Elections 2024: 'Adani's Stock Prices Started Rising After 2014', Rahul Takes Jibe At PM Modi

The schedule for Lok Sabha elections 2024 was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16. The poll body announced that voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will take place in seven phases, starting April 19, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.

While voting for Phase 1 will take place on April 19, polling for Phase 2 to Phase 7 will take place on: April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

Full Schedule Here

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Khagen Murmu and party's Lok Sabha candidate from West Bengal's North Malda constituency has drawn flak after he was pictured kissing a woman on the cheek while campaigning.

The incident is said to have taken place on Monday when the BJP candidate was campaigning in Srihipur village of Chanchal in his parliamentary constituency.

Pictures of Khagen Murmu kissing the woman were shared widely on social media.

Ruling TMC also slammed the BJP over the incident, saying has no dearth of anti-women politicians.

"If you cannot believe what you just saw, let us clarify. Yes, this is BJP MP & Maldaha Uttar candidate @khagen_murmu kissing a woman on his own accord on his campaign trail. From MPs that sexually harass women wrestlers to leaders who make obscene songs about Bengali women, BJP camp has no dearth of anti-women politicians. This is how Modi Ka Parivar engages in Nari Ka Samman! Imagine what they would do if they came to power," TMC said on X.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its 11th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, fielding Neeraj Shekhar, the son of former prime minister Chandrashekhar, from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh and dropping Kirron Kher to field Sanjay Tandon from the Chandigarh seat.

The BJP also replaced Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh with SS Ahluwalia from Asansol, weeks after the former turned down the party ticket from the seat and also made a U-Turn later.

Full List Of BJP Candidates For All States and UTs

While voting for Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha election 2024 will take place on April 19, polling for Phases 2 to 7 will take place on: April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

A total of 102 constituencies from 21 states/UTs will vote in Phase 1, while 89 constituencies from 14 states/UTs will vote in the second phase. The third phase includes 94 constituencies from 12 states/UTs, 96 constituencies from 10 states/UTs will vote in the fourth phase, 49 constituencies from eight states/UTs in fifth, 57 constituencies from seven state/UTs in the sixth and 57 constituencies from eight states/UTs will vote in the last phase on June 1.

Click Here To Know Voting Day For Your Constituency

Raaj Kumar Anand, the Social Welfare Minister of Delhi, announced his resignation from both the Cabinet and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), labelling the party as 'anti-Dalit.'

In a statement, Anand expressed his reasons for stepping down, stating, "The birth of the Aam Aadmi Party was by revolting against corruption, but today the party itself is embroiled in corruption. For me to remain a minister and work for this government is not possible anymore."

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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav released party's manifesto on Wednesday in Lucknow for the upcoming general elections 2024. The party has named the document – 'Hamara Adhikar - Janata ka Mangpatra' (Our Right – Peoples’ Demand Charter).

Akhilesh Yadav said that the party had requested the people through social media to send their suggestions for the document, which received a good response; individuals as well as independent organisations, sent their suggestions. The document list out various rights of the people, which the party will ensure if, voted in to form the next government at the centre. READ MORE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress and its ally, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, on Katchatheevu and 'Shakti' remarks, accusing them of keeping the "country in the dark" over the former and charged them with ill-treatment of women.

He especially singled out the DMK over alleged corruption, saying the Dravidian party had the "first copyright" on the issue and added the "family" was intent on looting the state, in an apparent reference to the party's first family, headed by its president and Chief Minister MK Stalin. READ MORE

NOTA, the commonly known acronym for 'None of the above', is one of the options displayed on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), allowing voters to exercise the option of not voting for any poll candidate in the fray in their constituency. Since its introduction, NOTA has survived several political debates concerning its implications on poll results.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday took strong exception likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a 'migratory bird' his visits to the state during elections.

The Prime Minister has come to the state with a set of guarantees for the 2024 general elections as his Gujarat model and Chaukidar role has been exposed, CM Stalin said.

“Prime Minister Modi himself hovers over Tamil Nadu during the election season just like migratory birds come to the sanctuary during the season. … will you give these guarantees?” Stalin, who is president of the ruling DMK, asked in a post in Tamil on social media platform X.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case.

The plea was filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sandeep Kumar, who sought Kejriwal's removal as Delhi Chief Minister after his arrest in the excise policy case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"This is not a James Bond movie where we will have sequels. The Lt. Governor will make a decision on this matter. You are attempting to involve us in a political issue, and that's all," the court stated. READ MORE

The Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) has terminated the services of Bibhav Kumar, private secretary to arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Telugu Desam Party has decided not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, and the beleaguered party is yet to take a call on whom to support in the state, though it is part of the NDA in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a senior leader of the party said.

TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari, however, said the TDP will resume its political innings by contesting the local body polls, expected to be held in June or July this year, according to a PTI report.

"Though we are part of the NDA, we are not contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana.The decision on whom to support in the upcoming polls in Telangana will be taken by the party’s senior leadership. As of now, there is no instruction on that," she told PTI.

Nominations for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will begin tomorrow, said Election Commission of India.

The third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will take place on May 7.

Former Karnataka CM and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, talking on NDA's prospects in Lok Sabha election 2024, said, "We are going to win all the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. Response is very good. From today onwards, I am going to tour almost all the 28 constituencies. I have got full confidence that total we are going to win minimum 400 seats under the leadership of Narendra Modi."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, at an Eid gathering in Kolkata, said she will not allow implementation of the CAA, NRC and the Uniform Civil Code in the state.

Mamata Banerjee claimed that some people will try to "engineer riots" during elections and urged those who participated in the programme "not to fall prey to the plot".

"We will not accept the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and Uniform Civil Code. If we will live unitedly, nobody will be able to cause harm to us," CM Mamata Banerjee said while addressing the gathering at the Red Road.

She asserted that her party TMC's fight is against the BJP.

"We will decide about the INDIA bloc later. But in Bengal, please see that no vote goes to any other party," the TMC supremo said.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP from Bijnor, Malook Nagar, resigned from the party on Thursday and joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

Nagar joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in the presence of party chief Jayant Chaudhary in New Delhi.

Nagar was denied a ticket by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Bijnor.

In a letter to BSP supremo Mayawati, which he shared on X, Nagar said, "In today's environment and other political reasons I am resigning from the membership of the BSP".

A prominent Gujjar leader, Nagar is said to have influence over his community in Bijnor and adjoining areas.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Dr Vinod Kumar Bind from Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat of Uttar Pradesh.

Full List Of BJP Candidates Here

Addressing a public rally in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh, PM Modi said, "Today, there is a strong government in the country. Under this 'mazboot Modi sarkar, atankwaadiyon ko ghar mein ghus ke mara jata hai'. Whenever we have had a weak government in the country our enemies have taken advantage."

On road and rail connectivity in Uttarakhand, PM Modi said, "We are continuously increasing rail, road and air connectivity in Uttarakhand. Work is underway on Rishikesh -Karanprayag railway line. Distance between Delhi to Dehradun is also reducing. Border villages which were called 'last villages' under Congress, are now being developed under BJP govt. Air services have started for Adi Kailash and Om Parvat. 900 km long highway is also being built to connect Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath."

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday presented a 'Hudka'- made by artisans of the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rishikesh.

The Prime Minister was seen tapping the 'Hudka' on the stage.

Former Congress leader from Gujarat, Rohan Gupta, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi on Thursday. On March 22, he resigned from Congress party alleging "constant humiliation" and "character assassination" by a Congress leader connected with the party's communication department.

Home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah, addressing an election rally on Thursday, termed the INDIA opposition bloc as 'ghamandiya' (arrogant) alliance.

"There are two sides - on the one side there is BJP's team under the leadership of PM Modi and on the other side there is Congress and its people. This INDI alliance, 'ghamandiya' alliance has only one aim to make their family members flourish, and Narendra Modi's only aim is to work for the poor, adivasis, Dalits and those belonging to the backward sections of the society ahead," said Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing an election rally in Mandya, MadhyaPradesh.

Several office-bearers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have resigned in protest after their party chief Raj Thackeray declared support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state.

MNS general secretary Kirtikumar Shinde, one of those who have quit, took to Facebook to explain his decision, according to a PTI report.

In a post on the social media platform on Wednesday, he said MNS chief Thackeray had taken a stand against PM Modi and BJP in 2019.

Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday, addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, batted for the ‘one nation, one election’ idea and called the track record of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government “remarkable” for the country.

Referring to the recent assembly elections in MP, in which the BJP registered a huge victory, Singh said the people of the state will cast their ballot again in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP will go to polls in four phases between April 19 and May 13 and votes will be counted on June 4.

Congress leader and AICC member Jahanzaib Sirwal on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi and slammed his ex-party for its "party vanishing machine" approach and borrowing agenda-based politics from other parties.

Sirwal, who had been part of the Congress since 2014 and recently became an AICC member under Mallikarjun Kharge's leadership, highlighted the need for the Congress to focus on internal reforms rather than solely blaming the BJP for issues like Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is in a tussle with his opponent Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency Shashi Tharoor, slammed the Congress on Thursday amid the ongoing row over startling detail on his election affidavit - that his taxable income for FY2021/22 was Rs 680, compared to Rs 17.5 lakh for FY20 and Rs 5.5 lakh for FY23.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had yesterday sent a legal notice to Shashi Tharoor, accusing the Congress MP of making defamatory statements against him on a TV channel recently.

In a post on X today, Chandrasekhar slammed Congress' plan to "run a campaign about his "Rs 680 as taxable income" and "offered the facts", all of which he said are in his "mandatory disclosure".

"I am only in public life for several years and my income is derived only (from) MP or Minister's salary and perks, and interest/dividend from savings/investments," Chandrasekhar said in the X post today.

Interacting with media in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, BJP's Mandi Lok Sabha candidate Kangana Ranaut spoke about her "struggle" in the film as an "outsider" and drew parallel with politics, saying new people and outsiders should be given a chance.

"New people and outsiders should be given a chance. In the film industry also, I had to struggle with dynasties. They (the INDIA alliance) are not able to decide on their candidate. They seem to be nervous and scared... They have no political issues left... I follow an Ayurvedic and Yogic lifestyle... We need an airport here for tourism...," Kangana Ranaut said.

Addressing a public rally, PM Modi said,  "The Lok Sabha election of 2024 is an election to provide new energy to the Vikshit Bharat campaign. In the last 10 years, the BJP brought solutions to those problems on which the Congress had given up. Congress gave the slogan of 'Gareebi Hatao' for decades but Modi brought 25 crore of Indians out of poverty. Congress left farmers on their own but the BJP government is working to make farmers prosperous. Today 10 crore farmers are receiving Kisan Samman Nidhi. It is for the first time that any government has been concerned for cattle too. Domesticated animals are getting free vaccinations."

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about India's relations with China during an interview with the American magazine Newsweek, Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said the PM's reaction to the China issue is an “insult to the martyrs".

Taking to X, Ramesh wrote: “In his interview to the American magazine Newsweek, the Prime Minister crossed all limits of cowardice. China is repeatedly violating India's sovereignty but the Prime Minister's only comment on this was that the long-standing situation on our border needs to be resolved immediately so that the "aberration" in bilateral talks can be left behind.

- The Prime Minister had the opportunity to send a strong message to China. But his ineffective and weak response is likely to encourage China further to stake its claim on Indian land.

- The Prime Minister's reaction on the China issue is not only shameful but also an insult to our martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting our borders.

- The Prime Minister should apologise to 140 crore Indians for his statement on national television on June 19, 2020, 'Neither anyone has entered nor anyone has entered' and for deceiving the country by hiding his failures in protecting the border with China.”

As the BJP completed its 44 years on April 6, 2024, just a few days ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, it’s crucial to examine its journey. What were the political junctures that propelled the party forward?

How did it become the largest political organisation in the country, boasting a formidable membership of 11 crore, as claimed by its officials?

The ideological journey of the BJP mirrors the journey of India itself—from the pre-liberalisation era through the Mandal-Kamandal politics to the current condition, where ideology is both spatial and temporal.

Read The Full Article

Kerala BJP president K Surendran, who is contesting for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, has sparked controversy by announcing his intention to rename Sulthan Bathery town to Ganapathyvattam if elected.

Surendran, who will compete against sitting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, alleged that Tipu Sultan forcibly converted many Hindus in Kerala, particularly in Wayanad.

"Who is Tipu Sultan? When it comes to Wayanad and its people, what is his importance? That place was known as Ganapathi Vattom. People are aware and are used to this name Ganapathi Vattom. That has been renamed. So, the Congress and the LDF are still with Tipu Sultan. He attacked many temples and converted lakhs of Hindus in Kerala, especially in the Wayanad and Malabar region," Surendran said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "PM Modi gave all the benefits to one person. I spoke about it in the Parliament. They took away my membership. The Supreme Court made me the MP again. I had only asked why Adani was visible in every industry. I asked PM Modi what relation he has with Adani. They cancelled my membership and took my house. They think I can be silenced if they take my home. I handed over the keys and said that I do not want your house, I have crores of houses in India. I live in the hearts of crores of people."

He further alleged, "Adani's stock prices started rising after 2014 and continue to rise because Adani and PM have a very good relationship"

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the support of the banned Popular Front of India to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat.

While addressing a Yadav Sammelan at her residence in Gauriganj, she said,"Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI that made a list of Hindus to kill, to contest the elections in Wayanad."

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that the party is facing difficulties in supporting its candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, mainly due to financial crunch caused by "steps taken by the central government".

Addressing a press conference, he said the party will fare very well in the polls and the opposition alliance will secure a "clear and convincing majority" despite all attempts to scuttle its progress. "There has been an attempt to create problems for us. Our accounts were frozen and Rs 300 crore of money received through public funding were stolen by the PM," Ramesh said.

Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh said, "...Today BJP's candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut was in Manali and the language she used in the program for us, the Congress Party and Himachal Pradesh...till date, this type of language has not been used in a holy land like Himachal. She should have talked about the issues of Manali instead of using such a language...I want to tell you that the people of Himachal have nothing to do with what you eat or drink in Mumbai. This is not the issue of Himachal..."

Rahul Gandhi made a significant poll promise on Thursday while addressing a public rally in Rajasthan, saying that the party will transfer ₹1 lakh in the account of one woman from every poor household in the country if they win the elections.

“The Congress government will transfer ₹1 lakh (in a year) to the bank account of one woman of every poor household in the country,” he said.

The former Congress president added, "If you are below the poverty line then every year, ₹1 lakh ( ₹8,500 per month) khatakhat khatakhat aata rahega aur ek jhatke se hum Hindustan se gareebi ko mita denge."