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Sabarkantha Lok Sabha constituency will vote to choose between a former Union minister of state and a schoolteacher who resigned recently to step into active politics. The fight here is between Congress' Tushar Chaudhary, son of former Gujarat chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary and a former Union minister of state and the BJP's Shobhna Baraiya, wife of former Prantij MLA Mahendrasinh Baraiya, who joined the BJP from the Congress in 2022. The BJP had first fielded Bhikaji Damor, but replaced him with Baraiya following a controversy over his caste identity. This had triggered a major resentment among BJP workers in the constituency, as the perceived «outsider» thwarted the aspirations of many who have been with the party «all their lives», Damor included. The Meghraj town had shut down for a day in Damor's support, even as workers blocked the roads in several places in the Aravalli district. But those issues were dealt with by the BJP.

Bachchan seen as serious, I non-serious: Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi continues to target film star Amitabh Bachchan and his actress daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai. While he commented on Bachchan’s presence at the Ram Mandir consecration earlier this year, on Wednesday while addressing the Samajik Nyay Sammelan’ he brought in the Bachchan family again stating that while he is often labelled as ‘non-serious’ and ‘uninterested’ in politics, the Bachchans and Virat Kohli are seen as ‘serious’. 'Must Have Been Son of the Soil In Last Birth': PM Modi

Manipur's Ukhrul, irate voters destroyed EVM after miscreants threatened them to vote for a certain party. An official who does not want to be named told ET, «The incident took place in the polling station 44/41 and 44/50.» Congress leader Jairam Ramesh uploaded a video on X where a miscreant was threatening voters.

Voter Turnout in Phase 2: Uttar Pradesh Records Lowest, Tripura Highest As the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections unfolded, Uttar Pradesh recorded the lowest voter turnout at 52.64%, while Tripura saw the highest at 76.23% as of 5 pm.

Tejasvi Surya, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) and candidate for Bangalore South, for allegedly posting a video on a social media platform and soliciting votes based on religion, as announced by the Election Commission on Friday. Surya is contesting against Sowmya Reddy, the Congress candidate and daughter of Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, in a statement on the microblogging website X, stated, «Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and candidate of Bengaluru South PC on April 25 at Jayanagar police station for posting a video on X handle and soliciting votes on the grounds of religion.» The case has been filed with the Jayanagar police station in Bengaluru.

Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal will spearhead AAP's Lok Sabha campaign in the national capital and other states, which begins with her maiden roadshow on Saturday in support of party's East Delhi candidate Kuldeep Kumar, senior party leader Atishi said. Addressing a press conference here, Delhi minister Atishi said Sunita will seek votes and blessings for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the absence of her husband who is in judicial custody. «In protest against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal will campaign to seek blessings for him and to seek votes for AAP candidates. She will seek blessings for him from the people of Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana,» Atishi said. «She will hold a roadshow in East Delhi tomorrow and will seek blessings from the people of East Delhi for Arvind Kejriwal. On April 28, she will hold a roadshow in the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency,» Atishi added.

nomination papers for five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Odisha Assembly segments to be held on May 20 started on Friday with the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issuing the notification in this regard. The five Lok Sabha constituencies are Bargarh, Sundergarh (ST), Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska Lok Sabha constituencies along with 35 assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituencies. «As recommended by the Election Commission of India, in pursuance of sub-section (2) of Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), the Governor of the State of Odisha is, hereby, pleased to call upon...,» the chief secretary said in a notification. As per the notifications, May 3 is the last date for making nominations while scrutiny of nominations will be done on the next day. Candidates can withdraw their nominations on or before May 6.

Mohammed Shami exercised his democratic right by casting his vote in Amroha during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Encouraging citizens to participate in the electoral process, Shami emphasized the importance of electing a government of their choice. Voting Held in Eight Parliamentary Constituencies in Uttar Pradesh The voting process was conducted in eight parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, including Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, and Bulandshahr. This phase witnessed voting across 88 constituencies in 13 states and union territories.

Munger (Bihar) [India], April 26 (ANI): Hitting out at the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Muger has suffered the most during the «dark era» of "Jungle Raj" in Bihar under the RJD's rule. He added that the Congress and RJD want to «loot» the wealth of the people and give it to their «special vote bank.» Addressing a public meeting in Munger, Bihar, PM Modi said, «There is an NDA model on one side and there is an INDI Alliance model on the other. INDI alliance model is appeasement (tushtikaran) and NDA's model is satisfaction (santushtikaran). We have to ensure that no one is left behind. We gave toilets, gas, electricity connections, and water facilities to our mothers and sisters. We gave free ration and free medical treatment.»

Senior citizens, including a 94-year-old woman, exercised their franchise at a polling station in Ukhrul district of Outer Manipur during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. Volunteers were on hand to assist the elderly at the polling station as voting got underway for the remaining part of the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency. Another senior citizen also cast her vote at the polling station with the help of her family members. The voting is being conducted at 857 polling stations across 13 assembly segments in eight districts in the second phase. Meanwhile, in Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency in West Bengal, another elderly woman expressed her satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the polling. She remarked, «This has been a very good and peaceful election. For that, we are very grateful to the people and everybody else. The Government should carry on the way they are doing things.» The voter was assisted to the polling station in a wheelchair by volunteers.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 witnessed a vibrant display of democratic spirit as people from various walks of life across India turned up in large numbers to cast their votes. From a groom in Maharashtra to families in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the turnout was a testament to the commitment towards shaping the nation's future through the ballot. In Maharashtra, Akash, a groom from Amravati, exemplified this commitment by leaving his wedding ceremony to vote. His act of prioritizing civic duty over personal celebrations resonated with many voters. The state, recording a 53.51% turnout by 5 pm, also saw unique instances such as restaurants in Bengaluru offering free food to voters and polling booths in Chhattisgarh decorated like 'mandaps' with traditional marriage rituals on display.

Pakistan shelling amid a ceasefire, people living near the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu thronged the polling stations across Jammu to decide the fate of 22 candidates contesting from the constituency in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday. According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir Pandurang K Pole, a total of 158 polling stations, out of 2,416, were set up in the border areas in Jammu and Samba districts besides the Kalakote-Sunderbani segment in Rajouri district. The Jammu parliamentary constituency recorded 67.22 per cent polling, while its border segments registered more than 70 per cent polling, till 5 pm. It is likely to maintain its history of high voter turnout as in the last parliamentary elections, the constituency registered about 74 per cent polling. Shelling from across the border has remained a major concern for the border residents and the administration alike but this time the elections are taking place in a peaceful atmosphere owing to a renewed ceasefire between the two countries on February 25, 2021.

Supreme Court rejected petitions seeking cross-verifications of votes cast using EVMs with VVPAT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the decision shattered dreams of the INDIA bloc that «sought to mislead the nation». «Ever politician in INDIA coalition sinned by trying to create doubts in the hearts of the nation's citizens,» PM Modi said at an election rally in Araria Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.

In Telangana, eight Lok Sabha candidates have disclosed family assets exceeding Rs 100 crore, with K Vishweshawar Reddy, the BJP contender from Chevella, leading with Rs 4,568 crore. Notably, the top three wealthiest candidates are all vying for the Chevella Lok Sabha seat. Ranjit Reddy, the Congress candidate from Chevella, ranks second with family assets valued at Rs 435.33 crore, including Rs 23 crore in liabilities. His family has Rs 294.33 crore worth movable assets while immovable at Rs 141 crore.

BJP candidate from Bengaluru South constituency, Tejasvi Surya, cast his vote in Bengaluru on Friday and stated that the Congress party may not win more than 30 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. While speaking to after casting his vote, he stated that surveys consistently show that the Congress party may not win more than 30 seats. «Congress party has become absolutely frustrated. Survey after survey shows that it may not win more than 30 seats… The more personal attacks and baseless allegations they make against the PM, history has shown that the Prime Minister has only gotten stronger and the BJP has only gotten more popular,» he said.

Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately establish a mechanism enabling arrested political party leaders or candidates to continue campaigning during elections. According to the plea, politicians could potentially campaign via video conferencing. The PIL was lodged by a final-year law student from Jamia Millia Islamia, following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal due to alleged irregularities in a liquor policy case.

polling booths across the state to avoid the anticipated hot weather later in the day. Long lines of voters were visible outside polling stations in every Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. As voting began, there were reports of EVM malfunctions in several booths statewide, causing delays in the election process in those areas. However, the faulty machines were promptly replaced, and voting proceeded smoothly thereafter. The polling process took place under heavy security, with over 66,000 security personnel deployed and live monitoring of the election through an extensive webcasting system.

Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi on Friday urged people casting their votes in the second phase to turn out in record numbers. He highlighted that a substantial voter turnout serves as a cornerstone of a vibrant democracy, underlining the significance of each individual's contribution to the electoral process. PM Modi also directed a special appeal to the nation's young and female electorate, urging them to exercise their franchise in large numbers.

With India Meteorological Department warning of heatwave conditions in most poll-bound states and high humidity in some, Election Commission of India has taken a series of measures to ensure that weather does not impact polling. Phase 2: 88 Seats|Parliamentary Polls contest heat up Voting for the second phase of Lok

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged ECI on Thursday to come out with a list with details of central forces deployment in all other states in the country and questioned why a record number of central forces have been sent to Bengal. Meanwhile, she alleged Rastriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), known for its sacrifice, is giving money to the people and seeking vote in Medinipur Constituency. Talking about central force deployment in Bengal, Banerjee said, “I would urge ECI to come out with a list-how many central forces have been deployed in which states and why record number of central forces have been sent to Bengal and why? You want to capture Bengal? You don't have faith in people?” Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in a bid to ensure free, fair and violence-free Lok Sabha polls in the state, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already sanctioned the deployment of 920 companies of central forces in West Bengal, highest among all states in the country.

Darjeeling is as unpredictable as the hill weather as it is privy to a unique political culture with multiple hill-based political parties which shift their support between the Trinamool and BJP. The demand for statehood for Gorkhaland and the predicament faced by teagarden workers, especially regarding minimum wages, remain the main issues in Darjeeling as the constituency goes to polls on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Considered a stronghold of the BJP, Raju Bista, originally from Manipur, is the BJP candidate contesting for a second time. This time, there is a three-cornered fight –– Trinamool candidate Gopal Lama, a former bureaucrat and son of the soil is pitted against Congress’s Munish Tamang and BJP's Bista. Lama had served as the Darjeeling additional district magistrate and then as an OSD (Officer on Special Duty) in GTA until 2017.