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New Delhi, The <keyword id="40807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="Orion">Election Commission</keyword> (EC) issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday for his "panauti", "pickpocket" and "loan waiver for the super rich" jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and asked him to respond by Saturday. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached the poll panel against the <keyword id="6316776" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="former-congress-president" source="Orion">former Congress president</keyword>, saying it was "unbecoming" of a "very senior leader" to use such language. The EC reminded Gandhi that the Model Code of Conduct prohibits leaders from making unverified allegations against political rivals. The Congress leader used those words targeting the prime minister at recent rallies in poll-bound Rajasthan. In its representation to the EC, the BJP had asserted that the allegation of grant of waivers to industrialists of Rs 14,00,000 crore over the last nine years was "not borne out on facts". The EC notice said the expression "panauti" ex-facie falls in the equity of the prohibition of section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, dealing with corrupt practices. Clause 2, sub section (ii) of section 123 states that any person who induces or attempts to induce a candidate or an elector to believe that he, or any person in whom he is interested, will become or will be rendered an object of divine displeasure or spiritual censure, shall be deemed to interfere with the free exercise of the electoral right of such a candidate or elector, the notice reminded Gandhi. The Congress leader had used the "panauti" barb against Modi in a poll speech in Rajasthan as the prime minister had attended the World Cup cricket final that India lost to Australia after 10 consecutive wins in the tournament. A Hindi slang, "panauti" loosely refers to someone who brings bad luck. The former Congress president took the "pickpocket" dig at Modi during a poll speech on Wednesday, alleging that the prime minister diverts people's attention while industrialist Gautam Adani picks their pockets. This is how pickpockets operate, he had alleged. The notice also recalled a general advisory issued by the EC, in which the poll panel had expressed concerns at the "plummeting level of political discourse" during electioneering. The commission also told Gandhi about a Supreme Court observation that if freedom of speech and expression is protected by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, the right to reputation is also considered to be an inextricable part of the right to life protected by Article 21 and "balancing these two rights is a constitutional necessity". "Accordingly, you are requested to provide your explanation on the allegation made and to show causes as to why action as deemed fit for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct and relevant penal provisions is not initiated by the commission. "Your reply, if any, be reached by 6.00 pm of November 25. If no reply is received by then, action deemed fit will be taken by the commission," the notice said.

EC issues notice to Rahul Gandhi for 'panauti', pickpocket remarks targeting PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The mammoth exercise to count votes polled for the Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections will begin at 8 am on Tuesday, with trends and results following shortly thereafter. Results of the <keyword id="6372146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assembly-elections" source="Orion">Assembly elections</keyword> in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today. Here're the LIVE results: <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek a third consecutive term in government, while the Congress-led opposition aims to unseat them. Most <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> have predicted a return of PM Modi to power, a development which will make him the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third successive term in power, Meanwhile, a delegation of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders met with the Election Commission of India urging it to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the EVMs is announced. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that a "very robust system" has been put in place. "There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process," he said. The national capital is all set to witness the battle. With tight security arrangements in place, Delhi is well-prepared to watch the results of the 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-Elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword>. Around 70 companies of the security forces will be deployed at all seven counting centres across the national capital as part of the elaborate security arrangements made by the Delhi Police for today. Delhi traffic police issued a fresh advisory ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for Tuesday, listing key roads where traffic restrictions and diversions will start from 5 am onwards to ensure smooth vehicular movement. Prime Minister Modi's hometown, Gujarat, is also preparing for the vote-counting day as security forces rehearse and perform drills for the effortless conduct of D-day. Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP to power. Various exit polls have given the BJP more than 64 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority. Exit polls were predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties. A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of "400 paar" stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. The Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases- on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting trends and results, as per data entered by RO/ARO for AC/PC will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App, both iOS and Android Mobile Apps, according to the ECI. The Voter Helpline App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store. Users can use the available filter to find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or State-wise results from the Voter Helpline App. The local display of the trends and results by the CEOs/ROs/DEOs may also be done through the Digital Display Panels, it said.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 results: Mammoth vote-counting exercise set to begin at 8 am, amid high security

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): <keyword id="9766785" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections-2024" source="Orion">Lok Sabha elections 2024</keyword> have seen a <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> at polling stations of about 66.95 per cent so far, as approximately 451 million people have voted during the first four phases of ongoing general elections. In a bid to encourage voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers, ECI has enhanced its targeted interventions to reach out to every eligible voter. The Commission led by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, further directed CEOs of the states going to poll in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases to timely distribute voter information slips to all electors and enhance outreach activities. "Commission strongly believes that partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of the voter awareness programme. It's heartening to see that, at the Commission's request, different institutions, influencers and celebrities with significant reach are working enthusiastically on a pro-bono basis," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. Further, he added that a higher voter turnout would be a message from Indian voters to the world, about the strength of Indian Democracy. He urges all the voters to cast their vote in huge numbers, as voting day is not a holiday but a day of pride, by participating in the festival of democracy. According to an official release, various <keyword id="21686177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-awareness-drives" source="keywords">voter awareness drives</keyword> and campaigns have been carried out by stakeholders in collaboration with ECI. Telecom Service Providers such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited, Jio Telecommunication, and Vodafone-Idea Limited are reaching out to every mobile user in the respective parliamentary constituency through push SMS/Flash SMSs, outbound dialling calls to mobile users, RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging and WhatsApp messages/alerts. These activities are carried out two/three days before the poll and even on the poll day, in regional languages, with an appeal to vote. ECI has collaborated with BCCI for voter awareness activities during the ongoing IPL season. The voter awareness messages and songs are being played at different stadiums during the cricket matches. The most innovative aspect of this campaign is the administration of voter's pledges by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in a pre-recorded video message, at various IPL venues. Further, voter awareness messages are integrated into cricket commentary. Cricketers from 10 IPL teams have encouraged voters to participate in the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections in 2024 with their recorded voter awareness messages. A voting day alert was sent to all Facebook users pan India to inform and inform the voters about the general elections and to nudge them to participate in the festival of democracy, the release mentioned. The release further stated that WhatsApp personalised messages have begun on polling day. Google India is contributing through its iconic feature of Google Doodle on poll days and banners appearing on YouTube, Google Pat and other Google platforms. The Retail Association of India has been actively engaging with voter awareness activities, through their retail network, whereby retail chains are encouraged to celebrate the election as a festival. The vast network of post offices and banking institutions was utilised by ECI to reach out to a wide and diverse audience across the length and breadth of the country. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the parliamentary elections campaign logo "Chunav ka Parv, Desh ka Garv" has been integrated with the IRCTC portal and tickets. Voter awareness announcements have been integrated with the public address system at all railway stations. The logo stickers are used on coaches of the superfast trains. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, hoardings on voter awareness have been installed in about 16,000 retail outlets. In collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airlines are making an inflight announcement with an appeal message to participate in the ensuing elections. Voter guides are being kept in aircraft seat pockets. Apart from this, many airports are providing space for the display of voter awareness messages. Selfie points have been installed at airports in 10 major cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna, Chandigarh, and Pune. Cinema theatres across the country are playing ECI voter awareness films and ECI Song Main Bharat Hoon, Hum Bharat Ke Matdata Hai, at regular intervals, as a part of the Public Service Awareness (PSA) film. Sansad TV is creating short films on Unique Polling Stations set up in remote corners of the country by the election machinery after navigating difficult terrains to demonstrate the challenges in ensuring voting at the last mile. AMUL, Mother Dairy and other milk co-operatives have started branding their milk pouches with the message 'Chunav Ka Parv, Desh ka Garv' and encouraging voters through social media platforms. AMUL is also encouraging voters with its unique messaging through AMUL Girl Topical advertisements in newspapers. Prasar Bharati: Doordarshan has produced, various short films, including appeals from constitutional functionaries like President of India, Vice President of India, and Chief Justice of India, among others. Further, unique polling stations are being covered by the regional Kendra's audio-visual documentation. Music App Spotify is running a campaign called 'Play Your Part', and they have issued print advertisements, and curated the playlists for the elections, on their app. Payments app PhonePe has integrated voter awareness message into their app and is actively encouraging voters. BookMyShow has launched an integrated campaign, titled "Aaj Picture Nahi, Bigger Picture Dekho," to raise awareness among voters. MakeMyTrip is running a campaign titled 'MyVoteWalaTrip', whereby discounts are offered to citizens going to vote. Food delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy are disseminating voter awareness messages through their platforms and social media activities. Grocery App Blinkit changed its logo to "Inkit" for the elections, incorporating a message encouraging people to "Go out and Vote" as a tagline. Uber India is reaching out to voters through multi-channel messaging (in-app, emails, push notifications), offering discounts for rides to polling stations, and amplifying voter awareness messages on social media platforms. Bike app Rapido has been encouraging voters with a free ride to vote. Urban Company has launched 'I Have Voted Campaign' to encourage voters. Tata Neu app, serving as the Tata Group's group-wide consumer-facing mobile app, prominently features the "Cast Your Vote" animated banner on its homepage, with additional initiatives currently underway. Truecaller is enhancing its layout by displaying voter awareness message during outbound calls Some other independent initiatives are Mankind Pharma #VotingVirgin campaign, clothing brand Neeru's "Vote ki Taiyaari" TVC, Tinder's "Every Single Vote Counts" campaign, creatively curated social media post by Matrimonial sites like Jeevansathi.com, etc and discounts for voting by popular brands such as Shoppers' Stop, MakeMyTrip, Chroma and many more. Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting will conclude on June 1 with results on June 4. The remaining phases will be held on May 20, May 25, and June 1.

451 million voters! First four phases of Lok Sabha elections witness 66.95% voter turnout so far

Former <keyword id="19904807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana" source="keywords">Haryana</keyword> Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh <keyword id="20201620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hooda" source="keywords">Hooda</keyword> on Tuesday said that <keyword id="19934969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmers" source="keywords">farmers</keyword>' plight, <keyword id="21440881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agnipath" source="keywords">Agnipath</keyword>, <keyword id="19916979" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="unemployment" source="keywords">unemployment</keyword>, <keyword id="19938433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="law-and-order" source="keywords">law and order</keyword>, and <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">inflation</keyword> were key issues which the ruling <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> failed to address. As the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> appeared set to wrest five Lok Sabha seats from the ruling BJP in Haryana, Hooda said that he had been saying "there is a wave blowing in favour of the Congress". "You asked me about exit polls predicting most seats to the BJP, to which I said wait for the actual poll results on June 4," the Congress veteran said. Haryana is known for "jai jawan, jai kisan, jai pehalwan". "But what did they (BJP) do. They brought Agniveer (Agnipath scheme), which faced opposition from the youth. They did not redress farmers' issues. And everyone knows the treatment that was meted to our wrestler daughters, who had to protest (at Delhi's Jantar Mantar)," he said. Hooda said that unemployment increased in the state during the BJP rule while the law and order situation also deteriorated. He claimed that the Congress' performance in the <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword> in the state will have an impact on the Vidhan Sabha elections, which are due in October. "This is clear indication that people of Haryana have made up their mind to bring the Congress to power in the Assembly polls," Hooda claimed. Referring to the Lok Sabha polls, Hooda said people have supported the Congress. The Congress leader said that he had been maintaining that BJP will be "wiped out in south, halved in north" "Look at Haryana and Rajasthan...People have given us good support," he added. On the BJP's claims that NDA will win 400 seats this time, Hooda said, "I had been saying that it was a mere slogan. In Haryana too, in the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJP had given slogan of 'Abki baar 75 paar' (claiming to win 75 of the 90 seats). Everyone knows how many seats they later won. (BJP had won 40 seats)." Hooda said that he had maintained that it will be a direct fight between the Congress and BJP in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls. "I had been repeatedly saying that it is going to be a direct fight between the Congress and BJP. And that has been proved," said Hooda. "The people have rejected the 'vote katu' (vote cutters) outfits," he added referring to the JJP and INLD. Going by the trends available late afternoon, the Congress appeared on course to win Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat seats. The grand old party had contested nine of the ten Lok Sabha seats leaving the Kurukshetra seat to its INDIA bloc ally AAP. AAP's Sushil Gupta, was, however, behind BJP's Naveen Jindal from the seat.

BJP failed to address key issues like inflation and unemployment, says Bhupinder Hooda

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday said it has identified 266 <keyword id="20809469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-constituencies" source="keywords">parliamentary constituencies</keyword>, including 215 in rural areas, with <keyword id="21207154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="low-voter-turnout" source="keywords">low voter turnout</keyword> and is planning <keyword id="21207534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="targeted-intervention" source="keywords">targeted intervention</keyword> to enhance <keyword id="19973117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voting-percentage" source="keywords">voting percentage</keyword> in the upcoming <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and Union territories - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand - had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, <keyword id="19998985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Election-Commissioner" source="keywords">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approach will not work and different strategies have to be worked out for different areas and segments. Polling for the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls begins on April 19. Kumar emphasised on a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations, such as queue management, sheltered parking in congested areas; targeted outreach and communication; and involvement of critical stakeholders including RWAs, local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations on voting day. He told officials to prepare a booth-wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. He asked the participants to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences. Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimising queue management at polling stations and facilitating voting in high-rise buildings. Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city-specific interventions were planned. The officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies. The Commission recalled that nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections "underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures". In the last Lok Sabha elections, of the 50 seats with the lowest voter turnout, 17 were in metropolitans or major cities. It said recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.

EC identifies 266 Lok Sabha seats with low voter turnout, mostly in rural areas

New Delhi: In the world's largest democracy, every five years, a spectacular theatrical performance unfolds, captivating crores of people with its vibrancy, diversity, and sheer scale. Yes, we're talking about the <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha Elections</keyword> in India. And we have the dates now for the grand finale: June 4! The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced the dates for the general elections to be held from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases. Chief Election Commissioner <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> announced today that the results will be announced on June 4. Phase 1 voting will be held on April 19, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. “We will take democracy to every corner of the country. It is our promise to deliver a national election in a manner that we... remain a beacon for democracy around the world,” said the Chief Election Commissioner. <div type="image" title="Polling schedule" agency="ANI" msid="108550459" hostid="261" sizebytes="17144" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Polling schedule (ANI)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The tenure of the present <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that. As the tenure of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha assemblies will also end in June, these states will get an early taste of the ‘one nation, one election’ process, wherein voters will be casting votes for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Model code of conduct kicks in">Model code of conduct kicks in</cmsannotation> With the announcement of election dates, the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) mandates that no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences, create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, according to the set of guidelines issued by the EC. It lists out the dos and don'ts regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, conduct of parties and their candidates on polling day, polling booth, observers, party in power and guidelines on election manifestos. According to the guidelines, all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are "corrupt practices" and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations, holding public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from the polling station. Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organized by other parties. As soon as the poll code comes into effect, the party in power be it at the Centre or in the State or states concerned, shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Major players and issues">Major players and issues</cmsannotation> Undoubtedly, the scale and magnitude of a nationwide election in a country like India involve numerous complex considerations. However, the major political parties are hoping to narrow down the voter’s priorities to a few major foundational aspirations on which powerful campaigns can be built. Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>, and his party <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatiya-janata-party" source="keywords">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP), are confident of reelection for a third consecutive term. They have pitched 'Modi Ki Guarantee' as the main theme of his campaign. PM's website describes it as a guarantee for the development of youth, empowerment of women, welfare of farmers, and all those marginalised and vulnerable who have been ignored for decades. In a letter to the citizens of India on March 15, the Prime Minister noted, “The trust and support of 140 crore Indians inspires and motivates me. The transformation that has taken place in the lives of the people is the biggest achievement of our government over the last 10 years. These transformative outcomes are the result of the sincere efforts made by a determined government to improve the quality of life for the poor, farmers, youth and women.” BJP is building its campaign by highlighting the welfare schemes of the government, infrastructural development across the country, and the rejuvenation of the country’s cultural heritage. The major opposition party <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword>, on the other hand, is banking on its <keyword id="20366194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nyay" source="keywords">Nyay</keyword> guarantees to woo voters. The grand old party saw some success in the state elections of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana when it pitched such 'Nyay' guarantees to the people. For the Lok Sabha polls, the party has put forward its 5 guarantees aimed at ensuring justice for youth, farmers, women, labourers, and participatory justice. The INDIA bloc, including the Congress, has been raising the issue of unemployment and rising prices of essential commodities. They have stated repeatedly that the lack of jobs is the single biggest issue and sought to corner the government over the issue. The BJP has hit back citing job growth and a fast-growing economy. Other major poll issues include electoral bonds, abrogation of Article 370, <keyword id="19963301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="caa" source="keywords">CAA</keyword>, Uniform Civil Code, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, farmer protests for legal guarantee of MSP, and the Viksit Bharat vision of the government. Overall, India is poised to see an enthralling clash of ideologies, ideas, and personalities throughout the election season as the EC has opened the race for ruling the most populous country on Earth. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)

Elections 2024: Lok Sabha general elections in 7 phases from April 19, results on June 4; Here’s all you need to know

Delhi Chief Minister <keyword id="19901384" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal" source="keywords">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> will return to <keyword id="56350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tihar-jail" source="Orion">Tihar jail</keyword> on Sunday as his interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam ends on Saturday (June 1). Kejriwal was given interim bail by the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections on May 10 and was asked to surrender to Tihar jail on June 2. The Delhi CM had earlier moved the Supreme Court for an extension of interim bail. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected his plea, stating that since he was given liberty to move the trial court for regular bail, the plea here is not maintainable. Meanwhile, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday reserved the order on the interim bail plea moved by Kejriwal, citing medical reasons in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The court fixed June 5 for the pronouncement of the order on the plea seeking 7-day bail, while refused to pass the order today itself as requested by Kejriwal's Lawyer. Senior Advocate N Hariharan, who appeared for Kejriwal, submitted that the interim bail was to campaign for his party (the Am Aadmi Party), which is a national party. "I am out for 20 days and had I not done it, you would've said see he didn't campaign and fell ill. It was a lot of stress due to the campaigning and you know that stress is a aggrevator of diabetes. What was alarming was that keto levels rose in the urine. The aspect of concern is the high level of sugar and the keto numbers," Kejriwal's advocate submitted in the plea. Appearing for the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted that Arvind Kejriwal suppressed facts including about his health conditions. During preliminary arguments, ED lawyers stated that they have objections to filing interim bail as well. This court cannot modify the Supreme Court order. He's on interim bail because the SC granted it, what he is asking here is an extension of the Supreme Court order," the ED lawyers submitted. "This interim bail plea is required to be dismissed as it is full of suppression of facts. The Supreme Court had granted Liberty to him that he can file regular bail but the liberty to seek an extension of interim bail was not granted to him. He has said that these tests require 7 days, but the nature of the test has been suppressed," they further stated. ED also raised maintainability issues on interim bail plea and submitted that instead of getting a medical test done, he was travelling across. Medical tests would take more than one hour. ED further submitted that the applicant in fact has gained 1 kg weight and falsely claimed that he has lost 7 kg weight. The Registrar of the Supreme Court has passed a speaking order and the same has been suppressed by them. There is a reason for suppression and it is because he had been travelling for campaigning purposes, but he didn't get the tests done then, ED said. Recently Kejriwal through his legal team filed two different bail applications before the concerned court. His regular bail plea is listed for a hearing on June 7, 2024. Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal posted an emotional message on Friday and said that he is proud that he is going to jail to save the country from dictatorship. In his video message, Kejriwal said, "Tomorrow the 21 days are getting over, the day after tomorrow I have to surrender. I don't know how long they will keep me in jail this time. But my spirits are high. I am going to jail to save the country from dictatorship. I am proud of this. They tried to break me many times, tried to make me bow down but I didn't." Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled <keyword id="20106989" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Excise-Policy" source="keywords">Delhi excise policy</keyword> 2021-22.

Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal to return to Tihar Jail today, no relief from Court

New Delhi, Candidates in Punjab's Jalandhar can spend Rs 15 for a cup of tea and the same price for a samosa they offer to people during public meetings and campaign trails in the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections. However, those in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla can spend Rs 7 for a cup of tea and another Rs 7.50 for a piece of samosa, considered a staple snack in many parts of the country. With polls to elect the 18th Lok Sabha approaching, district poll panels are fixing the rates for expenses as part of the election expenditure monitoring process. The candidates will have to manage their expenditure within the prescribed limit. These rate cards often become a subject of "meme-fest" on social media about the prices not being in sync with the current inflation level. In most states, including Andhra Pradesh, the expenditure ceiling for a Lok Sabha candidate is set at Rs 95 lakh. However, in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim, the limit is slightly lower at Rs 75 lakh per candidate. Similarly, for Union territories, the expenditure ceiling ranges from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 95 lakh per candidate, depending on the region. In Jalandhar, chole bhature has been capped at Rs 40 while mutton and chicken have been priced at Rs 250 and 500 per kg respectively. Desserts like dhodha (Rs 450 per kg) and ghee pinni (Rs 300 per kg) are also on the menu besides <keyword id="20350738" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lassi" source="keywords">lassi</keyword> and nimbu pani priced at Rs 20 and 15 per glass respectively. The cost of tea is low at Rs 5 in the rate card of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh but the samosa is priced higher at Rs 10. The Balaghat rate card also has idli, <keyword id="21122493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sambhar-vada" source="keywords">sambhar vada</keyword> and poha-jalebi priced at Rs 20 while the cost for dosa and upma has been fixed at Rs 30. In Thoubal district of violence-hit Manipur, tea, samosa, kachori, khajur (dates) and gaja (dessert) have been priced at Rs 10 each. Candidates in the northeastern state's Tengnoupal district, will have to stick to Rs 5 for black tea and Rs 10 for milk tea. The list has a wider spread of non-vegetarian items with duck and pork priced at Rs 300 and Rs 400 per kg respectively. Chicken (broiler) and fish like rohu, mrigal and sareng, are also on the list. In Chennai, the price of tea has been raised from Rs 10 to Rs 15 and coffee from Rs 15 to Rs 20, while the rate of chicken biryani has been reduced from Rs 180 to Rs 150 per packet compared to 2019. In the expenditure card for <keyword id="20035063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gautam-buddha-nagar" source="keywords">Gautam Buddha Nagar</keyword> (Noida/Greater Noida), vegetarian thali comes for Rs 100, a samosa or a cup of tea for Rs 10, kachori for Rs 15, a sandwich for Rs 25, and a kilogram of jalebi for Rs 90 per kg. <keyword id="20009826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="north-goa" source="keywords">North Goa</keyword> candidates can have batata vada on menu at a cost of Rs 15, same as that for a samosa. The tea has been capped at Rs 15 while coffee can cost Rs 20. The rate card for Haryana's Jind offers the candidates to hire a tandoor for Rs 300 and features delicacies like dal makhni and mix veg for Rs 130 while matar paneer has been priced at 160. Breads like butter nan, <keyword id="19994516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="missi-roti" source="keywords">missi roti</keyword> and plain roti are also on the platter besides desserts including <keyword id="21122494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kaju-katli" source="keywords">kaju katli</keyword> and gulab jamun. While parties and candidates often offer workers and voters liquor, none of the rate cards mention alcohol. Other heads which find mention in the rate cards range from expensive infrastructure, such as helipads, luxury vehicles, and farmhouses, to miscellaneous items like flowers, cooler, tower ACs and sofa. The rate cards have also prescribed the ceiling on rates for hiring of different vehicles for campaigning right from a Tata Safari or Scorpio to a Honda City or Ciaz or a bus to ferry to public to rally grounds. Rates have also been set for rose garlands, marigold garlands and bouquet by some poll panels while some have included heads like party merchandise including caps and flags. The rate cards also have an list of permissible rates for hiring venues and accommodation. The expenditure includes the spend for public meetings, rallies, advertisements, hoardings, pamphlets, flexis, campaign material and all other election-related work. At present, there is a ceiling on campaigning funds for individual candidates in the electoral fray but no cap on the money political parties can spend for electioneering. According to the revised guidelines issued by the ECI, the maximum permissible expenditure for campaigning in a Lok Sabha constituency varies across different states and Union territories. Section 77 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 says candidates are expected to keep an account of expenditure incurred on the elections from the "date on which he has been nominated" till the "date of declaration of the result". Polling for the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases, starting with 102 in the first phase on April 19. The votes will be counted on June 4.

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