The Chhattisgarh

Tag: lok sabha polls

  • Lok Sabha Polls 2024: As Delhi Votes Amid Unprecedented Political Scenario, Both BJP, AAP-Congress Confident Of Win |

    The fate of candidates from the seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi will be sealed in the EVM today. However, this election is very different from the 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary polls. While the BJP and Congress were locked in a direct fight with the Aam Aadmi Party trying their luck in previous polls, this time, the Congress and AAP have joined hands against the saffron party. While Congress is contesting on three seats in the national capital, AAP is contesting on four. 

    The AAP is being led by Arvind Kejriwal who got interim bail from the Supreme Court for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls. 

    However, what is confusing to the people is that Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi did not hold a joint rally and thus many are not aware of the AAP and Congress alliance. Though the parties maintained that the two leaders did not do joint rallies due to date mismatch issue, even Sonia Gandhi did not take Aam Aadmi Party’s name in her appeal to voters. She urged people to vote for the INDIA bloc candidate.

    On the other hand, the BJP has changed six out of the seven candidates this time and has given opportunities to long-time party workers, thus trying to boost the morale of grassroots workers. However, the Congress-AAP claimed that the saffron party was forced to change candidates because the outgoing MPs had not worked in the last five years.

    All India Congress Committee in charge of Delhi and Haryana Deepak Babaria has maintained that both AAP and Congress will win all seven seats in Delhi. He further alleged that in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, there was a lot of manipulation in the results. The BJP has also exuded confidence that it will score a Hat-trick of clean sweep in Delhi.

    This is also the first time that Rahul Gandhi will not vote for Congress but for the Aam Aadmi Party. He is a voter from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. 

  • Prashant Kishor On Formula To Defeat BJP, Seats For Modi In 2024 Polls And Big Decisions In NDA 3.0 |

    With the Lok Sabha polls drawing near to its conclusion, the political pundits are busy making their predictions while the pollsters are keeping the people in suspense. Political analyst Prashant Kishor is making headlines nowadays for his interviews with various news outlets where he talked about the performance of the BJP and the Congress in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls 2024. While the results will be out on June 4, people are eager to know the trends and likely results and thus Kishor’s predictions are a huge draw. 

    Prashant Kishor On Formula To Defeat BJP

    Prashant Kishor, who is credited for not only the BJP’s but also for the victory of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and K Chandrashekar Rao’s BRS, said that the saffron party is facing anti-incumbency and the percentage of votes polled by Modi over the years has declined. He said that Muslims should form an alliance with four sets of Hindu voters who do not vote for the BJP or Modi. Kishor said that the four Hindu sections are – Gandhian Hindus, Ambedkarite Hindus, Communist Hindus and Socialist Hindus.

    Kishor On Number Of Seats BJP May Win

    Prashant Kishor claimed that the BJP has made significant gains in South and East India. He was referring to the states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal and Odisha. Kishor has maintained that the BJP’s seat tally may not drop below 270 seats. Thus, indicating that the Modi may retain power for the third time with around 300 seats. 

    Kishor On Big Changes In Modi 3.0

    Kishor said that Modi 3.0 will start with a bang as there may be more concentration of power with the Centre. He said that the Modi government might fulfil the demand of bringing Petrol/Diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He also claimed that there might be an attempt to curtail the financial autonomy of the states. He said that India under Modi 3.0 may become more assertive when it comes to handling geopolitical issues.

  • ‘Rahul Gandhi Can Become Prime Minister But Of Pakistan’: Himanta Biswa Sarma |

    Assam Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma has been campaigning for the party candidates across states and has been quite vocal about why the NDA is vying for over 400 seats in this Lok Sabha Elections. Addressing a public meeting in Bihar’s Siwan, Sarma said that if the NDA gets 400 seats, it would not only fulfil the promise of the Uniform Civil Code but will also end ‘the business of marrying four times’. Indirectly referring to Madrasas, Sarma said that the NDA government will also ‘shut down shops that produce mullas’. He said that the ‘new India’ led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not need madrassas but modern institutions that produce doctors and engineers.

    The Assam CM also added that there won’t be any reservations based on religion and the NDA government would end Muslim reservations. Sarma also said that grand temples would be built in Varanasi and Mathura if the NDA returns to power by winning over 400 Lok Sabha seats.

    He was indirectly referring to Gyanvapi row in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah row in Mathura. The Assam CM said the NDA, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will ensure that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, returns to the country.

    मैं लालू यादव जी से कहना चाहता हूँ कि अब हिंदू जग गया है। आप दलितों, आदिवासियों और पिछड़े वर्गों का आरक्षण छीन कर मुसलमानों को नहीं दे पायेंगे। अगर आपको देना है तो पाकिस्तान में जाके दीजिए#BiharCampaign2024 pic.twitter.com/h9Vu1mduS2
    — Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) May 18, 2024

    Invoking the Ram Temple to slam Congress and RJD, Sarma said, “Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad did not attend the consecration of Ram Mandir. They want to send Ram Lalla back to the tent. We must not let this happen.” 

    Slamming the INDIA bloc over reservations based on religion, Sarma said, “Religion-based reservations should be given to Muslims in Pakistan, not India. Lalu Prasad should go to Pakistan to give reservations to Muslims. The NDA will not allow this at any cost.”

    Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi’s PM ambition, Sarma said that the Congress leader can contest elections in Pakistan and become PM there. Sarma also alleged that besides putting up its own candidates, Congress and RJD are also backing Independent candidates in certain seats against BJP nominees.

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE | PM Modi Takes A Dig At SP, Congress, Says ‘They Will Bulldoze The Ram Temple’ |

    Lok Sabha Elections 2024 News Updates: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other INDIA bloc partners will take part in a large rally in Amethi at 1 pm. Rahul and Akhilesh will attend a joint rally in Raebareli later in the day at 3 pm.

  • EC Orders Large-Scale Transfer Of Several Bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP Ahead Of LS Polls |

    The Election Commission on Monday ordered the transfer of bureaucrats from the region to uphold fairness in the Lok Sabha polls. The Commission directed the removal of Home secretaries of states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  Along with this, The EC ordered the removal of the secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, they also ordered the removal of director general of police in West Bengal, PTI reported.

    Days after the declaration of the LS elections schedule, the chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar also ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners.

    The EC had instructed all state governments to transfer officers connected with elections-related duties, who have served three years in the same place or are stationed in their home districts. Maharashtra had not fully complied with the given directions, especially with a few municipal commissioners and deputy municipal commissioners. 

    While expressing the discontent to the state chief secretary, the commission has ordered the transfer of BMC and the additional and deputy commissioners with the content to report by 6 pm on Monday. 

    The EC has also directed the chief secretary to transfer all the similarly placed municipal commissioners and additional or deputy municipal commissioners of other corporations in Maharashtra.

    Therefore, steps are taken to maintain fairness and ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Rajiv Kumar on several occasions.

  • With ‘GYAN’, BJP Clears Its 2024 Poll Strategy To Counter Congress’ Caste Census Plank |

    Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s pitch for caste-based census across the country in a bid to counter BJP’s Hindutva poll plank, the saffron party has played two major cards – one was ‘poor’ caste and now the ‘GYAN’. Reacting to the opposition’s demand for a caste census, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during assembly polls in November that there is only one caste for the government and that is ‘poor people’. He said that the NDA government has been working for the welfare of this caste.

    Now, two months later, ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that ‘GYAN’ encompasses the Modi government’s four main focus points. Explaining ‘GYAN’, FM Sitharaman said that G stands for ‘Garib’ (Poor), Y for ‘Yuva’ (Youth), A for ‘Annadata’ (Farmer) and N for ‘Nari’ (Women). She said that PM Modi believes in focusing on these four ‘castes’ and the government is committed to the progress of these four sections. While some may have taken it lightly, this is a broader narrative on which the Modi government is working and is wooing the voters of this section.

    The government has already been running various programs for these four sections and some of them are the SAUBHAGYA electricity scheme, Ujjwala LPG cylinder scheme, Skill India or Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), promotion of sports through TOPS and Khelo India, and Kisan Samman Nidhi. These are just some of the schemes of the Modi government that cater to these four sections and if taken a holistic view, any poor family. 

    Women and youth form a majority of the Indian voters and the NDA government has been able to keep this section happy in the 2019 polls and the continuation of such schemes is likely to help the ruling party in the upcoming polls as well. Congress, which has been talking about caste-based census each day ahead of the assembly polls in November, has not only toned down on the issue but now talks about it very rarely. Most probably, the grand old party may have realised that the narrative did not work in its favour and rather gave the BJP a chance to further highlight the schemes run by its government. Now, the question here is, can Congress find a fix to BJP’s ‘GYAN’ and ‘poor’ caste narrative? In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress is not only facing an issue on the alliance front but it will have to find poll planks that resonate with the common people.

  • AAP-Congress To Decide Seat Share Soon; BJP Alleges Confusion In Alliance |

    New Delhi: After the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held their first formal meeting on Monday to discuss seat-sharing arrangements under the INDIA bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, AAP leaders said that a final decision on seat-sharing will be taken soon, whereas the BJP alleged that there’s confusion in the alliance.

    The meeting comes amid rumours of discontent between the state units of the Congress and the AAP in Delhi and Punjab. AAP leader Atishi and other party leaders were present at the meeting held at Congress leader and convener of the Congress National Alliance Committee, Mukul Wasnik’s residence in the national capital to discuss the seat-sharing formula.

    After the meeting, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj told ANI that they are positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. “We are absolutely positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. Even when a party decides its ticket, there are many contenders for every seat. Even in a party, there is a problem in candidate selection as to whom to give tickets and whom not to. In such a situation, when there are two or three parties, there will definitely be problems. But this can be solved. Soon, all the parties will be seen coming together on a common platform,” the Delhi Minister told ANI.

    Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a dig at the meeting of AAP and Congress on seat sharing and said that there is some confusion in the INDIA bloc, adding that soon both parties will say, ‘Ek tha INDI gathbandhan’.

    “There is some kind of confusion in the INDIA bloc. Today they are talking about seat sharing. There is confusion because they hold hands during the photo but they are not connected by heart. Bhagwant Mann once said ‘Ek thi Congress’, to which Pawan Khera said ‘Ek tha joker’. Very soon, both of them will say, ‘Ek tha INDI gathbandhan’,” the BJP leader told ANI.
    Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, Poonawalla said that the alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why they haven’t finalised their agenda and logo till now.

    “The INDI alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why, till now, they haven’t finalised their agenda. They even have not decided on their logo. AAP has been formed by finishing Congress from Punjab and Delhi. Will it be possible for the AAP to give the tickets to those whom they have finished?” the BJP leader added. As the countdown to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls has begun, the INDIA bloc has begun its seat-sharing talks in earnest.

    The allocation of seats becomes pivotal for Congress, especially after recent electoral setbacks. Meanwhile, India’s political landscape is undergoing a significant transition as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near. The INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) consortium is gearing up to challenge the established National Democratic Alliance.

    The bloc is struggling to resolve key challenges, including finalising seat-sharing arrangements and, most importantly, deciding on a PM face, while the BJP has started executing strategies it laid out in 2023 to secure victory in general elections.

  • Nitish Kumar says ‘not upset’ with INDIA bloc’s proposal on Kharge’s name |

    In a move to end scepticism over a possible rift within the INDIA bloc, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he did not convey any willingness to get a post in the bloc, emphasising that he is not ‘upset’. 

    The chief minister added that he will be on board with whatever decision the bloc takes.

    The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc of the Opposition met in New Delhi last week for its fourth meeting. The meeting came after Congress suffered a major setback in three states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. 

    During the meeting, key opposition leaders recommended Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s name for the prime ministerial post. 

    In August, Nitish Kumar had reiterated that he did not want the post of national convener of the INDIA bloc, adding that his move to drive the Opposition into unity was not motivated by “personal ambition.”

    Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi dialled up Kumar after reports surfaced that he is unhappy with the bloc and how it is advancing. The INDIA bloc meeting concluded with the decision that a call on seat sharing ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024 would be taken soon. 

    Currently, the INDIA bloc has set a deadline of December 31 for seat sharing. The Opposition bloc has also decided to launch nationwide public meetings soon. A special focus will also be put on Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

    On the other hand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a goal of securing 50 per cent vote share in the next Lok Sabha elections. The party has also announced the beginning of cluster meetings from January 15 while the Yuva Morcha will hold around 5,000 conferences across the country.

    The cluster meetings will be attended and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP President JP Nadda.

    Meanwhile, the BJP Yuva Morcha will begin a new campaign for new voters across the nation from January 24.