Elections 2024 News March 8 Updates: As the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections to select members of the 18th Lok Sabha in India draw nearer, political activities are intensifying with top parties holding rallies and public events to connect with the people. From Congress's first list of candidates expected today to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans for its next lists for the upcoming general polls, stay updated with our live blog for the latest news and developments surrounding general elections.
The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 or General Elections to elect members of the 18th Lok Sabha in India are expected to take place in April and May, however, the schedule for the same is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ruling BJP-led NDA alliance is pitched against the newly formed opposition bloc of 'INDIA'.
As curiosity increases over the dates for the Lok Sabha elections due this year, sources have indicated that the ECI is likely to announce the poll schedule after the first week of March.
In the 2019 General Elections, the BJP-led NDA emerged victorious, securing 353 out of 543 seats. The Indian National Congress (INC) saw a marginal increase in seats but fell short of claiming the leader of the opposition status.
The BJP on Saturday released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 2024. The list includes 34 ministers who will be contesting for seats in the parliamentary polls.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to run from Varanasi, Smriti Irani will also be contesting again from Amethi. Additionally, Bansuri, the daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj, will be making her debut in electoral politics.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on February 27 announced the names of candidates for five seats, including four for Delhi, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Kuldeep Kumar will contest from East Delhi, Somnath Bharti has been fielded from the New Delhi constituency.
Click HERE For Full List Of AAP Candidates For Lok Sabha Polls
As per information in multiple reports, the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) is expected announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 after the first week of March.
In 2019, the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced on March 10. Polling was done in seven phases between April 11 and May 19 while the counting of votes took place on May 23.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made his first visit to Kashmir since his government abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special rights to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled multiple development projects and addressed a public meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.
The BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
PM Modi attended the "Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir" programme at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium and inaugurated initiatives worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for boosting the agri-economy in the Union Territory.
The Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) on Thursday finalised the names of 40 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including that of Rahul Gandhi, sources said.
A total of 60 Lok Sabha seats from 11 states and union territories were discussed during deliberations at the CEC meeting which was chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, sources cited in a PTI report said.
Discussions were held on Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Lakshwadeep.
Sources said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be fielded from Kerala's Wayanad for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Party's Central Election Committee (CEC) on Thursday is said to have finalised the names of 40 candidates, including Rahul Gandhi's from Wayanad, for the upcoming general elections.
Congress' legislature party leader D Satheesan said the party will contest 16 seats in Kerala and four will be contested by its allies in the state.
"The CEC has taken a decision as to who are the candidates on the 16 seats. The AICC will announce the names of the candidates tomorrow," Satheesan said.
Rahul Gandhi will seek re-election from Kerala's Wayanad seat, according to the sources cited in a news agency PTI report.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly mulling fielding star cricketer Mohammed Shami from West Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Shami, who represents Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and plays domestic cricket for the state, has been reached out by the BJP leadership with the proposal, an indiatoday.in report said, adding that the cricketer is yet to make a decision.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore during his two-day tour of Assam, beginning Friday.
Addressing a press meet in Guwahati, CM Sarma said that PM Modi will, for the first time, visit UNESCO heritage site Kaziranga National Park and undertake a safari.
PM Modi will arrive in Assam in the afternoon and will spend the night at Kaziranga National Park, CM Sarma said. "The next day, he will inaugurate the 125-foot tall statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in Jorhat, following which he will address a public meeting," Sarma said.
From the venue of the public meeting, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation of various infrastructure development projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore, he added. After the function, he will leave for West Bengal, Sarma added.
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday and held talks over the possibility of an alliance between the BJP and the regional party for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which will be held simultaneously in the state.
The TDP was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but exited in 2018 when Naidu was the state's chief minister.
BJP president JP Nadda was also part of the deliberations, sources cited in a PTI report said, adding that both parties are open to joining hands but a lot will depend on whether they reach a mutually agreeable seat-sharing arrangement.
Dil jeetne aaya hu (I have come to win hearts), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar on his maiden visit to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Dil jeetne aaya hu (I have come to win hearts), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar on his maiden visit to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
"2014 ke baad jab bhi aaya maine yehi kaha, main ye mehnat aapka dil jeetne ke liye kar raha hoon. Aur main dino din ye dekh raha hu ki main aapka dil jeetne ki disha me... sahi disha me jaa raha hu. Aapka dil main jeet paya hu, aur zyada jeetne ki koshish meri jaari rahegi, [whenever I have come here since 2014, I have always said that the hardwork I am doing is to win your hearts. And I have been able to win your hearts, I am on the right direction. I will work towards winning your hearts further]," PM Modi said. Read Full Report
Speaking on turbulent Sandeshkhali, where her party leaders are accused of sexual violence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that "people are spreading fake information" about the trouble-torn town.
Sandeshkhali has been hitting the headlines over allegations by scores of women against now-arrested TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh of land-grabbing and sexual violence.
TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested last week in a case pertaining to mob attack on a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) when they had gone to search his premises in Sandeshkhali on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe. Read Full Report Here
On the occasion of Women's Day, the government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs. 100, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, adding that the move will "significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti." Full Report Here
Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, will launch the Lok Sabha poll campaign of the party in Delhi on Friday. The two will launch the campaign in presence of other leaders and workers of AAP from the party headquarters on DDU Marg at noon, a party member said.
The AAP will fight the general election in collaboration with opposition bloc 'INDIA' partner Congress under a seat-sharing arrangement it has struck with it in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana.
In Punjab, however, both parties have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls independently.
The AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and Congress will field its candidates on the remaining three.
The party has got two constituencies in Gujarat - Bharuch, Jamnagar – and Kurukshetra in Haryana under the seat-sharing deal with Congress.
Separately, AAP has also declared its candidates from Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Gujarat's Dahod on Friday. Rahul Gandhi's 6,700-km 'Manipur to Mumbai' Yatra will pass through seven districts of Gujarat having sizable tribal population.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the first ever National Creators Award on Friday at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam and conferred social media personalities Ranveer Allahabadia aka 'BeerBiceps', Jaya Kishori among others.
While Ranveer Allahbadia got the 'Disruptor of the Year' award, Jaya Kishori was conferred the Best Creator for Social Change award. Read Full Report
Sharing a light moment at the National Creators Award on Friday with a social media influencer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a vieled dig at the Opposition.
Malhar Kalambe, who received the first ever National Creators Award in the 'Swachhta Ambassador' category expressed his willingness to work with the PM in 'safai abhiyan'.
Responding to this, PM Modi said there is going to be a clean sweep in the upcoming elections too.
"...Har prakaar ki safai mein kaam aa sakta hai, iss chunaav mein bhi safai hone wali hai [In this polls too there is going to be a clean sweep]," the PM told Kalambe to applause from the audience at the Bharat Mandapam venue in the National Capitial.
The Congress poll bugle for upcoming Lok Sabha elections at the concluding rally of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai on March 17, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said.
The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 17 with a rally at Shivaji Park in the city. The yatra will enter Maharashtra from Nandurbar on March 12 and preparations for it are almost complete, said Patole.
“The concluding rally of the Nyay Yatra will be held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on March 17,” he said. The party has got all permissions for the rally, he said.
Patole said leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP group led by Sharad Pawar, will attend the event.
"We [Congress] will sound the poll bugle for the Lok Sabha elections there,” he said.
Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, launched party's poll campaign in Delhi today.
“Today, we are officially starting the campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal might be thinking that a small caravan started in Ramleela ground around 12 years ago and in 10 years, AAP has become a national party,” Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said.
President Droupadi Murmu has nominated former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation Sudha Murty to Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday, on the occasion of Women's Day.
Taking to microblogging platform X to make the announcement, PM Modi said Sudha Murty's "contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring". READ HERE
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) kicked off Delhi Lok Sabha campaign on Friday.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said, "Today, AAP's Delhi Lok Sabha campaign is launching...The launch slogan is 'Sansad main bhi Kejriwal, tabhi Delhi hogi aur khushhal'...Whenever I do something best for you all then the central government and L-G try to halt it, why? They hate the 2 crore people of Delhi because you people have dared to make a common man the Chief Minister, more than once.."
After the launch of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 'Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal' poll campaign for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said on Friday that they hope Congress will soon declare their candidates on the three seats they are fighting on in the general polls in Delhi as per their seat deal.
Gopal Rai said: "Today we have launched our campaign for 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the slogan 'Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal To Delhi Hogi Aur Khushhaal'. The people of Delhi have given Arvind Kejriwal a huge majority and the Delhi govt has been working a lot for them. People have given seven Lok Sabha seats to the BJP but none of the MPs has done any work here hence BJP has to change its candidates. They (BJP MPs) always look to the Central govt or the LG to resist whatever Arvind Kejriwal wants to do... We hope that Congress will soon declare their candidates on the three seats and start their campaign..."
The AAP will fight the general election in collaboration with opposition bloc 'INDIA' partner Congress under a seat-sharing arrangement it has struck with it in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana. The AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and Congress will field its candidates on the remaining three.
Taking a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after it launched its Lok Sabha election campaign on Friday, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Virendra Sachdeva its slogan should be "Kejriwal ke 9 saal; loot, bhrashtachar aur Dilli behaal" instead.
Aam Aadmi Party's Lok Sabha campaign slogan 'Sansad mein bhi Kejriwal, to Dilli hogi aur khush haal' was launched on Friday by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
"I want to correct the slogan give by AAP: 'Kejriwal ke 9 saal; loot, bhrashtachar aur Dilli behaal'. Kejriwal has looted the people of Delhi."
Speaking On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's possible candidature from Kerala's Wayanad for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "He claims that the entire nation is in Congress' favour then why he is not contesting elections from Amethi?"
"He went to Wayanad because the minorities are in the majority there. Congress' whole politics is dependent on minorities," he told news agency PTI.
The Congress is most likely to announce its candidate list today and suspense is on over what seat will the party field Rahul Gandhi from.
While sources cited in multiple reports have said Rahul Gandhi will be fielded from Kerala's Wayanad, the party's candidate for Amethi, a seat Rahul Gandhi lost to BJP's Smriti Irani, still remains a suspense.
The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu on Friday finalised seat-sharing agreements with allies VCK and MDMK, repeating the 2019 pact with both parties. While the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) was allotted two seats, both reserved constituencies, the Vaiko-led MDMK was given one by the alliance's lead partner, news agency PTI reported.
In 2019, MDMK was also given one Rajya Sabha seat.
The founders of VCK and MDMK, Thol Thirumavalavan and Vaiko, respectively, finalised and signed the seat-sharing agreement with DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin at the ruling party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, here.
Thirumavalavan told reporters that the party will contest from Chidambaram and Villupuram, the two seats it represents in the current Lok Sabha. Thirumavalavan was elected from Chidambaram five years ago.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday launched several projects under Nainital district.
He spoke on the Uniform Civil Code and said, "...Our Muslim sisters who have come here, were thanking me for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), I want to express my gratitude for extending the support to Uttarakhand government..."
Uttarakhand assembly last month passed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and became the first state to do so in India.
Talks on seat-sharing with National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are on and there is no disagreement between the members of the INDIA bloc in the Union Territory, a Congress office-bearer said in Srinagar on Friday.
"There is no disagreement. It is not a big issue. Every party has a right to claim as many seats it can. But, the talks are on,” news agency PTI quoted Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) senior vice president Ghulam Nabi Monga as saying.
Monga’s remarks came after the NC said it will field candidates on the three seats in the Kashmir Valley without leaving a seat for the PDP.
Jammu and Kashmir has five Lok Sabha seats, including two from Jammu region, while Ladakh has one. In the last elections, while the NC won all the three seats from the valley, the BJP won the two Jammu seats as well as the lone Ladakh seat.
The Congress Party on Friday revealed that Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the Congress, will once again contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala.
The initial list of 39 candidates includes Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, who will contest from Alappuzha (Kerala), Bhupesh Baghel, the former chief minister of Chhattisgarh, contesting from Rajnandgaon, Jyotsna Mahant from Korba, Tamradhwaj Sahu from Mahasamund, and Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram.
According to Venugopal, the list comprises 15 general category candidates and 24 candidates from the SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities. Congress treasurer Ajay Maken highlighted that the list represents a balanced combination of both youthful energy and seasoned experience. Read more.
A group of 11 MLAs, which includes six MLAs from the rebel Congress of Himachal Pradesh and three independent MLAs visited a private hotel in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.