LS Elections LIVE: Celebrations Erupt As Amit Shah Gets Gandhinagar Ticket For Second Time
India General Elections 2024 Live Updates: Please follow this space for the live coverage of the much-awaited 18th Lok Sabha elections of the country.
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"With the announcement, there is a wave of new excitement and enthusiasm in the entire state...Whenever Shivraj Singh Chouhan gets a chance, he wins every election with a great number," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav told ANI.
"The people of this country have Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their hearts and no one has any doubt on his hattrick...I want to thank the party for trusting me. This time we have to increase the vote share," BJP's Manoj Tiwari told ANI after being fielded from North-East Delhi Lok Sabha seat.
People in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar could be seen celebrating after BJP announced Union Home Minister Amit Shah's name from the seat for Lok Sabha elections for the second consecutive time.
BJP announced Lok Sabha candidates for 5 Delhi seats. Manoj Tiwari will contest from North-East Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi, Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi and Praveen Khandelwal from Delhi Chandni Chowk.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will contest from Vidhisha, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiran Rijiju to contest from Arunachal West, BJP MP Bishnu Pada Ray will contest from Andaman & Nicobar, Tapir Gao will contest from Arunachal East, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will contest from Dibrugarh, Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar.
BJP announced its first list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections. PM Narendra Modi will contest from Varanasi. The first list of candidates includes 34 central ministers and MoS and Lok Sabha Speaker, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said talks on Lok Sabha candidates in Punjab are underway and it will be announced in the next 2-4 days.
"Our demand is that Republican Party of India (Athawale) should get two seats in Maharashtra. I have spoken to JP Nadda, Amit Shah ji and also Devendra Fadnavis ji on this," Ramdas Athawale told ANI.
"Today we will brief you all on how we are preparing for Lok Sabha elections...The purpose is to make sure that polls will take place in a very transparent and fair manner. Every political party will have their level playing field, there will be no biases. Seven political parties came to meet us- AAP, BJP, CPI(M), INC and from regional parties- BSP, SP and Apna Dal. They all said and demanded that the high standards that have been established by the EC for elections need to be followed more strictly, police should be equal to everyone, in elections, money power and muscle power must not be used," ANI quoted Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as saying.
Former minister and Hazaribagh BJP MP Jayant Sinha has expressed his decision to abstain from participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in a recent post on X.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, in a press conference held in Lucknow, affirmed the commitment to conducting the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 with "utmost fairness and transparency".
Kumar, emphasising a level playing field for all political parties, announced the outcome of a crucial meeting involving seven prominent parties: AAP, BJP, CPI(M), Indian National Congress, BSP, Samajwadi Party, and Apna Dal.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission on Friday asked parties and their leaders to refrain from seeking votes on the basis of caste, religion and language, and not insult the devotee-deity relation or make any suggestion of a divine censure.
Temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras or any other place of worship should not be used for poll propaganda or electioneering, the commission said in its advisory to parties, warning their candidates and star campaigners they will face stern action, rather than just 'moral censure' as is the practice, for any violation of Model Code of Conduct.
The poll authority has issued advisories to parties in the past too, but the latest one comes ahead of the parliamentary elections.
It said that the star campaigners and candidates who have received notices in past will face stern action for repeat violation of model code.
The advisory comes days before the model code is expected to come into effect with the likely announcement of the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls later this month. (PTI Input)
Senior leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, one of the Congress central observers deputed to handle the Himachal Pradesh crisis, on Friday said the party will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with strength.
Hooda, who engaged with the party MLAs during his Himachal visit along with another central observer D K Shivakumar, said all differences in the hill state have been ironed out.
Congress will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls strongly, Hooda told reporters here referring to Himachal Pradesh.
Shivakumar on Thursday said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had taken responsibility for Abhishek Manu Singhvi's defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls -- which had triggered the crisis for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified the six Congress MLAs, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, for allegedly defying a party whip on voting for the state Budget in the assembly. (PTI Inputs)
The Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for one of the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa has been finalised, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, as reported by PTI.
"BJP election committee meeting was held today. We discussed all the possible names for the Lok Sabha elections. The list of candidates will be announced soon. We are sure that we will win all 11 seats (in Chhattisgarh) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao told PTI.
“I felt like the Congress had lost its political character. The thing that was bothering me for a long time was the way the party was running. The Congress had been losing elections badly since 2014. It was also not able to secure the official status of being the (main) Opposition party. No meetings and no strategic discussions on how to conduct elections were held," Koustav Bagchi told PTI on his decision to join BJP.
“Any directionless and non-serious effort never succeeds. We also want a strong Opposition, but they should at least be aware of the issues being faced by common people," Madhya Pradesh Minister Prahlad Singh Patel told PTI a day ahead of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters the state.
"Ahead of General Elections 2024, political parties to maintain decorum in public campaigning else stern action against direct or indirect MCC violations will be taken. The Commission has put additional responsibility on star campaigners and candidates under MCC – regarding MCC violations," Election Commission of India said in a statement.
"I am not going to respond to speculations whatever our senior leaders decide my duty is to obey. I don't have any personal prejudice or likes and dislikes in BJP. Why should I field a Union Minister to show that the party has grown,? Why cannot we field our booth president or district president," Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai told ANI.
Slamming Bengal government over the Sandeshkhali violence, where women took to streets accusing TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan of sexual atrocities and land grab, PM Narendra Modi said in Arambagh, "Har chot ka jawab vote se dena hai (Every humiliation will get a befitting reply through votes). Today, the people of West Bengal are asking their CM 'Didi'- is the vote of some people more important than atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali? All the tall leaders of I.N.D.I alliance were silent on the Sandeshkhali incident. I.N.D.I alliance leaders were like the three monkeys of Gandhiji. Congress chief said on Sandeshkhali - Arey chhoddo, Bengal mein toh yeh sab chalta rheta hai (Let it be. These things keep happening in Bengal)."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his visit to West Bengal later today, sources tell ABP News.
At a public rally in Jharkhand's Dhanbad, PM Modi says: "... Congress and its alliance parties are the biggest enemies of development... The foundation stone of the Electricity power plant of North Karanpura was laid by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the end of the previous century... After that, the scammer government of Congress came into power and this project was shut down... In 2014, I gave a guarantee of reviving this project. Today, a no. of houses are lightened because of this power plant..."
Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari's father Shishir Adhikari won't contest Lok Sabha polls this year due to old age. Shishir had held the Kantha Lok Sabha seat, which the Adhikari family hasn't lost in any elections to date.
Chhattisgarh BJP President Kiran Singh Deo says, "List (candidates for the 2024 elections) will come once the discussion among all the senior leaders of the Parliamentary Board concludes."
The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to field new candidates from Delhi for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections against the Congress-AAP alliance. Of the seven seats, the saffron party is expected to field new faces on four seats, as per ABP News sources.
Currently, all the Lok Sabha seven seats from Delhi are held by BJP: Harsh Vardhan (Chandni Chowk), Gautam Gambhir (East Delhi), Meenakshi Lekhi (New Delhi), Manoj Tiwari (North East Delhi), Hans Raj Hans (North West Delhi), Ramesh Bidhuri (South Delhi), and Pravesh Singh (West Delhi).
Sitting MLA from Odisha's Chilka, Prashant Jagdev joined BJP on Thursday after being expelled from Biju Janata Dal a few years ago.
After joining the party, he said: "PM wants to have a 'Viksit Bharat' and the efforts have begun. The priority that he has given to Odisha - he made a woman from our state, the President of India; two others were made Governors. Odisha has received funding of Rs 18 Lakh Crores...Efforts that are being made to make India the number one country in the world, so drawing inspiration from this I joined the BJP...I worked with Naveen Patnaik but now he is not seen, someone else comes in. So, I quit the party..."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Jharkhand today where he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,700 crores.
BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting underway at the party headquarters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the BJP CEC meeting at the party headquarters, in New Delhi.
A delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived in Lucknow on Thursday for a three-day visit to assess preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Official sources said the 13-member team of the Election Commission, in a review meeting with officials on the first day of its visit, discussed the arrangement of resources required for free, fair and peaceful voting in the state. Apart from this, the team also held meetings with national and state-level political parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Apna Dal (Sonelal), Bahujan Samaj Party and Communist Party of India.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials arrived in Lucknow to review poll preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh arrives at BJP Headquarters in New Delhi for the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje arrived at the BJP Headquarters in New Delhi for the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee.
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai arrives at BJP office in Delhi top attend the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting, being held to discuss candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath arrives at the BJP office in New Delhi to attend the party's Central Election Committee meeting.
Out of 14 LS seats in Assam, BJP to contest 11, AGP two, UPPL one: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections the BJP will be supported by significant voters in Southern India. "This time in the 2024 elections, the BJP will be supported by significant voters in Southern India. Congress has the mentality, that they didn't even want to celebrate Kargil Vijay Diwas citing it as a BJP victory. Congress thinks that those who are nationalists and working for the nation are against Congress," Chandrasekhar said.
"In every Lok Sabha & Vidhan Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh a lot of people have joined the Sankalp of Viksit Madhya Pradesh. Several other states have also taken this Sankalp of becoming Viksit... 9 days Vikramotsav is going to start in MP from tomorrow itself. It is a celebration of our glorious heritage and present development," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
On Lok Sabha elections, Atul Bora, President of Asom Gana Parishad in Assam's Guwahati said, "The State BJP President is holding a meeting today for which we have come today. We will talk about the upcoming polls. We will ensure more and more NDA seats from Assam."
On the meeting of 16 opposition parties in Guwahati today, Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah said, "Today, we met the Governor of Assam and submitted a memorandum to the President of India through the Governor and mentioned that CAA will nullify the Assam Accord and that it is against Constitution and people of Assam will not accept it. Today, we will write to PM to seek an appointment with him to discuss why we are opposing CAA. If govt will fail to understand our request, then we will start a mass movement across the state."
Uttar Pradesh: AIMIM leader Syed Asim Waqar said, "Three rounds of talks have been held with our party president Asaduddin Owaisi. We are mulling to field our candidates from Moradabad, Firozabad, Sambhal, Budaun, Amroha, Meerut, and Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats."
DMK President MK Stalin sealed a seat-sharing alliance with communist parties CPI and CPI-M for Lok Sabha elections; giving two seats each to the two parties, ANI reported.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Wednesday expressed confidence about his party BJP wining all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the key northern state in the 2024 general elections.
He said the just held Rajya Sabha polls saw all the eight BJP candidates emerging victorious in Uttar Pradesh and the party is drawing inspiration from this win.
"We are going to win all the 80 (Lok Sabha) seats in Uttar Pradesh. You have seen the results of Rajya Sabha elections, where the BJP had given nominations to eight candidates and the party won all the eight seats as MLAs (who took part in voting process) gave their blessings," Pathak noted.
In 2019, the saffron party had won 62 Lok Sabha seats in the county's most populous state.
The BJP leader was in Pune to address a convention of the party's booth in-charges in the city in lead up to the general elections, which are likely to be held in April-May. (PTI Input)
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Assam Police has advised its personnel not to take leaves for a long duration till the completion of the election process, officials said.
According to a senior official, there is no bar on taking leaves for a short duration during this period.
"It is just a routine advisory issued before every election in every state. There is no bar in taking leaves for a shorter duration. One can even take long leaves if there is any medical emergency or for some family reasons," he told PTI.
The instructions will be effective from March 10 as the Election Commission of India is likely to announce the poll dates after that, the official said. (PTI Input)
CPI National Council Secretary Binoy Biswam voiced his view on the upcoming general elections and issues to be raised during campaigning. He said, “The emergence of INDIA Alliance is a major difference this time, which was not there in 2019 general elections. The INDIA Alliance is a major breakthrough in the RSS-BJP regime, and we will campaign on the issue of people’s living conditions, unemployment and price rise. Everyone’s disappointed with this government and they want a change. We are their alternative, and I am very sure that people have hope on this alternative.”
Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, after the MVA meeting, said, "Our seat-sharing issue has been closed, and I don't think there will be any more discussion on this. The final decision will be announced by the senior leaders of the parties in the next meeting."
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat talked about the party's readiness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, stating, “Dates for the Lok Sabha elections are going to be announced in a few days. As you know CPI(M) always fights from the Rajmahal constituency and this time too we have decided to fight elections from this seat. Although, talks have not begun with the (INDIA) alliance. If they initiate talks, then surely we will talk to them.
In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a sharp retort, stating, "The only way BJP is getting two digits in Kerala is when they both are zero... The issue with the BJP is that they don't understand Kerala- its culture and history. We have had nearly 2000 years of living together, amicably. Our relationship with each of the major faiths is one of welcome and acceptance... The problem with the North is that they think their history is the only history... As far as Kerala is concerned, Communalism cannot go beyond a very small limit. We've seen the BJP reach that limit. I'll give PM Narendra Modi credit that he took the party up from 6% to 12-13% vote share."
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor shared his opinion while discussing the potential performance of the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying, “As far as Kerala is concerned, communalism cannot go beyond a very small limit and we have seen the BJP reach that limit. I’ll give Mr Modi credit that under him, the BJP went from a six per cent party to a 12-13 per cent party but I think the ceiling has been reached. So, I can assure you that as far as the people of Kerala are concerned, the BJP is not likely to win any Lok Sabha seats in this election.”
Ahead of the Lok Sabha Polls, BJP leader K Laxman, said, "The people of Telangana have made up their minds to make Narendra Modi PM for the third time. Out of 17 seats, the BJP will win the most in Lok Sabha polls."
AAP leader Sandeep Pathak, said on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, "The timeline would be different in different states. We have already started in Bharuch and Bhavnagar. In next one week, you would see high-level campaign starting in Delhi and Haryana as well."
The Congress party has formed a screening committee for both the general elections in cluster-5 and the upcoming assembly elections in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Smriti Irani, Union Minister and MP BJP, took a sharp dig at the Congress party, particularly the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing them of deliberately keeping Amethi underdeveloped to exploit the plight of the poor for political gain. Irani's statement suggests a narrative of neglect and exploitation by the Nehru-Gandhi family, insinuating that they allowed underdevelopment in Amethi to persist in order to manipulate the impoverished residents for their own political agenda.
On a meeting between a BJP delegation and the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the party's commitment to transparency and voter engagement in the electoral process. He said, "The BJP always strives to ensure transparency and the increased involvement of voters in the election process. Today, the BJP delegation met the ECI with some requests- the main one being, easing the process of voting for our urban voters. Those living in high-rise apartment complexes should be able to vote in polling booths set up in their building. Our second request is that the percentage of video recording done on booths should be increased from 50% to 100%... The process of media approvals should be reformed so that every party should get adequate time to share their idea through media..."
At the 'Viksit Bharat- Modi's Guarantee' program in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath exuded confidence in the BJP's electoral prospects, citing the party's previous success in the 2019 elections and the current favorable political climate. He said, "In 2019, the BJP won 64 out of 80 seats when the BJP was contesting alone against all the opposition parties combined. Today the environment is much more in our favour. Now, we even have Lord Ram's blessings. There are works done by the double-engine government and PM Modi's leadership, the party has expanded, and works to fulfill lots of aspirations have been completed. In such times, just like yesterday, we should aim at winning 80 out of 80, 100% of the Lok Sabha seats..."
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed confidence in the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, saying, "We are all prepared. People in large numbers have filed their applications to contest on BJP symbol. With the kind of development that has happened everywhere in the country...Work has been done for the welfare of every section. In Uttarakhand too, unprecedented development has taken place. So, everyone wants to go to the polls on a BJP ticket. We have collected the names and they will be sent to the Central Parliamentary Board..."
Congress leader and former Union minister Ramakant Khalap on Wednesday said the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will not help in the polarisation of votes for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to PTI, Khalap said the Congress is the oldest party and has acceptance across different sections of the people. It is "perfectly possible" for his party to win both the North and South Goa Lok Sabha seats in the coastal state, Khalap said, adding that he aspires to contest from the North Goa seat on Congress ticket.
Though the Congress has only one MLA under the North Goa parliamentary constituency, the party has a huge following in the region, he claimed.
The 76-year old leader had served as law minister in the central cabinet led by Deve Gowda. He had moved the women's reservation bill during his tenure as the Union law minister (in 1996-97). (PTI Input)
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan on Wednesday taunted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying a cat doesn't become a tiger just by wearing its skin, and challenged his party to win at least one seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also challenged Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar to ensure the victory of his daughter Supriya Sule from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, which she currently represents.
Mahajan was reacting to Thackeray's remark that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the state frequently as the ruling BJP was scared of losing the upcoming general elections.
Speaking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha in Yavatmal, Mahajan said, "PM Narendra Modi is not only visiting Maharashtra today, but he is visiting a total of three states in a day. Whatever Uddhav Thackeray has said...only naive people can trust his words. I challenge him that his party wins at least one Lok Sabha seat." "We have already given a clarion call of winning more than 400 Lok Sabha seats. If a cat wears the skin of a tiger, it does not make her a tiger...I also challenge Sharad Pawar to ensure the victory of his daughter Supriya Sule from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat," the Rural Development Minister said. (PTI Input)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced its four candidates in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections due in April-May. The party also fielded its candidate for Kurukshetra in Haryana.
Here are their brief profiles:
Kuldeep Kumar (East Delhi): Kumar is the sitting MLA from Kondli. A young and dynamic social worker, he comes from a humble family.
Mahabal Mishra (West Delhi): Mishra has been a prominent figure in the Purvanchali community in the national capital. He belongs to Siriyapur in Madhubani district of Bihar and had previously represented the West Delhi constituency on a Congress ticket from 2009 to 2014.
Sahiram Pahalwan (South Delhi): Pahalwan was born in the village of Tehkhand in the Tughlaqabad assembly constituency of South Delhi. His father was a social worker. He was a wrestler. He has served in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Due to his interest in social work, he resigned from the CISF.
Somnath Bharti (New Delhi): Bharti is the sitting MLA from Malviya Nagar on his third term. He previously held the position of Minister of Law, Tourism, Administrative Reforms, Art & Culture in the Delhi government. Currently, he serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. (PTI Inputs)
Buoyed by the victory of its all eight candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday exuded confidence that it will win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the elections due in April-May.
Speaking to PTI Video, Sudhanshu Trivedi, one of the victorious candidates of the BJP, said, "It is a matter of immense happiness that all the eight candidates of the BJP have won. Definitely, this is an indication of the future. It will be 80 out of 80 (Lok Sabha seats) in UP, and 400-plus for NDA (National Democratic Alliance) nationally." To a question on some SP MLAs siding with the BJP, he said, "The SP should itself think about why such a situation has emerged." He said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav talks about "PDA" -- "pichhda" (backward classes), Dalit and "alpsankhyak" minorities -- but fielded "FDA" candidates -- filmstar, dynast and "afsar" (bureaucrat).
Another victorious candidate of the BJP, former Union minister R P N Singh, also exuded confidence that the BJP will bag all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
On the SP's allegation of horse trading, he said, "The entire UP knows about the SP. When they were in power, they indulged in goondaism and loot. The people of UP have made up their mind to make the BJP win on all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state." All eight BJP candidates emerged victorious in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday and the opposition Samajwadi Party suffered a jolt with one of its three nominees facing defeat due to cross-voting by some of its legislators. (PTI Input)
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