Lok Sabha Election 2024 news highlights: CPI(M) releases LS poll manifesto

Lok Sabha Election 2024 news highlights: Polling for the mega polls will be conducted in seven phases, beginning on April 19 and concluding on June 1.

CPI(M) releases LS poll manifesto.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 news highlights: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned in West Bengal, with a rally in Cooch Behar in north Bengal. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also campaigned in Cooch Behar, holding two rallies in the district. This is the first time in this election season that the two leaders will be addressing voters of a constituency on the same day....Read More

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• 4 Apr 2024, 10:29:07 PM IST

  ‘LS election very important for us’: Meghalaya Minister Marquise N Marak

  "This Lok Sabha election is very important for us. We are definitely hoping to win the Tura Parliamentary constituency. The position of the Congress in the state is very weak. Their organisation is fragmented," says Meghalaya Minister Marquise N Marak.

• 4 Apr 2024, 08:19:24 PM IST

  EC plans to use choppers to ferry personnel, EVMs to 167 booths in 3 Chhattisgarh LS seats

  The Election Commission has planned to use helicopters to ferry electronic voting machines and polling personnel to 167 booths in three Lok Sabha constituencies of Chhattisgarh in view of the Maoist threat as well as geographical location, an official said on Thursday. 

  Elections to the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7 and votes will be counted on June 4. The Naxal-hit Bastar (ST) seat will go to polls on April 19, while Mahasamund, Rajnandgaon and Kanker (ST), where some pockets are affected by Left Wing Extremism, will witness voting on April 26.

  PTI

• 4 Apr 2024, 07:42:49 PM IST

  Rahul Gandhi declares assets worth ₹20 crore

  Seeking a successive term in the Lok Sabha from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi has declared assets of over ₹20 crore in his nomination papers. Gandhi filed the papers before the returning officer on Wednesday. 

  He has declared movable assets to the tune of ₹9,24,59,264 and showed the purchasing price of his self-acquired immovable assets as being worth ₹7,93,03,977 in the affidavit. 

  He has also declared that the current market value of the self-acquired immovable assets is ₹9,04,89,000 and the value of the inherited assets is ₹2,10,13,598. Gandhi has stated that he has a liability of ₹49,79,184. He has declared ₹55,000 as cash in hand.

  PTI

• 4 Apr 2024, 07:42:03 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE:Robert Vadra hints at contesting from Amethi, takes dig at Smriti Irani

  Businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has expressed interest in contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.

  In an interview with ANI, Vadra stated that the people of Amethi expect him to represent their constituency if he plans to enter Parliament. Vadra targeted Union Minister Smriti Irani, the current Amethi MP, claiming that constituents feel they made a mistake by electing her.

  Irani had defeated former Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi, a traditional Gandhi family bastion, in a major upset.

• 4 Apr 2024, 07:00:26 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: 34 candidates in Noida file nomination for LS polls, 25 are independents

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Thirty-four candidates, including 25 independents, have thrown themselves into the fray for the Lok Sabha polls in Gautam Buddh Nagar, officials said on Thursday, as curtains drew on the nomination process for the second phase of general elections on April 26. The number of nominations filed this time has gone up from 2019, when a total of 21 candidates had applied but ultimately 13 were able to contest as eight others got rejected. Almost half of the nominations (16) were made on Thursday -- the last day -- at the Collectorate in Surajpur, the local election office said.

• 4 Apr 2024, 06:34:17 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Helping Modi return as PM for 3rd term national responsibility: Nadda tells Uttarakhand voters

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: BJP president J P Nadda Thursday said it is the "national responsibility" of the people of Uttarakhand to again give all the five Lok Sabha seats in the state to the BJP in order to help Narendra Modi return as prime minister for a third term. He appealed to the people of the hill state to help make India the third biggest economy in the world by voting for the BJP. "It is your national responsibility," Nadda told his first election meeting in Uttarakhand here in support of Ajay Tamta, the BJP candidate from the Almora Lok Sabha seat.

• 4 Apr 2024, 05:55:46 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Recap | One can trust snake but not BJP, says Mamata at poll rally

  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of not following the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that a poisonous snake can be trusted but not the saffron camp. Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, Banerjee alleged that the central investigating agencies, Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) are working at the behest of the BJP and urged the Election Commission to look into it and ensure a level playing field for all political parties. "The BJP is asking you to enrol names for Awas Yojna again. Why will the names be enrolled again? They want further enrolment so that they can chuck them off. You can trust a poisonous snake; you can even pet it, but you can never trust the BJP... The BJP is destroying the country," she said.

• 4 Apr 2024, 05:29:25 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Punjab police, BSF and NCB chalk out strategy to deter drug supply in border areas

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: In order to ensure free, fair and peaceful forthcoming General Elections 2024, Special Director General of Police (Spl DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla on Thursday chalked out a foolproof strategy with the Border Security Force (BSF) to further strengthen the second line of defence and completely break the supply chain of drugs from across the border. 

• 4 Apr 2024, 05:14:41 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Unwillingly contested against Adityanath in 2009 LS polls, says BJP's Manoj Tiwari

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Two-time BJP MP from Delhi Manoj Tiwari said he "unwillingly" contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls on a Samajwadi Party ticket against Yogi Adityanath, who he always considered as a man committed to his principles. In an interaction with the PTI, Tiwari who is contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections a third time from the North East Delhi seat, said he never said a word against Yogi.

• 4 Apr 2024, 05:01:44 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE:PM Modi to address rallies in Maharashtra's Chandrapur on April 8, Ramtek on April 14

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on April 8 to give momentum to the party's campaign for Lok Sabha polls in the state, BJP's state unit said on Thursday. Prime Minister will also visit the state on April 14 to address a rally in Ramtek.

• 4 Apr 2024, 04:43:03 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: CPI(M) releases Lok Sabha poll manifesto, promises to scrap 'draconian' UAPA, PMLA

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: The CPI(M) on Thursday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, promising to scrap all "draconian" laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The CPI(M) appealed to voters to defeat the BJP, strengthen the Left, and ensure the formation of an alternative secular government at the Centre. In its manifesto, the party pledged to fight for "an uncompromising adherence to the principle that religion is separated from politics".

• 4 Apr 2024, 04:30:23 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: INDIA bloc partners spreading lies about CAA,' says PM in Bengal

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: “BJP govt has introduced CAA but INDIA bloc partners spreading lies about it,” PM Modi said in his attack on the opposition in Bengal rally

• 4 Apr 2024, 04:18:54 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘BJP has pledged to ensure culprits of Sandeshkhali are punished,’ says PM in Bengal

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: “BJP has pledged to ensure culprits of Sandeshkhali are punished: PM Modi at Cooch Behar rally,” says PM

• 4 Apr 2024, 04:12:45 PM IST

  Narendra Modi Live Updates: 'Only BJP can stop atrocities on women in West Bengal,' says PM

  Narendra Modi Live Updates: "It is the BJP only which can stop atrocities against women here. The whole country has seen how the TMC govt tried its best to protect the accused in Sandeshkhali. BJP has resolved to ensure punishment for the accused in the Sandeshkhali incident. They will have to spend their lives in jail," PM Modi said.

• 4 Apr 2024, 04:04:42 PM IST

  Narendra Modi Live Updates: ‘This is an election to form stable govt,’ says PM

  Narendra Modi Live Updates: "This is an election to form strong and stable government in the country," PM Modi said addressing a rally in Bengal's Cooch Behar

• 4 Apr 2024, 03:59:43 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘…I want to express gratitude to Mamata Didi…’ says PM Modi

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: "Firstly, I want to express gratitude to Mamata Didi. In 2019, I came to this same ground to address a rally, at the time she got a platform constructed in the middle of this ground to make it smaller in size. At the time, I had said that the public would give an answer to this. Today, she did not do any such thing and I got the opportunity to meet you all. I express my gratitude towards the Bengal govt for not creating any obstacles today," the Prime Minister said.

• 4 Apr 2024, 03:52:40 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Cooch Behar,

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public rally in Cooch Behar Bengal at present.

• 4 Apr 2024, 03:39:39 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘This the election of PM Modi…’ Kangana Ranaut lauds PM during poll rally in Himachal

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut says, "...This the election of PM Modi. If you vote for Kangana, it will go to PM Modi... When a govt as the extension of a 'foreign mindset' formed in India with most of their officials being foreigners, they shattered our self-respect. It was made like this that being Indian, talking about Indianness and about our very own culture and religion has become worse than a shame. But, PM Modi has said from the Red Fort that we have to get over this mindset."

• 4 Apr 2024, 03:29:39 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: 'Ab kabhi idhar udhar nahi hone waale hain,' says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at PM Modi's rally in Jamui

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently took a 'U' turn to join former ally National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday said that he would stay permanently with the alliance (Ab kabhi idhar udhar nahi hone wale hain). Addressing a public rally in Jamui where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on the dias, Nitish Kumar said "Woh toh jhooth-mooth ka hum beech mein ek baar saath kar liye the toh aaj woh baat karta hai', but when I saw that he is doing wrong, I left them (RJD). And we are together forever now. 'Ab kabhi idhar udhar nahi hone waale hain'."

• 4 Apr 2024, 03:17:26 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Lok Sabha polls a contest between 'brand Modi' and ‘brand virodhi’, says BJP's Ajay Alok

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: The Lok Sabha elections are a contest between "brand Modi" and "brand virodhi", making it virtually a presidential contest that leaves no doubt about who will win given the emotional connect people have with Narendra Modi, BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok has said. The prime minister's declared target of 370 seats will be helped by a record tally in southern states and West Bengal, Alok told PTI, giving an explicit breakdown of seats the BJP will win in states that have traditionally not been its strongholds.

• 4 Apr 2024, 02:58:56 PM IST

  ‘I will take care of Bengal…’: Mamata Banerjee during rally in Cooch Behar

  West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said during a rally in Cooch Behar, "...All agencies have been put to work. State officials are being transferred. How many officers from the central agencies - NIA, CBI, IT - have been transferred?... I will take care of Bengal, as long as I am here, they will not dare to touch the people of Bengal. CAA was brought before the elections... As soon as you submit your name for registration (CAA for citizenship), you will be declared a Bangladeshi..."

• 4 Apr 2024, 02:35:05 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Over 99% independent candidates lost deposits since 1991

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: As India heads to the 18th general election, data over the years show voters' trust in independent candidates has been diminishing, with more than 99 per cent of independent candidates losing their deposits since 1991. Data compiled by the Election Commission of India show that since independence, even as the number of independent candidates has remained high, numbers of those winning polls have come down from over six per cent in 1951 and eight per cent in 1957, to around 0.11 per cent in 2019.

• 4 Apr 2024, 02:16:44 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: My candidature should not have been announced earlier: Hingoli MP Hemant Patil

  “My first feeling was that the party should not have announced my candidature. But our senior leaders have their own challenges as a three-party coalition is governing the state,” he said. 

  In the 2019 general elections, Patil had won from Hingoli as a candidate of the undivided Shiv Sena, polling nearly 5.86 lakh votes. 

  “We have to accept it (change in candidature). It feels bad but as a party worker, I will work and extend my help in the election in Hingoli,” he added.

• 4 Apr 2024, 01:45:09 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘I am symbolic to Purnea and vice-versa’

  Pappu is symbolic to Purnea and vice versa. Today for the first time, neither there is an organisation, nor religion, nor caste, there is just humanity. I made no mistake, no crime. I always stood with everyone in all difficulties. The life that is left in me, I will work hard to fight corruption and develop Seemanchal and Purnea: Pappu Yadav, Congress

• 4 Apr 2024, 01:20:30 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘Truth always wins,’ says Navneet Rana on SC ruling

  Those who raised questions on my birth got an answer today. I thank the Supreme Court. The truth always wins. This is a victory of those who walk on the path shown by Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: Navneet Rana

• 4 Apr 2024, 12:57:36 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: PM Modi praises ‘younger brother’ Chirag Paswan 

  I am satisfied that my younger brother Chirag Paswan is taking forward the ideas of Ram Vilas Paswan with full seriousness. The land of Bihar has been showing direction to the entire country, but unfortunately, after independence, justice was not done to 5-6 generations of people in Bihar: PM Modi at Jamui rally

• 4 Apr 2024, 12:35:55 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: PM Modi's Jamui rally begins

  PM Modi has been in the central govt for 10 years, and he has done so much work for Bihar and the country. Since we assumed power, Hindu-Muslim riots have stopped, I would like to appeal to the Muslim community that if you mistakenly vote for them (opposition), again those riots will start: Nitish Kumar, Bihar CM and JD(U) leader

• 4 Apr 2024, 12:33:00 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Kumaraswamy will win in Mandya with ‘big margin,’ says Yediyurappa

  HD Kumaraswamy is 100% going to win with a big margin. And according to me, we are going to win all 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka: BS Yediyurappa, BJP leader and ex-Karnataka CM

• 4 Apr 2024, 12:06:18 PM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: SC's relief BJP's Navneet Rana

  In a reprieve for Navneet Rana, BJP candidate from Maharashtra' Amravati, the Supreme Court approves her caste certificate. Rana was accused of fabricating documents to obtain Schedule Caste certificate to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Amravati, a reserved constituency.

• 4 Apr 2024, 11:53:38 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Anurag Thakur campaigns for Tejasvi Surya

  Five years ago, you (people) voted for Tejasvi Surya to make him the MP, and PM Modi has made him the National President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). If someone has earned the respect of being the National President of the youth wing of the largest party in the world, it is Tejasvi Surya. He hasn't only protested on the roads but also raised the voice of youth and the people of the country in the Parliament and has made the name of Bangalore South constituency: Anurag Thakur, Union minister

• 4 Apr 2024, 11:28:36 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Candidates file nominations

  BJP candidates Hema Malini and Rajeev Chandrshekhar, HD Kumaraswamy of JDS, and Congress's KC Venugopal file nominations from Mathura, Thiruvananthapura, Mandya, and Alappuzha, respectively.

• 4 Apr 2024, 11:13:48 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘This is a new low,’ says BJP on Surjewala's remark on Hema Malini

  This is a new low to disrespect and demean the dignity of women in Indian politics by the Congress party. On one side, we have PM Modi who named the south pole of the moon where India became the first country to land, as the 'Shiv-Shakti' point, and on the other side you have the Congress and their statements about women. This is not just merely an isolated statement by a Congress leader, but a structured and well-thought-of dastardly mindset of that party regarding the dignity of women: Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP

• 4 Apr 2024, 10:54:01 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Rajeev Chandrashekhar campaigns in Thiruvananthapuram

  Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar, BJP's candidate from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, campaigns with external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

  Chandrashekhar will be up against Congress's Shashi Tharoor, 3-term and current MP from the constituency.

• 4 Apr 2024, 10:24:31 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: BJP reacts after Gourav Vallabh quits Congress

  I have told this 7 years ago that the Congress is not a party but a family's company. There is no concern for national and social interest, but only the interest of a family... Be it the Indian army or the Hindu society of the country, the Congress party always disrespects them. All those who opposed my views 7 years ago are now considering me right. The Congress party is anti-youth. No efficient youth leader can stay there. They consider family first and not the nation: Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP spokesperson and ex-Congress leader

• 4 Apr 2024, 10:11:17 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Surjewala clarifies comment on Hema Malini

  As is its habit, the BJP IT cell edited the clip to divert the country's attention from the Modi government's anti-people policies. Watch the full video. I said, “We have a lot of respect for Hema Malini ji as she is married to Dharmendra ji, and is therefore our daughter-in-law..”: Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress

• 4 Apr 2024, 09:48:36 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: ‘PM contesting on all 40 seats in Bihar,’ says deputy CM

  PM Modi is contesting elections on all the 40 seats of Bihar. Elections will take place under his leadership. It is his first election campaign in Bihar, and we welcome him. The people of the state have made up their minds to give all 40 seats to the BJP: Samrat Choudhary

• 4 Apr 2024, 09:23:46 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: BJP's Navneet Rana to file nomination

  Navneet Rana, BJP's candidate from Maharashtra's Amravati, offers prayers ahead of filing her nomination today.

• 4 Apr 2024, 08:57:11 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: HD Kumaraswamy to file nomination from Mandya today

  Ex-Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy to file nomination from Mandya today. Kumaraswamy's JDS is contesting on three seats in Karnataka in alliance with the BJP, which will contest on the remaining 25 seats.

• 4 Apr 2024, 08:32:44 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh resigns

  Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh resigns from all party posts, and primary membership of the Congress.

• 4 Apr 2024, 08:23:11 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: TMC releases ‘star campaigner’ list for phase 2

  Prominent names include: Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Shatrughan Sinha, Kalyan Banerjee, Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Firhad Hakim, Moloy Ghatak, Dr Manas Ranjan Bhunia, Arpita Ghosh, Bratya Basu, Babul Supriyo, Deepak Adhikari (Dev), Dr Shashi Panja, Satabdi Roy, Mamata Thakur, Manoj Tiwary, Partha Bhowmick, Tanmoy Ghosh, Snehasis Chakraborty, Birbaha Hansda, Ritabrata Banerjee, Ambarish Sarkar, Ashima Patra, Kunal Ghosh, Saayoni Ghosh, and June Maliah.

• 4 Apr 2024, 07:56:59 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: PM Modi to campaign in Bihar, Bengal

  On Thursday, PM Narendra Modi will hold a rally in Bihar's Jamui, his first in the state since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were announced. He will also campaign in neighbouring West Bengal, where he is scheduled to hold a rally in Cooch Behar.

• 4 Apr 2024, 07:38:10 AM IST

  Lok Sabha Election 2024 news LIVE: In Mathura, contest between a ‘pravasi’ and ‘brijwasi,' says Congress candidate

  This election is between 'Pravasi' (migrants) and ‘Brijwasi.’ This is the fight of the families of Brij. I make a firm resolution that I will not move from the banks of Yamuna till it is cleaned, no matter how many years I have to sit there. I don't have any competition against anyone: Mukesh Dhangar on BJP's Hema Malini