in the Poorvanchal region.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and allies won 73 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The party ceded some ground in the 2019 general election, when the opposition parties scraped their combined tally to 16.
Even with the conventional anti-incumbency apprehensions at work, the saffron party laid its claim on the state winning 62 seats, bolstered further by two more won by its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).
In 2019, the maximum seats — 23 — for the BJP came from the state’s western part, where the SP-BSP alliance could manage to win only four seats each. The BSP won Saharanpur, Bijnor, Amroha and Nagina (SC seat) in the western UP, while the Samajwadi Party emerged victorious in Sambhal, Moradabad, Mainpuri (first held by Mulayam Singh Yadav then by Dimple Yadav in a bypoll) and Rampur that year. The central region of the state has prominent parliamentary constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli — both long considered bastions of the Congress.
In 2019, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi retained her Rae Bareli seat, while her son Rahul Gandhi lost the long held Amethi constituency to Union minister Smriti Irani.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh won from Lucknow.
The BSP won only one seat from this region in Ritesh Pandey, who bagged Ambedkarnagar Lok Sabha constituency. The SP scored a zilch.
The BJP won 13 seats from the region, which includes the coveted Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, the epicentre of a Hindu reverie that drowned parts of the nation in a collective religious fervour after the Ram Temple consecration.
Varanasi, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha, is one of the 30 seats in the eastern part of the state.
From this region, the BSP won five seats, while the SP won one, Azamgarh. Apna Dal (Sonelal) won two seats from here.
The Bundelkhand region was swept in 2019 by the BJP, which won all four Lok Sabha seats of Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur, and Jalaun-SC.
The parched Bundelkhand region has been seeing the start of some irrigation projects and its residents getting safe drinking water.
Expressways, new airports in different parts of the UP have narrowed the regional disparity the state has witnessed for a long time.
At a public rally in Bihar’s Darbhanga, Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh says, “…Give opportunity to our PM, not only 3rd term but take a resolution to give 4th term as well and we will end the crises of poverty and unemployment…Our character is that we do what we say…”
Poonch: Mehbooba Mufti, the chief of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to give compensation of 50 Lakh rupees to the people allegedly killed in the police investigation following a terror attack in Poonch last week.
Addressing a press conference, Mufti said “The people of Rajouri have supported the country’s army in all the wars that have taken place since 1947. People were picked up from their homes, killed, and beaten. This has been done with so loyal people, who guard the borders along with the army. I sincerely request that LG should tell the Defence Minister that a compensation of Rs 50 lakh should be given to the people harassed. Jobs and plots should be given on the roadside and Rs 5 lakh should be given to the injured people.”
She further said that an FIR was registered on the unknown person when everything was visible in the alleged video.”After that, the Army Chief and Defence Minister came here, then what happened? Then FIR was lodged in the name of the unknown when everything was visible in that video. If you do not catch the culprit, then in a way you are also committing crime. When I tried to come and meet their families, I was put under house arrest. People from the BJP and the National Conference were allowed. I was stopped again yesterday. Don’t know what they are trying to hide,” she added.
Further coming down heavily on the Defence Minister, she asserted that what is the benefit of his visit if people are still threatened.
“They brought so many people to stop us. We are not the people of China or Pakistan. We are among the people of our country, so why were we stopped?” Mehbooba Mufti said.Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti was stopped by the police on DKG road in Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) due to security concerns. She was en route to meet the families of victims near the location of an anti-terrorist operation in the Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.Following the incident, Mehbooba and her supporters staged a protest, expressing dissatisfaction with the situation.
“BJP president Ravinder Raina can come here; National Conference leaders can come but they tell us that there is some threat here. I think the biggest threat here is these people. They don’t want us to meet those families. They are trying to hide something then,” Mufti said on Saturday.
Earlier on December 27, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the families of three civilians who were killed near the site of an anti-terrorist operation in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajnath Singh was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Singh.
