Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: PM Modi To Hold 2 Rallies In Karnataka; Rahul Gandhi And Akhilesh Yadav To Address Joint Rally In Amroha Today

The first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 took place on April 19, covering 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories (UTs), concluding with a voter participation of 62 per cent. The next phases of the national elections are set for April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. In between the phases, big rallies are expected to be carried out by the political parties. PM Modi will address rallies in Karnataka’s Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura today. A joint rally by Congress’ Rahul Gandhi And SP’s Akhilesh Yadav is also scheduled in Amroha today.

Trisha Majumder

 20 Apr 2024, 11:12:42 am IST

AICC Secy In-Charge Of Himachal Pradesh Quits Congress

Tajinder Singh Bittu, who served as the AICC Secretary In-Charge of Himachal Pradesh and is a trusted associate of Priyanka Gandhi have announced that he is stepping down from the primary membership of the Congress Party.

 20 Apr 2024, 11:00:20 am IST

Andhra Pradesh: YS Sharmila To File Nomination Today

YS Sharmila, the Andhra Pradesh Congress leader, honored her late father, CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy, before submitting her nomination for the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday.

Sharmila spoke to the reporters as she said, “I am confident of a great victory.”

Sharmila will hold a road show ahead of filing her nomination papers

 20 Apr 2024, 10:39:45 am IST

‘Will PM Put Ashok Chavan In Jail?’, Asks Congress

The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking whether he would deliver on his promise to put the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan in jail.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed a few questions for Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Nanded and Parbhani.

“Today’s questions for PM Modi as he heads to Nanded and Parbhani: Will the PM deliver on his promise to put BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan in jail? What is the BJP’s plan to deal with Marathwada’s worsening drought and water scarcity? Why has the Indian Railways performed so poorly in Nanded division,” Ramesh said in a post on ‘X’.

Elaborating on what he dubbed as “jumla details”, the Congress leader said the prime minister should revisit his words from his campaign in Nanded on March 30, 2014, when he launched a ferocious attack on Chavan — “now the latest labaarthi of the ‘BJP Washing Machine Yojana'”.

“The PM declared Chavan an ‘Adarsh candidate’, and said that ‘the Congress is shameless’ for having given him a ticket while he was under investigation,” Ramesh said.

He said Modi had announced that he would send Chavan to jail “within six months” if he became the prime minister.

“A decade later, Chavan is not in jail, continues to be under investigation, and is a Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP. Does PM Modi hold the BJP to be ‘shameless’ as well? Will he conspire to get Mr Chavan a clean chit soon? Will he deliver on his promise to put the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan in jail,” Ramesh asked.

 20 Apr 2024, 10:11:26 am IST

Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Slams Rahul Gandhi Says, ‘Your grandmother had jailed most of us…’

Gandhi, while addressing multiple election campaigns in the state, had on Thursday lashed out at Vijayan and wondered why the Left leader was targeting him while he was fighting against the BJP.

The Congress leader had said he was interrogated by the ED for 55 hours, his Lok Sabha membership and his official residence were taken away and currently, two chief ministers are in jail, but none of these were happening to the Kerala Chief Minister.

“Why is he (Vijayan) not being interrogated by the ED, CBI and all? Two CMs are in jail, but why is none of this happening to the Kerala CM? I have been attacking the BJP 24×7 but the chief minister is attacking me. This is a bit puzzling,” Gandhi had said.

Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, the Marxist leader addressed a massive election rally in Kozhikode, stating that Rahul’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi, had imprisoned most of the Left leaders, including himself, during the Emergency.

“Your grandmother had jailed most of us for more than one-and-a-half years. We have experienced and seen enough interrogation and imprisonment. We are not afraid of jails. So, don’t try to threaten us with investigations and jails; we are not worried,” Vijayan said.

20 Apr 2024, 09:36:12 am IST

Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi And Akhilesh Yadav To Address Rally In Amroha Today

A joint rally will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh where former BSP leader Danish Ali is the INDIA bloc candidate.

Amroha is scheduled to go to the polls in the second phase on April 26.

 20 Apr 2024, 09:33:40 am IST

Karnataka: PM Modi To Hold Rallies In Bengaluru And Chikkaballapura Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru and neighbouring Chikkaballapura district for the Lok Sabha poll campaign on Saturday.

He will address mega rallies both in Bengaluru and Chikkaballapura.

According to the state BJP, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a mega public meeting at Chokkahalli village in Chikkaballapura district at 2 PM, covering Chikkballapur and Kolar Lok Sabha constituencies, and later at 4 PM he will participate in a massive rally in Bengaluru’s palace ground, covering Bangalore North, Bangalore South, Bangalore Central and Bangalore Rural segments.

20 Apr 2024, 09:31:17 am IST

Tripura: 2 Election Officials Suspended For Election-Related Malpractices

Two election officials were suspended for reportedly permitting election-related malpractices in the polling stations they were assigned to in the West Tripura district.

Vishal Kumar, the Returning Officer for West Tripura, stated that the suspended officials were stationed at a polling site within the Ramanagar assembly constituency.

Kumar said that the first stage of the Lok Sabha election took place in the West parliamentary constituency, alongside the by-election in the 7-Ramnagar Assembly Constituency.

According to ANI, on the complaints raised by different political parties, the senior official said, “We have received some complaints from the political parties but in most of the cases, we couldn’t verify the allegations true after response teams reached the spot. Some reports of intimidation, threats and poll malpractices were also received. In most of the cases, the complaints turned out to be false. Some arrests were made in Mohanpur constituency and some people were put under preventive arrests in Ramanagar assembly constituency.”

 20 Apr 2024, 09:27:25 am IST

Violence During Polls In Arunachal Pradesh, Re-polling Likely To Happen

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said that supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in Bameng constituency in East Kameng district, which forced the election authorities to suspend voting.

Some miscreants tried to snatch EVMs in three polling stations in the Nacho constituency in Upper Subansiri and in one in Kurung Kumey district, where polling was also suspended.

“Re-polling in these polling stations is likely to be held,” Sain said.

Altogether, 42 people were injured in poll-related violence, he said, adding that action would be taken against those found to be involved in violence.

 20 Apr 2024, 09:09:07 am IST

RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav Claims BJP’s ‘400-Paar’ Film Is Super Flop

Tejashwi Yada told ANI after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls concluded on April 19 that BJP’s promise of crossing 400 seats majority this times seemed like a ‘flop film’, he said, “The Mahagathbandhan is winning all four seats in the first phase. We have held block wise meetings and the feedback that has come is very good the BJP’s “400 paar” film has become a super flop on the first day itself. The people of Bihar are aware and will teach them a lesson,” he said.

 “There is no competition in the first phase. We have said many times before that Bihar will give shocking results this time. They have not done anything for the people of Bihar. The promises made by Modi ji in 2014 and 2019 were not fulfilled. Now the public is tired of their statements and false promises. We have promised that we will give special package to Bihar along with special status,” Tejashwi added.

 20 Apr 2024, 08:58:10 am IST

Tamil Nadu: EVMs, VVPATs In Strong Room After Polls Conclude | Video

The Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails were taken to the strong room in Kanchipuram after the voting concluded in the Tamil Nadu district.

Tamil Nadu recorded 69.46% voter turnout for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls.

 20 Apr 2024, 08:51:22 am IST

‘Left, Congress Are Ideologically Bankrupt’: BJP’s JP Nadda During Kerala Rallies

BJP president J P Nadda stated that the parties within the INDIA bloc, including the Congress and the Left, are ‘ideologically bankrupted’.

He emphasized their intense electoral competitions outside Delhi while maintaining friendly relations in the national capital to resist the BJP.

Nadda held election rallies in Palakkad and Kottayam, apart from Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

He pointed to this fight between the Congress and the Left parties to reinforce his claim, highlighting the apparent camaraderie among their top leadership in New Delhi despite the rivalry elsewhere.

“The double standards and hypocrisy of Rahul Gandhi, the Indian National Congress, CPI(M), and CPI are visible here. CPI general secretary D Raja’s wife (Annie Raja) is contesting against Rahul Gandhi as an LDF candidate. However, in Delhi, D Raja sits between Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. They are ideologically bankrupt, and the outcome is evident here,” Nadda said.

 20 Apr 2024, 08:51:22 am IST

Election FAQs: How To Register For Voter ID For Lok Sabha Elections 2024

The Voter ID serves as the main identification document for individuals participating in the Lok Sabha Elections to exercise their voting rights. In order to complete the voter ID registration procedure, individuals need to submit a passport-sized photo, as well as copies of documents verifying their identity, address, and date of birth.

To Know Step-By-Step Guide Of Registering For Voter ID Click Here

 20 Apr 2024, 08:17:51 am IST

Election FAQs: Can You Vote Without Voter Slip?

Yes, qualified voters are able to cast their vote even without the slips provided their name is listed on the electoral roll. Voters have the option to verify the presence of their name on the electoral roll through the official website of the Election Commission of India.

Voters would be required to select their state and then enter their EPIC Number provided on the voter card to check the voter list.

20 Apr 2024, 08:14:24 am IST

Voter Turnout For Andaman In LS Polls Phase 1

An estimated 63.9 per cent of the entire 315,000 voters in Andaman and Nicobar Islands cast their votes for the singular Lok Sabha seat in the Union territory on Friday.

The polling was carried out without any disruptions, and there were no reports of any disruptions.

Nicobar district had a turnout of 72.7 per cent, while North and Middle Andaman recorded 72.8 per cent, and South Andaman had a turnout of 59.59 per cent. Active voting was observed during both the morning and evening hours.

Chief Electoral Officer B S Jaglan told PTI, “Despite sweltering heat, people were seen in long queues at various polling stations to cast their votes. There was enthusiasm both among first-time and elderly voters.”

 20 Apr 2024, 08:11:27 am IST

Arunachal Pradesh And Sikkim Assembly Elections

Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim held elections for both Lok Sabha and state assemblies simultaneously during the first phase. Arunachal Pradesh saw a voter turnout of 67.95 per cent, while Sikkim recorded 65.85 per cent for the assembly elections.

Polling for 60 assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh and 32 seats in Sikkim took place from 7 am to 5 pm on Friday.

 20 Apr 2024, 08:02:59 am IST

Lok Sabha Phase 1 Voter Turnout Across India

West Bengal was at the second position in the highest order of voter turnouts after Tripura as it recorded a 77.57 per cent, followed by Meghalaya at 74.21 per cent, Puducherry at 73.50 per cent and Assam at 72.10 per cent.

Meanwhile, voters in six areas of eastern Nagaland remained indoors in response to an indefinite shutdown declared by a coalition of tribal groups in order to advocate for the creation of a distinct state.

For the first time in a Lok Sabha election, voters in 56 villages in Bastar cast their vote in a polling booth set up in their own village.

In Tamil Nadu, where polling is spread over 39 constituencies, a voting percentage of over 65.19 was recorded.

The tentative voter turnout of 62.37 per cent at 9 pm is expected to increase as the Election Commission stated that the figures may rise once reports from all polling stations are collected, reported PTI. The Election Commission also mentioned that voters who arrived at polling stations by the end of the polling hours are permitted to cast their votes.

 20 Apr 2024, 07:55:10 am IST

Tripura Records Highest Voting Turnout In Phase 1 of LS Polls

The Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency saw an 80.40 per cent voter turnout on Friday. The opposition Congress and CPI(M) claimed that the ruling BJP had manipulated the polling, while an official stated that the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Tripura West Parliamentary constituency had recorded 82.42 per cent polling.

According to PTI, this year’s figure may also go up since polling continued in several booths beyond the scheduled voting hours.

 20 Apr 2024, 07:53:07 am IST

Reports Of Violence In West Bengal, Manipur; Accidental Explosion In Chhattisgarh

In West Bengal, the voting process in the Cooch Behar constituency was disrupted by violent incidents. Members of the TMC and BJP engaged in confrontations and each party reported 80 and 39 complaints, respectively, regarding incidents of election-related violence, intimidation of voters, and attacks on polling agents as per reports..

In troubled Manipur, a remarkable 69.13 per cent turnout was recorded. Incidents of shooting and intimidation were reported from several places in Inner Manipur seat, officials said. Armed men fired several rounds in the air near a polling booth in Thamnapokpi under Moirang assembly constituency in Bishnupur district, prompting voters to flee, police said, adding additional security personnel were rushed to the spot to control the situation.

In Chhattisgarh, 63.41 per cent voters cast their votes in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where the CRPF jawan after the grenade accidentally went off while an officer was injured in an IED blast in another incident.

 20 Apr 2024, 07:49:58 am IST

How Many Phases Are There In Lok Sabha Elections?

The Election Commission of India has divided the Lok Sabha elections 2024 into seven phases. The first phase of voting took place on April 19 and the next phases are scheduled for – pril 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

 20 Apr 2024, 07:41:11 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Election Phase 1 Highlights

The first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 took place on April 19, covering 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories (UTs), concluding with a voter participation of 62 per cent. The voter turnout this time fell from the first phase of polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which recorded a 69.43 per cent voters. Tripura had the highest turnout at 79.9 per cent.

Meanwhile violence was reported in some parts of West Bengal and Manipur during the first phase of elections on Friday.

Courtesy : Outlook India

Note: This news is originally published in outlookindia.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.