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Lok Sabha election 2024 Highlights: In Goa, PM Modi attacks Congress for ‘spreading lies about EVM’
Lok Sabha election 2024 Highlights: NDA is eyeing its third consecutive term this general election, with echoes of ‘abki baar 400 paar’.
Lok Sabha election 2024 LIVE Updates: The polling for the second phase of India's general elections culminated on Friday. The second phase of voting for 88 parliamentary constituencies spread over 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) recorded a voter turnout of around 63.50% said the Election Commission of India (ECI). The first phase of polling took place on April 19 in 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories....Read More
The northeastern state of Tripura recorded the highest voter turnout with 79.46% polling while Uttar Pradesh was at the bottom with 54.85% turnout.
According to an official release, the voting percentage is likely to go up when reports from all polling stations are obtained, as polling was scheduled until 6 PM in many constituencies.
The political parties have intensified their poll campaigns for the remaining constituencies, with PM Modi addressing a poll-bound rally in Goa on Saturday while Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address two rallies in Gujarat's Valsad and Maharashtra's Latur.
All eyes are on two major political alliances namely, the INDIA bloc and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA- the major competitors in the Lok Sabha Election 2024. While the INDIA bloc comprises of political parties like the Congress, the AAP, the TMC etc. NDA has the BJP, the PMK, the JDU etc. as its member parties.
NDA is eyeing its third consecutive term this general election, with echoes of ‘abki baar 400 paar’, while the opposition INDIA bloc is taking an economical approach to their campaign, promising MSP for farmers and cash handouts to women in their manifesto.
Here's the phase-wise schedule for the Lok Sabha Election 2024:
Phase 1- April 19 (polling completed)
Phase 2- April 26 (polling completed)
Phase 3- May 7
Phase 4 - May 13
Phase 5 - May 20
Phase 6 - May 25
Phase 7 - June 1
The Lok Sabha election's votes will be counted, and the results will be declared on June 4.
"Lot of anger in community": Cong leader after stepping down from panel over absence of Muslim face in MVA list for LS polls
Senior state Congress leader Muhammed Arif 'Naseem' Khan stepped down from the party's campaign committee, amid the Lok Sabha elections, citing the decision by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc not to field any minority candidate in the polls.
He said the people and organisations associated with the minority community were upset over the bloc's decision not to put a Muslim face or leader on the ticket. Speaking to ANI, Khan said the Congress' ideology since inception has been to take everyone along, regardless of community or caste.
"There is a lot of anger among people belonging to the minority community or associated with organisations linked with us. as there is not one Muslim (Opposition) candidate across the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. I am upset, too, as the Congress, going back to its founding days, has been known to take everyone along, regardless of whether they are Muslims, OBCs, Marathas, SCs or STs," the Congress leader told ANI.
Dip in voter turnout as Seemanchal records 58.58% polling
Polling in five of Bihar’s 40 constituencies, mostly in the Seemanchal area, comprising Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Banka, passed off peacefully during the second phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in the state on Friday.
The overall provisional voter turnout was 58.58%, a 4.34% drop as compared to 62.92% in these constituencies during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, said HR Srinivasa, Bihar’s chief electoral officer, while addressing newspersons in Patna on Friday.
“Polling is still on as we talk (at 6:30pm), and there are queues of voters at polling booths in Purnia, Kishanganj and Katihar. We expect the final voter turnout to cross 60% once it is finalised around midnight,” said Srinivasa.
EC files cases against Tejaswi Surya and K Sudhakar for MCC violations
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates Tejasvi Surya and K Sudhakar find themselves in legal troubles. Surya, contesting from Bengaluru South PC, has been booked under Section 123(3) of corrupt practices and Sudhakar for trying to bribe voters and undue influence.
The case against Surya was filed at the Jayanagar police station in Bengaluru following his social media post allegedly soliciting votes on religious grounds. The Chief Electoral Officer highlighted the violation, stating, "Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and Candidate of Bengaluru South PC on 25.04.24 at Jayanagar PS u/s 123(3) for posting a video in X handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion."
The case comes after Surya shared a video of Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir and posted: “Our generation was blessed to witness the majestic Surya Tilak on Bhagwan Shri Ram at Ayodhya on Ram Navami. A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas was fulfilled by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji. For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP! #DakshinakkeSurya”.
Rajasthan records 64.60% polling in second phase; nearly 4% down from 2019
Rajasthan recorded over 64.60% voter turnout across the remaining 13 constituencies during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, said officials, adding that the elections were held largely peacefully except for a few incidents of clashes reported in Barmer which also recorded the highest polling.
At 74.25%, the highest polling till the filing of this report was recorded in Barmer constituency, followed by Banswara (72.24%), and Kota (70.82%) while the lowest polling was recorded in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur (56.55%), Pali (56.80%), and Rajsamand (58.01%), said the officials. The figures is however nearly 4% down from the 2019 when the state had about 68.42% turnout during the second phase in the same number of constituencies.
The second phase of the elections in which 27,896,376 from 13 constituencies took part on Friday will decide the fate of 152 candidates. The 13 constituencies include Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Kota-Bundi, Jhalawar-Baran, Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jalore-Sirohi, Pali, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Banswara-Dungarpur, Bhilwara, and Jodhpur.
BJP objects nomination of Congress candidate from Indore after adding of charge of attempt to murder in 17-year-old case
The BJP has demanded rejection of nomination paper of Congress candidate from Indore Akshya Kanti Bam saying he has his information about a criminal case of attempt to murder against him.
The twist is that the section was added in a 17-year old case on April 24, the day the filed the nomination. Indore district collector Asheesh Singh rejected the objection and accepted Congress candidate’s form as the addition of section 307 (attempt to murder) was ordered by the session court on the day, Bam had filed the nomination on April 24.
However, Judicial Magistrate First Class Nidhi Nilesh Srivastava has ordered Bam to appear before the court on May 10.
Tripura records highest voter turnout, UP lowest in 2 phase
In the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections that covered 88 seats across 12 states and a union territory, a voter turnout of 63.50 per cent was reported. The Election Commission (EC) stated that polling was mostly peaceful.
The tentative voter turnout figure at 8 pm was 63.50 per cent, which is expected to increase as reports from all polling stations are received. Additionally, voters arriving at polling stations until the end of polling hours were allowed to cast their votes.
