#Lok Sabha Elections Third Phase Election Campaign

[novumtimes]

Indian Election results map live as Modi aims for third term | World | News

India’s seven-phase billion-ballot election spanning from April 19 to June 4 this year has finally concluded after months of searing heat, lively campaigning and fierce debate.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to secure a historic third term with his main rivals being a coalition of opposition parties known as INDIA led by the National Congress.   Some 970,000 Indians cast their ballots to elect members of the nation’s Lok Sabha, the equivalent of the UK’s House of Commons where a total of 543 seats are up for grabs.  Mr Modi has set an ambitious goal of achieving 400 out of the 543 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Follow the Daily Express with our live interactive results map below to get all the results as they come in.  READ MORE: ‘Indian minorities are fed-up with victimhood – let’s celebrate our incredible diversity’ Citizens across the nation were urged to “do their democratic duty” by both celebrities and ordinary people, with posters of legendary cricketer Sachin Tanduka plastered up and down the nation during the 44-day event. And for the first time in its democratic history, India’s Election Commission was legally required to make the process truly inclusive. There were strict rules requiring every person registered to vote to be within no more than two kilometres from their nearest polling booth. The challenge facing the 15 million election officials tasked with delivering 1.5 million polling booths across the country was, quite simply, immense.  This legal stipulation meant they must brave the boiling heat and face even crocodiles on their quest to deliver democracy to all citizens.  Officials trekked through mountainous jungles and crossed rivers to reach far-flung corners of the vast subcontinent.  In one case, officials in the northeastern State of Arunachal Pradesh trekked for 24 hours through difficult terrain to enable one single voter to cast her vote. During the contest’s fourth and fifth phases, the Daily Express provided you with live front-row dispatches from the ground: Stay tuned for the results of this mega-election. Source link via The Novum Times

[market-news-24]

Today’s Current Affairs: Kalpana Soren, wife of jailed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren, is making her electoral debut from the Gandey Assembly constituency. Despite complaining of being tired of giving interviews, Kalpana displays boundless energy on her campaign trail, connecting with the masses and showcasing her husband's achievements during his CM stint. With a focus on addressing issues faced by villagers, especially women, Kalpana has created a resonance among common people, gearing up for the upcoming elections. Stay updated with the latest happenings as Kalpana navigates through her political journey in Jharkhand. [ad_2] Download Latest Movies in HD Quality Downloading In 15 seconds Scroll Down to End of This Post const downloadBtn = document.getElementById('download-btn'); const timerBtn = document.getElementById('timer-btn'); const downloadLinkBtn = document.getElementById('download-link-btn'); downloadBtn.addEventListener('click', () => downloadBtn.style.display = 'none'; timerBtn.style.display = 'block'; let timeLeft = 15; const timerInterval = setInterval(() => if (timeLeft === 0) clearInterval(timerInterval); timerBtn.style.display = 'none'; downloadLinkBtn.style.display = 'inline-block'; // Add your download functionality here console.log('Download started!'); else timerBtn.textContent = `Downloading In $timeLeft seconds`; timeLeft--; , 1000); ); [ad_1] 1. Who is making her electoral debut from the Gandey Assembly constituency? - A. Kalpana Soren - B. Hemant Soren - C. Champai Soren - D. Dilip Verma Answer: A. Kalpana Soren 2. How many panchayats has Kalpana already visited in Gandey? - A. One-third - B. Half - C. Two-thirds - D. All Answer: C. Two-thirds 3. Who suddenly resigned from the Assembly, sparking the buzz about Kalpana contesting the bypoll from Gandey? - A. Hemant Soren - B. Sarfaraz Ahmad - C. Champai Soren - D. Annapurna Devi Answer: B. Sarfaraz Ahmad 4. In which phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are Gandey and Koderma bound for polls? - A. First - B. Third - C. Fifth - D. Seventh Answer: C. Fifth [ad_2] Who is Kalpana Soren? Kalpana Soren is the wife of jailed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president and ex-chief minister Hemant Soren, who is making her electoral debut from the Gandey Assembly constituency. How does Kalpana Soren feel about giving interviews? Kalpana seems cheerful while being interviewed but complains of being "tired" of giving interviews during breaks. What is Kalpana Soren's approach on her campaign trail? On her campaign trail, Kalpana energetically reaches out to the masses, especially women, highlighting the work done by her husband Hemant during his Chief Minister stint and seeking votes based on his achievements. How has Kalpana Soren connected with the villagers in Gandey? Kalpana has been able to connect with villagers in Gandey by addressing their issues, promising their resolution, and actively participating in community activities like fixing a dysfunctional water pump and identifying roads for repairs and upgrades. Why did Kalpana Soren decide to enter politics? Efforts were made in 2019 to bring Kalpana into public life, but it did not materialize. However, after her husband Hemant Soren's arrest by the ED, she was persuaded by JMM leaders to join politics to continue the fight for the people. [ad_1] Download Movies Now Searching for Latest movies 20 seconds Sorry There is No Latest movies link found due to technical error. Please Try Again Later. function claimAirdrop() document.getElementById('claim-button').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('timer-container').style.display = 'block'; let countdownTimer = 20; const countdownInterval = setInterval(function() document.getElementById('countdown').textContent = countdownTimer;

countdownTimer--; if (countdownTimer < 0) clearInterval(countdownInterval); document.getElementById('timer-container').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('sorry-button').style.display = 'block'; , 1000); [ad_2] Today's current affairs focused on the electoral debut of Kalpana Soren from the Gandey Assembly constituency in Jharkhand. She is the wife of jailed JMM executive president Hemant Soren, the former chief minister. Kalpana is actively campaigning, highlighting her husband's achievements and seeking votes based on his work during his CM tenure. She is making efforts to connect with voters from all sections of society, addressing their issues and promising resolutions. Her campaign has garnered support from various communities, and she is aiming to win the upcoming elections on May 20. The JMM party is optimistic about her chances, as she reaches out to voters with energy and enthusiasm, especially focusing on women empowerment. [ad_1]

[dailymailindia]

Who is this woman? Tejashwi Yadav tightened the slippery tongue of Kangana Ranaut

[newslime]

Get Ready for the Political Pulse: Modi's Tamil Nadu Surge & Kejriwal's Legal Battle

As we inch closer to Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections, the political arena is heating up with fervent campaigning and legal battles. Here's the latest scoop:

Modi's Multi-State Moves: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making waves with his strategic campaign moves. On Tuesday, he kicks off his schedule with an electrifying election rally in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, marking his second visit to the state in just three days. But that's not all – Modi's Tamil Nadu tour is also in full swing, emphasizing the critical Coimbatore constituency, which BJP eyes to secure this time. With a roadshow planned in Chennai, Modi aims to rally support for BJP candidates Tamilisai Soundararajan and Vinoj P Selvam in South and Central Chennai constituencies, respectively. His itinerary also includes public meetings in Vellore and Mettupalayam, rallying behind NDA allies' candidates. Coimbatore remains a focal point for Modi, reflecting the significance the BJP attaches to this region.

Legal Showdown: Kejriwal's Bail Plea: Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal finds himself entangled in a legal tussle. The Delhi High Court is set to deliver its verdict on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Currently under judicial custody in Tihar jail, Kejriwal's fate hangs in the balance as the court's decision looms. His challenge extends beyond arrest to contesting the remand in the Enforcement Directorate's custody. The legal battle underscores the high stakes and intense scrutiny surrounding political figures, particularly during election season.

Nationwide Campaign Trail: As Modi and Kejriwal grab headlines, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is making his presence felt in Assam. Addressing a public meeting in Lakhimpur constituency, Shah lends his support to BJP incumbent MP Pradan Baruah, vying for a third consecutive term. The day doesn't end there – Shah gears up for a lively roadshow in Tinsukia town, boosting BJP candidate Sarbananda Sonowal's campaign in the Dibrugarh seat. The electoral landscape is alive with activity as parties vie for voter attention and allegiance.

As the countdown to the Lok Sabha elections continues, the political drama unfolds with each passing day. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the nation braces for a crucial electoral showdown.

[newswatchindia]

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Operation Lotus will run in Rajasthan, many Congress leaders will join BJP

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Where is the peace for BJP! Where does she stop? Where do its leaders get tired? They are always engaged in campaigns. They have only two campaigns. The first campaign is BJP's victory in every election and where it does not win, it tries to bring the government to its side. Now BJP's third phase has started.

[journalistrakeshrocky-blog]

ELECTION 2019/HIMACHAL

Voters walk terrains of Himachal politics

With BJP and Congress well-entrenched in state, there is hardly any scope for the emergence of a potential third front, reports Rakesh Rocky

By

Rakesh Rocky

-May 16, 2019

36

With rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narender Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi , the hilly state of Himachal is all set for the Lok Sabha polls, voting for which will be held in the last phase on May 19. Main contest is between ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress. BJP had won all the four seats in 2014 elections. Therefore, the polls are being seen as a big challenge for Jai Ram Thakur, young chief minister of the state to retain all the seats for his party, the BJP.

After many turns, the election has reached in the last phase of the electioneering. First, the BJP denied ticket to its stalwart 85-year-old former CM, Shanta Kumar. And then former union minister Sukh Ram quit BJP to join Congress along with his grandson Ashrey Sharma and also managed Congress ticket for him. Now Ashrey is contesting against one-time MP Ram Swaroop Sharma in Mandi, home district of CM Jai Ram Thakur.

This Lok Sabha elections have finally bid adieu to Shanta Kumar (85), who started his political career as a panch (panchayat member) in 1963 and was considered as one of the tallest leaders in Himachal Pradesh politics. The BJP has denied ticket to Shanta Kumar in Kangra and has fielded his close associate Kishan Kapoor, a Gaddi leader and a minister in the state BJP government.

The BJP has made two changes this time and also fielded new face in Shimla reserve constituency. However, the biggest news is farewell of Shanta Kumar who ruled this hilly state twice as chief minister and was elected five times to the Parliament, which included his four time stint as member of Lok Sabha. Supporters of Shanta Kumar claim that their leader may be sent to Rajya Sabha after Lok Sabha elections. However, it seems that the electoral career of Shanta Kumar has ended.

The party has retained three time MP Anurag Thakur, its young face, from Hamirpur and Ram Swaroop Sharma, one-time MP from Mandi and has fielded Kishan Kapoor — a Gaddi leader — from Kangra which currently is represented by Shanta Kumar. Kapoor is considered to be a loyalist of Shanta Kumar.

Shanta Kumar had earned strong criticism when as CM he gave ordered firing on agitating apple farmers in Shimla district after which BJP was reduced to eight seats in the 68-member state assembly. He is also unlucky that BJP governments in his both terms as chief minister could not complete full five-year terms. It was also Shanta Kumar who crushed employees’ agitation in Himachal Pradesh as CM and employees never forgave him for this anti-employee action. Interestingly when Narendra Modi was Himachal BJP incharge, he helped Prem Dhumal become the state chief minister in 1998 and not Shanta Kumar.

The BJP has denied tickets to two of its sitting MPs this time. Besides Shanta Kumar, Virender Kashyap, a two-time MP from Shimla has also been not given ticket. Suresh Kashyap, who is a two time MLA from Pachhad, will be BJP’s candidate from Shimla reserve constituency. If both Suresh Kumar and Kishan Kapoor win their election, the state has to hold by-elections to these vacant seats. Kishan Kapoor is MLA from Dharamshala while Suresh Kashyap is MLA from Pachhad.

On the other hand, Congress has fielded all four candidates who didn’t contested in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Two of them, however, have already contested parliamentary elections. Ram Lal Thakur, who has been given ticket from Hamirpur against BJP’s young turk Anurag Thakur, had fought thrice but could not win even once. In Shimla, the party has given ticket to former CWC member Col (Retd) Dhani Ram Shandil, who won on HVC ticket in 1999.

Another big happening in this election is shifting of loyalities by 94-year-old tall Brahmin leader Sukh Ram, who along with his grandson Ashrey has now joined the Congress and also managed ticket for him. Interestingly his son Anil Sharma remained a minister in the state BJP government even after his son got the Congress ticket. He had later quit as minister. However, he is still a BJP MLA and didn’t join the election campaign of his son Ashrey.

Congress has fielded two new faces. In Mandi, ticket has been given to Ashrey Sharma, grandson of Sukh Ram, who was cabinet minister in the then Narsimha Rao government at the Centre. Sukh Ram is considered to be opponent of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh. However, now he is hoping that Virbhadra Singh will support his grandson.

In Mandi, the BJP has repeated Ram Swaroop Sharma, a one time MP. However, Sukh Ram has now joined the Congress and this may affect the scenario on Mandi seat. Sukh Ram is considered to be a tall Brahmin leader in the region and has strong hold among the Rajputs. His move of joining Congress has made the contest  interesting in Mandi. In 2017, Sukh Ram had joined the BJP just a month before the assembly elections  and BJP won all 10 seats in Mandi district. Sukh Ram had joined the BJP alongwith his minister son Anil Sharma, who was minister in the Congress government.

Sukh Ram had helped Prem Kumar Dhumal to form government in 1998 when he asked three of the MLAs of his Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) party to join the BJP so that Congress could not defect them to form government. He was thrown out of the Congress when huge money was recovered from his Mandi house during a raid. After that, he became bitter for Virbhadra Singh, who was CM. Sukh Ram on few occasions alleged that Singh was allegedly behind raids at his residence.

With Ashrey getting the Congress ticket from Mandi, things will be little tough for the BJP in this election, especially if former chief minister Virbhadra Singh supports him. Virbhadra Singh has already made elections visits to his constituency. Sukh Ram himself enjoys good hold in the region. Mandi had always been a stronghold of Sukh Ram who have won 14 assembly elections from Mandi seat besides two Lok Sabha elections. He, however, lost on two other occasions.

In Kangra Congress has fielded a OBC MLA Pawan Kajal. The OBCs are in large number in the Kangra parliamentary constituency. Kajal will be facing Kishan Kapoor of the BJP, who is a minister in the Jai Ram Thakur government. Kapoor is a Gaddi leader, who are in good number in the constituency. Kangra is considered to house Gaddi’s majority voters. Not only in Kangra, this community also resides in tribal area of  Bharmaour in Chamba. This constituency may witness keen battle this time as Shanta Kumar is out of race now.

In Hamirpur, BJP has repeated its sitting MP Anurag Thakur, who is considered as most strong BJP candidate among all the four seats in the state. He has already won this seat three times. Anurag is considered as one of the most promising young leaders in the BJP.

Congress has fielded former minister Ram Lal Thakur against Anurag.  It will be quite interesting to see contest on this seat. Former BJP chief and three time MP, Suresh Chandel, was also trying to join the Congress and get ticket. However, he could not succeed. The internal politics of the Congress blocked his way as most of the top Congress leaders were against his entry in the party.

Ram Lal had lost elections three times on this seat. However, Congress has again expressed faith in him. Few in the party feel that he may get sympathy of the voters for being rejected thrice. However, BJP candidate Anurag Thakur is a popular face in the area and it will be interesting to see how Ram Lal counters him. With former state BJP chief and three time MP Suresh Chandel also joining the Congress, Ram Lal claims that he is in better position this time.

In Shimla, Congress has expressed faith in MLA and former Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Col (Retd) Dhani Ram Shandil. He had won on this seat in 1999 on HVC ticket. This reserve constituency is also likely to witness a interesting battle this time. BJP denied ticket to sitting MP Virender Kashyap due to cases against him.

This election will be a first big test for Jai Ram Thakur who became chief minister in 2017. BJP had won all four Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014 during Modi wave. Now it will be a big challenge for Jai Ram to retain all the seats. He has been a thorn in the eye of many, even in the party, for allegedly doling out big state projects to his constituency or home district Mandi.

However, he has denied the charges. Jai Ram told Tehelka that these are just rumours aired by Congress leaders. ‘’Modi government has sanctioned many projects for state and there have been equal distribution of funds for all 12 districts. Previous Congress government failed to brought projects and even misused the money which was allocated for the developmental projects of the state,” added the chief minister.

Mukesh Agnihotri, leader of the Opposition in state assembly, alleged that Jai Ram government has failed in the last one year and people will give a setback to BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. ‘’The BJP government have not even fulfilled its single promise during 2017 assembly elections,” added the Congress leader. Polling in Himachal Pradesh will be held on May 19, the seventh phase. Top BJP leaders — PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, star campaigner Shatrughan Sinha are likely to campaign for their respective parties in the hilly state.

Two bypolls inevitable

Two assembly bypolls will be inevitable in the state after Lok Sabha results. The reason is that both Congress and the BJP have fielded sitting MLAs on Kangra and Shimla seats. In Kangra, BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor is a MLA from Dharamshala and minister in the BJP government. The Congress candidate Pawan Kajal is also a MLA from Kangra reserve constituency. On the other hand, BJP has fielded Suresh Kashyap while Congress candidate is Col (Retd) Dhani Ram Shandil. Both are MLAs.

Jolt to the BJP

Former state BJP chief and three-time MP Suresh Chandel joined Congress recently, giving a big jolt to the BJP. Though local Congress leaders are strongly opposing his joining, Chandel supporters claim that he will be able to make a dent in BJP votes.  However, a senior BJP leader in Bilaspur said that Chandel is out of mainstream politics for long time and has no impact on voters now.

Dad in BJP, son Cong candidate

Perhaps this is happening for the first time in the state politics that father is a BJP MLA and son is Congress candidate. In Mandi, Anil Sharma till recently was a minister in the BJP government. However, he was forced to resign after his son Ashrey joined the Congress and has got party ticket. Mandi is the district of CM Jai Ram Thakur. Now Anil Sharma is still a MLA in the BJP and son Ashrey is contesting on Congress ticket in Mandi. It is said that Anil is silently supporting his son.

letters@tehelka.com

[etgresearch]

West Bengal Assembly Election Schedule - Results -Bengal Exit Polls - EtG Research

EtG Research One of the Best Political Survey Organization In India. Now EtG Research Provides the latest political news for West Bengal Assembly Elections for Schedule, Candidate list, Exit Polls, Nominations, Results. 

The Central Electoral Commission on Feb 26 released the West Bengal Assembly election schedule. Elections for 294 assembly seats in West Bengal will be held in eight phases. The first phase of polling will begin on the 27th of this month. The final phase of elections will be held there on the 29th of April. The votes will be counted on May 2 and the results will be announced.

The CEC appointed to Two special Election Observers in West Bengal

Postal Ballot facility: Postal Ballot facility using only for Senior Citizens, Sick, Emergency Services Staff.

Carona vaccinated before polling for polling staff

West Bengal Assembly Election Schedule

First Phase: March 27

Second Phase: April 1

Third Phase: April 6

Fourth Phase: April 10

Fifth Phase: April 17

Sixth Phase: April 22

Seventh Phase: April 26

Eighth Phase: April 29

West Bengal Assembly Election Results Date: May 2

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised questions about the conduct of Assembly elections in eight phases

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has promised to deliver free rations directly to the home if they are given power again in West Bengal. TMC says free rations will continue if the government is in power and will supply rations to home without having to go to the ration shop after May. Mamata Banerjee said We have decided in the budget to give Rs Rs.1,000 to all widows and also to provide a pension of Rs Rs.2,000 to tribals above 60 years of age.

Mamata Banerjee has claimed that the BJP won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bengal by lying. Mamata criticized the BJP for selling everything. Mamata criticized the BJP for rising petrol, diesel, and gas prices, and we are developing the state. Mamata said they had issued caste certificates under the Duare Sarkar scheme. Mamata Banerjee strongly says Trinamool Congress will return to power in West Bengal

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is also reportedly supporting Mamata Banerjee. and BJP single to participate in  Bengal assembly elections, The Congress party is allied with the Left in the West Bengal elections.

The biggest loss to her was Suvendu Adhikari, He has now her worst enemy. The two are rival candidates in Nandigram, where 15 years ago, they fought together, campaigned, and won West Bengal.

Mamatha was challenged by the BJP, Didi gave up her secure seat in Bhabanipur in Kolkata, and increased the bet by announcing his contest from Nandigram.

The BJP delegation on Monday visited the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata, demanding the cancellation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nomination from Nandigram.

BJP leader Shishir Bajoria demanded the Election Commission to cancel chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nomination as there were six cases against her, but she did not mention them in her affidavit. Earlier, the returning officer had ignored our request.

Now that Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikari, and so on defected from TMC to BJP, they are suddenly portrayed as Clean, Non-Corrupt, Patriotic Citizens who “deserved” to be voted to power. The political scenario now has become into choosing either one of the two parties: One being Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and the other being BJP also known as TMC-B as many of its members are TMC Members who defected.

This election isn’t actually TMC vs BJP, rather it is TMC vs TMC-B as most of the BJP Members now are former TMC Members who defected recently. Many might think that BJP grew on its own in West Bengal, but that isn’t the reality. The reality is that BJP used dirty methods that Mamata Banerjee did before like luring and inducting in TMC, Congress, and CPI(M) Members and rose to second players.

Subhendu has extensive and intensive acceptance by general folks. His followers love him intensely and this affection is not limited to personal gains. He is an important political figure in some important districts of West Bengal.

The TMC supremo, fighting one of her toughest elections, will contest from the Nandigram seat alone, dispelling rumors that she will be contesting from more than one seat.

Sixty-four sitting MLAs, including five ministers, were denied tickets on grounds like age and non-performance. Around 17% of the candidates in TMC’s list are women — accounting for 50 of the 291 candidates. Candidates for three seats in north Bengal were not announced as they are for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

A number of the candidates were prominent names in cinema, television, and sports.

TMC MLA Candidates List:

Of the candidates, 42 were Muslims, 79 belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC), and 17 to the Scheduled Tribes (ST). Former IPS officer Humayun Kabir and Sanmarg newspaper editor Vivek Gupta are also part of the list.

[bigyack-com]

From roping in Prashant Kishor to social media offensive: How AAP designed campaign strategy for Delhi polls - assembly elections

The 2020 election campaign of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which according to early trends and leads was set to return to power in Delhi, had some prime markers.These included concepts such as report card of the government and a crisp guarantee card for the future, town hall gatherings, intense use of social media leading to a virtual war over memes and parodies with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a unique campaign song to resonate across all constituencies. All these different approaches focussed on highlighting one thing - brand Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister and the party’s national convenor.Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live UpdatesThe AAP has so far contested six elections in the national capital - two Lok Sabha polls, three assembly polls, and one municipal election. But this was the first time they involved a professional election strategist in the form of Prashant Kishor and his agency I-PAC, which has worked in the past with campaigns for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders such as Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Also Watch | Delhi poll results: Trends show majority for AAP, cadres celebrate“The report card was conceptualised around November, when the party was about to begin its third phase of the poll campaign, and had already drafted a plan for a thorough door-to-door drive covering 3.5 million households. The report card was essentially a list of achievements of the party and it had to go together with townhalls. The idea was to project the chief minister like a confident leader who does not shy away from one-on-one conversations about his work and from taking questions from the crowd. The plan worked out well and we could see more support,” said the AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP and election campaign in-charge Sanjay Singh.With that, the party also released its campaign song, “Lage Raho Kejriwal”, created by Bollywood composer and self-proclaimed Kejriwal supporter Vishal Dadlani. This soon became the theme for over 8,000 events - ranging from local public meetings by leaders of different ranks to Kejriwal’s roadshows - organised across the city. In the roadshows, a large number of people across all constituencies could be seen dancing to the song that endorsed “Brand AK” even though, in many cases, it emerged that they did not know the party’s candidate from the seat, especially on the 23 constituencies in which new faces were fielded.Meanwhile, a new kind of war continued - of memes and parodies on social media. The AAP was clearly on the front foot, with the social media team of the party led by Ankit Lal coming out with new video content every second day - taking digs at the BJP, its leaders such as party president Manoj Tiwari, and the Congress. The content was based on a wide range of things - popular films and songs, to popular advertisements, to Web trends, to the Nintendo classic Super Mario Bros. For this, a group of young volunteers joined the AAP’s Delhi war room from other cities. At the forefront was a 23-year-old media studies graduate, Abhijeet Dipke from Pune.“In the very early stages, we realised that we were much ahead of our competitors in the social media battle. Social media strategies can impact voters of wide demography. The strategy worked well,” said Dipke.By the first week of January, however, something changed. The Shaheen Bagh protests grabbed centrestage and the BJP lost no time in making it a campaign pitch, openly attacking the AAP, and with that, changing the discourse of the campaign, which, till that point, was focussed on core development and welfare issues.“That caused a delay in the manifesto, which the AAP was supposed to release on January 19. So, on that day, the party released a guarantee card instead. It was a document to assure voters that the Delhi government’s work on certain areas would continue unhindered if the AAP is voted back to power,” said a senior party leader who did not want to be identified.With time, the campaign turned toxic, diving people on religious lines. Union minister Anurag Thakur was seen leading a “shoot the traitors” slogan, for which he was punished by the Election Commission, and BJP MP Parvesh Verma called Kejriwal a “terrorist”, for which he too was chastised.The AAP, at this point, acted quickly by changing this challenge into an opportunity by launching a campaign which stressed on asking voters if they saw Kejriwal as their “son” or a “terrorist”.“The new strategy helped a lot in bringing back the discourse of the campaign to Delhi’s local issues such as water, power, sewer, roads, schools, hospitals and welfare schemes among other things,” AAP convener in Delhi Gopal Rai said. Read the full article

[novumtimes]

Who did India vote for? Result of 2024 Lok Sabha election today

Will the BJP-led NDA return to power for a third term? Will the opposition parties, united under a front called INDIA, manage to give a tough fight to PM Modi? And will this election spring any new surprises? All questions will be answered tomorrow as the Election Commission announces the result of the Lok Sabha election 2024. Months of preparation and weeks of on-ground campaigning will see its final outcome on Tuesday. The counting will start at 8 am. The count of postal ballots will start first across all counting centres. After half-an-hour of the start of the postal ballot count, the counting of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines will commence, the Election Commission said. The order of counting will be: the postal ballot count, and then the EVM count, and finally the matching of VVPT slips with EVM results. TIMELINE OF 2024 LOK SABHA POLLS The 2024 Lok Sabha elections spanned seven phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Twenty states including Delhi voted in a single-phase. Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir polled in 5 phases, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal voted in all seven phases of voting. Polling in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Manipur were held in two phases. Chhattisgarh and Assam saw 3 phases of voting, and Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand had 4 phases of polling. As per a report by PRS Legislative Research, 8,360 candidates from 744 parties, including six nationally recognised parties, contested elections across 543 constituencies. POLITICAL PARTIES’ PREDICTION vs EXIT POLLS The INDIA bloc leaders expressed confidence in securing the majority. After the seventh and final phase of polling ended on June 1, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge confidently said, “INDIA bloc will win at least 295 seats.” However, the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, as well as several other exit polls, suggested a third term for the BJP-led NDA. The exit polls predict that the BJP, which has been loud with its ‘400 paar’ slogan, might just finish near the mammoth number. A poll of five exit polls, including India Today-Axis My India poll, suggests that the BJP-led NDA is likely to win 379 seats. The INDIA bloc, with the Congress as the main constituent, is likely to get 136 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Published On: Jun 3, 2024 Source link via The Novum Times

[werajkaranbureau-blog]

67 candidates battle for 4 constituencies in Jharkhand on May 12

Jharkhand goes for polls in second last phase of Lok Sabha elections. 67 candidates have been nominated for 4 Important constituencies in Jharkhand. Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm in four Lok Sabha constituencies which includes Dhanbad, Giridih, Jamshedpur, and Singhbhum (ST). BJP was in power for all of these constituencies in 2014. Jharkhand Minister Chandraprakash Choudhary, former cricketers Kirit Azad and ex-chief minister Madhu Koda are some well-known faces who will battle in Jharkhand. More than 66 lakh of voters will be exercising their franchise in 8300 polling stations. Out of which 31,79,720 are women and 116 of third gender voters. According to EC officials, 8,300 polling booths have 886 webcasting facilities and 85 will be guarded by women. EC has appointed 36,464 polling observers for Sunday's election. As part of the security arrangements, 175 companies of paramilitary forces and 52 companies of state police and 3 helicopters for air surveillance have been deployed across the four constituencies. Prime minister Narendra Modi held a campaign for Gilua in Singhbhum on May 6th. Read the full article

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Live: Congress releases Delhi list, fields Sheila Campaigning has hit a feverish pitch, as we head into the third phase of Lok Sabha elections.

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3rd phase: High-voltage campaign ends - Times of India

3rd phase: High-voltage campaign ends  Times of India PATNA: Campaigning for the third phase of Lok Sabha election in Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Khagaria ended on Sunday evening. http://dlvr.it/R3FdZV

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Kashmir integral part of India, can’t be separated: Shah

RAIGARH : BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said Kashmir is an integral part of India and cannot be separated from the country till a single BJP worker is alive,irrespective of whether the party is in power or not. Addressing an election rally in Raigarh district headquarters in Chhattisgarh, he said when the Modi government is re-elected at the Centre, infiltrators will be identified across the country and deported. “Election is underway in Jammu and Kashmir and an ally of Congress, leader of National Conference Omar Abdullah had advocated for a prime minister in Kashmir. Do you think it’s possible that a country can have two PMs? I have been asking Rahul baba to clarify his stand on the (Abdullah’s) statement, but he is silent,” Shah said slamming Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. “Rahul baba listen carefully…Presently there is a government headed by Modi ji and it will be re-elected. But even if we are not in power, nobody can separate Kashmir from India till a single BJP worker is alive.Kashmir is an integral part of India and if anyone says that it will be isolated from the country, then people of the country will not tolerate it,” he added. Shah also accused the Congress and the National Conference of not being in favour of scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “Congress and National Conference don’t want to remove Article 370. But the BJP has promised in its poll manifesto that Article 370 will be scrapped,” he said. “Another issue is that of NRC (National Register for Citizen). Congress is saying do not bring NRC, but I want to urge you to again elect the Narendra Modi government at the Centre…infiltrators will be identified right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Assam, and deported,” he said. Describing infiltrators as “termites”, he said they are a threat to the nation’s security. “Our commitment is to throw them out of the country,” the BJP chief added. Shah also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties are unhappy with the success of the Indian Air Force’s strike on terrorist camps at Balakot in Pakistan in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack. “The Modi government has done the biggest work to safeguard the borders of the country. When terrorists attacked in Pulwama and killed our 40 jawans, there was anger and disappointment in the country. But the Modi government is not like the ‘mauni baba’ (silent) Manmohan Singh government. Barely 13 days after the attack, air strikes were carried out targeting terror camps in Pakistan,” he said. “At a time when the whole nation rejoiced, there was grief in Pakistan. But there was also sadness in the office Rahul baba and company,” Shah claimed. “The guru of Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, says some kids have committed mistakes and dialogue should be held with them. Do you think talks should be held with those who killed our 40 jawans? Our policy is clear that reply of the bullets will be given with shells. We will not hold talks with terrorists. BJP has a zero tolerance policy against terrorists.” The Congress ruled the country for 55 years, but it did nothing for development of poor, Dalits, tribals, villages and cities of the country, he alleged. In the five years of the Modi government, work has been done for the development of 50 crore poor. Shah also slammed the Congress government in Chhattisgarh and said Ayushman Bharat scheme has been stopped in the state which was meant for welfare of poor people. He also targeted Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for banning the CBI from investigating any fresh cases in the state without seeking the state’s consent. “Why was Bhupesh Baghel so afraid of the CBI that he banned it in the state immediatelyafter coming to power. What he has done?” he asked. The Congress had promised to provide unemployment allowance in the state, Shah said, adding, “Are you (people) getting it? No development work is taking place in the state. The law and order situation has collapsed.” Shah was campaigning for BJP candidate Gomtee Sai from Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency which will go to polls in the third phase on April 23. (AGENCIES) Read the full article

[emergingpakistan]

Who will win the General Elections in India and why?

The 2019 Indian general election is scheduled to be held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. The counting of votes will be conducted on 23 May, and on the same day the results will be declared. Legislative Assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the general election. All 543 elected MPs will be elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. The President of India nominates an additional two members from the Anglo-Indian community if he believes the community is under-represented. Eligible voters must be Indian citizens, 18 or older, an ordinary resident of the polling area of the constituency and possess a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India. Some people convicted of electoral or other offences are barred from voting.

Earlier there were speculations that the Modi Government might advance the 2019 general election to counter the anti-incumbency factor, however learning from the past blunder of preponing an election made by the Vajpayee Government it decided to go into election as per the normal schedule which was announced by Election Commission of India (ECI) on 10 March 2019, after which Model Code of Conduct was applied with immediate effect. The voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system which enables electronic voting machines to record each vote cast by generating the EVM slip, will be introduced in all 543 Lok sabha constituencies. A total of 17.4 lakh VVPAT units and 39.6 lakh EVMs will be used in as many as 10,35,918 polling stations during the elections. On 9 April 2019, Supreme Court of India gave the judgement, ordering the Election Commission of India to increase VVPAT slips vote count to five randomly selected EVMs per assembly constituency, which means Election Commission of India has to count VVPAT slips of 20,625 EVMs. Though the exercise of matching EVM results with paper trail machine slips was being held in various assembly elections, this is the first time it will be undertaken in Lok Sabha polls. According to the Election Commission of India, 900 million people were eligible to vote, with an increase of 84.3 million voters since the last general election in 2014, making this the largest-ever election in the world. 15 million voters in the age group of 18–19 years are eligible to exercise their right to vote for the first time while 38,325 transgenders will be able to vote for the first time as members of the third-sex and not as male or female. 71,735 overseas voters have been enrolled in the electoral rolls for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The election schedule was announced on 10 March 2019, and with it the Model Code of Conduct came into force. The election is scheduled to be held in seven phases, with counting starting on 23 May. In Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the election will be held in all seven phases. The polling for the Anantanag constituency in the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases, the first of its kind, due to violence in the region that had prompted the ECI to cancel a bypoll in 2016, leaving it vacant since then. A number of issues are expected to be of importance in this election. These include the country's recent conflict with Pakistan, GST,  unemployment, and national security. 

During the election campaign, the opposition parties have claimed that the NDA government is destroying democratic institutions and processes. Opposition party leaders such as Mamata Banerjee have campaigned on this issue. In response, Modi termed the allegations "a big joke", commenting that Congress and the communists had themselves undermined institutions including the police, CBI and the CAG, and cited the murder of BJP activists in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. According to The Times of India, the major economic achievements of the incumbent NDA government include an inflation rate less than 4 percent, the GST reform, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, its programs in recent years have positively touched many among the Indian masses, programs such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, rural cooking gas and electricity for homes. According to the IMF, the Indian economy has been growing in recent years, its GDP growth rate is among the highest in the world for major economies, and India is expected to be the fastest growing major economy in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, with real GDP projected to grow at 7.3 percent. The GDP growth data has been disputed by a group of Indian social scientists, economists and the political opposition, while a group of Indian chartered accountants has defended the data, the GDP calculation methodology, and questioned the motivations of those challenging the recent Indian GDP statistics. The opposition's election campaign has highlighted that both the demonetization and GST law has "seriously hit small business, farmers and casual labor", states The Times of India. 

In response to the 2019 Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force conducted airstrikes inside Pakistan — for the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The country's ongoing conflict with Pakistan is predicted to be a significant factor in this election. The opposition accused Modi of politicising the army, whilst the BJP countered their accusations by stating that such allegations raised by them were adversely affecting the morale of India's armed forces. According to the Pew Research Center, both before and after the outbreak of recent India-Pakistan tensions, their 2018 and 2019 surveys suggest that the significant majority of the Indian voters consider Pakistan as a "very serious threat" to their country, and terrorism to be a "very big problem".

According to the Pew Research Center, a significant majority of Indian voters consider the lack of employment opportunities as a "very big problem" in their country. "About 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement", states the Pew report. A report on unemployment prepared by the National Sample Survey Office's (NSSO's) periodic labour force survey, has not been officially released by the government. According to Business Today, this report is the "first comprehensive survey on employment conducted by a government agency after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation move in November 2016". According to this report, the 2017–2018 unemployment rate in India at 6.1%, a four decade high. The government has claimed that the report was not final. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) – a United Nations agency, unemployment is rising in India and the "unemployment rate in the country [India] will stand at 3.5 percent in 2018 and 2019 – the same level of unemployment seen in 2017 and 2016", instead of dropping to 3.4 percent as it had previously projected. According to the ILO's World Employment Social Outlook Report, the unemployment rate in India has been in the 3.4% to 3.6% range over the UPA-government led 2009–2014 and the NDA-government led 2014–2019 periods.

On 12 January 2019, prime minister Narendra Modi launched the Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign, which sought a second term. On the same day, both Mayawati (president of the Bahujan Samaj Party) and Akhilesh Yadav (president of the Samajwadi Party) announced an alliance to contest 76 seats out of the 80 in Uttar Pradesh and the alliance will not fight in four seats, namely Amethi and Rae Bareli which they left for Congress and another two for other political parties. The alliance did not include Congress, with Mayawati stating, "Including Congress in the alliance will hurt SP-BSP prospects as Congress's votes do not get transferred" and "the policies of both these parties [BJP and Congress] have been mostly the same". The alliance was the second of its kind with a similar coalition formed 25 years ago in 1993. The Indian National Congress Party president Rahul Gandhi launched his election campaign from Gujarat's Lal Dungri site where other members of the Nehru dynasty began their general elections campaign, including his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi. In 2015, an India-Bangladesh boundary agreement was signed, in which the two countries exchanged their enclaves. As a result, it will be the first time in which residents of these former enclaves vote in an Indian general election.

Courtesy : Wikipedia