All posts tagged: General Elections 2024

India General Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: PM Modi to address rally in Jharkhand; Rahul, Akhilesh head to Varanasi

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. File. | Photo Credit: ANI With only phase left to go, both the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc are giving their campaigns a final push. While Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are expected to hold a joint rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in two States today.  Also read | Written off five months ago, the Congress has put up a spirited Lok Sabha campaign, irrespective of the outcome Mr. Modi will address a rally in Jharkhand, followed by a roadshow in Kolkata, which has recently been facing the brunt of the cyclonic storm ‘Remal’. Meanwhile, Mr. Yadav and Mr. Gandhi will jointly address a rally in Varanasi, the bastion of PM Modi.  The opposition INDIA bloc has called for a meeting on June 1 in New Delhi to assess their electoral performance and to chalk out their strategy ahead of results on June 4. Trinamool Congress party has already conveyed their inability to attend the meeting …

The Hindu Morning Digest: May 27, 2024

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Kolkata Knight Riders players celebrate with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 trophy after winning the final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. | Photo Credit: PTI Cyclone Remal makes landfall; one lakh evacuated in Bengal The severe cyclonic storm Remal started its landfall process between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh around 9.15 p.m. on Sunday, as it intensified and moved northwards. By 11.30 p.m., the eye of the cyclone touched the land. IPL 2024 Final: KKR vs SRH: Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad to lift third title Chasing a meager target of 114, Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen smashed the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers and won the match with 57 balls to spare and lifted their third title in the Indian Premier League 2024 final in Chennai on May 26. Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrike kills at least 35 in Rafah and displaced people are hit Palestinian medics said at least 35 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike Sunday on the southern Gaza city of Rafah …

Those who gave the ‘400-paar’ slogan are going to be defeated: Akhilesh Yadav

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Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav | Photo Credit: ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lost self-confidence and had been faltering in his speeches upon realising the BJP will not retain power at the Centre, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed on May 26. He described the BJP’s allegation that if the INDIA bloc formed the government at the Centre, it would put “Babri lock” at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as a “dishonour” of the Supreme Court’s decision. Asserting that the INDIA bloc will form government after June 4, the day the votes will be counted, Mr. Yadav claimed that along with the Union Cabinet, the media would also change. At an election rally in support of his party’s Salempur candidate, Ram Shankar Vidyarthi, the SP chief promised that the Agniveer scheme would be scrapped if the INDIA bloc formed the government. “When self-confidence is lost, speech falters. He [Mr. Modi] has realised his government is going. Modi can see the PM’s post slipping away from him. The victory wave that started in …

60% voter turnout recorded in Odisha in phase six of polls

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Union Education Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Sambalpur seat Dharmendra Pradhan and his wife Mridula Pradhan show their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote for the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly polls, in Bhubaneswar. | Photo Credit: ANI The sixth and penultimate phase of elections in Odisha saw a voter turnout of 60% despite reports of widespread glitches in electronic voting machines and incidents of violence across the State. Lok Sabha elections were held in six Parliamentary constituencies – Cuttack, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal. The Assembly polls were held in 42 segments. Also read: India General Elections 2024 Phase 6 updates “Voters from all segments such as particularly vulnerable tribal groups, women, transgenders and the youth participated in the celebration of democracy,” said Nikunja Behari Dhal, Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha. The voting percentage is likely to increase further as voters were seen in long queues after the scheduled voting deadline of 5 p.m. Malfunctioning of EVMs were reported from 25 polling booths in various districts. The office of the …

PM Modi pans Mamata Banerjee for her remarks against RKM, Bharat Sevashram Sangha

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome during the roadshow for the Lok Sabha Polls, in Purulia on May 19, 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 19 condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks against Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha and said threats are being issued against these socio-religious organisations to “appease” TMC’s vote bank. Addressing a rally in Purulia, Mr. Modi said the TMC has crossed the limits of decency by stooping so low that it is “spreading canards against ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha”. India General Elections 2024 updates “The TMC, which has intimidated and threatened the people of Bengal during elections, has crossed all limits this time. Today, in the country and the world, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh are known for service and morality, but the chief minister of Bengal is openly threatening them from an open platform…They are threatening them just to appease their vote bank” he said. Mr. Modi said these organisations have millions of followers across …

Under what rules did the ECI reject comedian Shyam Rangeela’s poll nomination from Varanasi? | Explained

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The story so far: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on May 15 rejected comedian Shyam Rangeela’s nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi parliamentary constituency, stating that it was “incomplete.” Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term, is scheduled to vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. The 29-year-old stand-up comic from Rajasthan, who shot to fame for impersonating the Prime Minister, had submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate. He had been alleging difficulties in submitting his nomination since May 10. After the rejection of his nomination, Mr. Rangeela in a video message on X alleged that citizens were being deprived of their right to contest polls and that while he did not hope to win, he wanted to send out a message. Explaining why he decided to contest against PM Modi, Mr. Rangeela had earlier said, “We saw what happened in Surat and Chandigarh and what is currently happening in Indore. I do not want the same situation to occur in Varanasi. Even if one person wants …

‘Article 370 enabled aspirations of people,’ says PM Modi, applauds Srinagar voter turnout

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Voters queue up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the fourth phase of voting in general election, in Ganderbal district in Kashmir, which falls under the Srinagar constituency, on May 13, 2024. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the people of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency for the “encouraging turnout” of 38%, which is more than double the 14.43% polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the first general election in the valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, polling took place in 2,135 polling stations on May 13 across the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency containing assembly segments of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Budgam and Shopian districts. In his post on X, PM Modi said, “Would especially like to applaud the people of Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency for the encouraging turnout, significantly better than before. The abrogation of Article 370 has enabled the potential and aspirations of the people to find full expression. Happening at the grassroots level, it is great for the people of J&K, in …

Sonia Gandhi spent more than 70% of MP funds on minorities, says Amit Shah in Raebareli

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections, in Raebareli, on May 12, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 12 launched a blistering attack on senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of “spending more than 70% of her MP funds on minorities” and the Gandhi family of being experts in lying. Rahul Gandhi is fighting the Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli the seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades. She recently moved to the Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi has also been fielded from Wayanad in Kerala. Follow Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE updates here Raebareli will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. Mr. Shah also addressed an election rally in Pratapgarh where he said that Rahul Gandhi can be scared of Pakistan’s “atom bomb” but the BJP is not, and that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to India and “we will take it”. He was referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks …

Last-ditch effort to woo voters in Karimnagar ahead of phase 4 polling

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Minister for Transport and Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar  | Photo Credit: Shilpi Sampad Karimnagar, on May 11, witnessed hectic politicking marking the culmination of the high-octane campaign for the Lok Sabha seat. Contestants of the main political parties and Independent candidates raced against time to woo voters. Minister for Transport and Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar led a huge rally titled “Shakti Yatra” in the town in support of the party candidate V. Rajender Rao. BJP organised a bike rally. Party general secretary and candidate Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Hyderabad MLA Raja Singh, among others, participated in the rally. BRS working president and Sircilla MLA K.T. Rama Rao addressed a roadshow in Huzurabad town on Saturday afternoon to muster support for candidate B. Vinod Kumar. In Khammam, mega bike rallies by the Congress and the BJP marked the finale to their respective election campaigns. The BJP candidate Tandra Vinod Rao led a bike rally in the town. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao held a road show in support …

Surprised that ECI responded to my INDIA bloc letter but ignored complaints I raised before it, says Kharge

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Congress president addresses a press conference in Patna on May 11, 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on May 11 said it is surprising that the Election Commission of India (ECI) chose to respond to a letter he wrote to INDIA bloc leaders but ignored several other complaints he raised directly to it. In a letter addressed to the CEC and other election commissioners, he said the poll panel is showing no urgency in dealing with “blatantly communal and casteist” statements being made by leaders of the ruling party and this is puzzling. In response to the letter written by Mr. Kharge to INDIA bloc leaders expressing concerns over ECI’s delay in releasing voter turnout figures for first two phases of polls, the Commission had on May 10 called it an attempt to push a biased narrative under the guise of seeking clarifications. Mr. Kharge, in his response, said it was an open letter clearly addressed to the alliance partners and not to the Commission. “It is surprising that the Election Commission …