Lok Sabha Elections – The Sunday Headlines

BJP turns to workers to select candidates for Haryana Assembly poll

July 8, 2024July 8, 2024 - by thesundayheadlines

Rattled by its below-par performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections wherein it won five seats and conceded an equal number of seats to the Congress, the BJP is turning to workers’ feedback to prepare the strategy and select candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The BJP is set to organize the second state-level ‘mega meeting’ of party leaders from across Haryana to fine-tune its strategy for the Assembly elections. On June 29, the BJP held its first ‘mega meeting’ in Panchkula, where Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the party would go it alone under CM Saini.

To energize the party cadre for the forthcoming Assembly elections, the BJP is conducting district-level workers’ meetings. The feedback from these meetings will be used to prepare the election strategy.

The district-level meetings will conclude with a session at Jhajjar on July 11. Before that, meetings are scheduled to be held on July 10 at Rohtak and Hisar, the parliamentary constituencies where the party lost in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Acknowledging a ‘disconnect’ between the leadership and workers, especially in the five Lok Sabha seats where the party faced defeats, a senior leader said concerted efforts are being made to establish a ‘connect’ with the workers through these district-level meetings. BJP state in-charge Satish Poonika is actively participating in these meetings to acclimatize himself with the ground reality.

The feedback from these meetings will be pivotal in discussions at a forthcoming state-level meeting to formulate the Assembly poll strategy. Along with party surveys on the winnability of different candidates, this feedback will be crucial for the final candidate selection, the party leader asserted.

Meanwhile, the party is expected to rely on its tried and tested ‘panna pramukh’ strategy for the Assembly elections. The ‘panna pramukh’ is a unique concept devised by the Saffron party, where a party leader is in charge of a ‘panna’ (page) of the electoral roll. This strategy aims to bring the maximum number of voters to the polling booth to vote for the party.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 / Main Slide / News / Politics / Top News

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE Updates: PM Modi Condemns Sam Pitroda’s Remarks; Priyanka Gandhi Gears Up for Rae Bareli Leadership

May 8, 2024May 8, 2024 - by thesundayheadlines

Congress leader Sam Pitroda had earlier said that people in the South “look like Africans and those in the East look like Chinese; Priyanka Gandhi said Rae Bareli is once again ready for Congress leadership

In the wake of Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s controversial remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a stern stance against what he termed as “racist comments.” Addressing a rally in Warangal, PM Modi condemned Pitroda’s statements, asserting that the nation will not tolerate any form of insult based on skin color. He called upon Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to explain in this regard, emphasizing that such disrespect towards fellow citizens is unacceptable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple, in Karimnagar on May 8, 2024.

As the Lok Sabha elections progress, with phase 3 scheduled for May 7, Prime Minister Modi intensified his campaign efforts with rallies and roadshows in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With nearly half of the election phases completed, the political landscape continues to witness fervent campaigning and voter engagement across the country.

PM Modi’s Strong Condemnation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unequivocally denounced Sam Pitroda‘s remarks, emphasizing that insults based on skin color are intolerable and against the ethos of the nation. Modi called for accountability from Rahul Gandhi, demanding a response to the controversial statements made by Pitroda.
Election Campaign Intensifies: With phase 3 of the Lok Sabha elections approaching, Prime Minister Modi intensified his campaign efforts with rallies and roadshows in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The heightened political activity underscores the significance of voter engagement as the electoral process advances.
Voter Turnout and Election Dynamics: The recent voting phase witnessed a substantial voter turnout across various constituencies, with significant participation reported in several states. Despite sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, the overall voter enthusiasm reflects the electorate’s active engagement in shaping the democratic process.

In the recent phase of voting on May 7, a substantial turnout of nearly 62% was recorded across 93 constituencies spanning 11 states and Union Territories. Despite incidents of violence reported in West Bengal, several regions demonstrated enthusiastic participation in the electoral process. Assam registered the highest turnout at 75.53%, closely followed by Goa at 74.47%, and West Bengal at 73.93%. Conversely, Maharashtra reported the lowest voter turnout at 55.54%, while Bihar and Gujarat saw a modest increase, recording 56.55% and 56.98% respectively, as per data released by the Election Commission.

India / Main Slide / News / Politics

Gautam Gambhir Requests BJP Chief JP Nadda to Relieve Him of Political Duties

March 2, 2024March 2, 2024 - by Chirag Goyal

Former cricketer and Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir has made a formal request to BJP president JP Nadda to release him from his political responsibilities on Saturday. Gambhir’s decision stems from his desire to allocate more time to his forthcoming cricket commitments. Expressing gratitude, Gambhir conveyed sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the opportunity to serve the nation.

In a statement, Gambhir stated, ”I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!”

I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 2, 2024

With this move, Gambhir aims to effectively manage his dual roles and responsibilities.

Having joined the BJP in March 2019, Gambhir swiftly emerged as a significant figure within the party in Delhi. He clinched victory in the East Delhi seat during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a remarkable margin of 6,95,109 votes.

Delhi / Main Slide / Politics

Congress and AAP Finalize Seat-Sharing Deal: AAP to Contest 4 Seats, Congress to Contend in 3 Including Chandni Chowk

February 24, 2024February 24, 2024 - by thesundayheadlines

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, a coalition has finally been formed between AAP and Congress. In a joint press conference held today in Delhi, details regarding seat-sharing were disclosed. Congress leader Mukul Wasnik informed that after extensive discussions, a final agreement on seat-sharing between AAP and Congress has been reached. According to Wasnik, AAP will contest on 4 seats in Delhi, while Congress will compete on 3 seats, including Chandni Chowk. Additionally, Congress will field its candidate in the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.

New Delhi: Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have announced seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with AAP contesting on four seats and Congress on three seats in Delhi. A senior Congress leader shared this information. Furthermore, AAP will also contest in Gujarat’s Bharuch and Bhavnagar constituencies, as well as Haryana’s Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat. Congress senior leader Mukul Wasnik, along with AAP leaders Sandeep Pathak, Sourav Bharadwaj, and Atishi, made the announcement during a joint press conference.

They stated that AAP will contest in South Delhi, West Delhi, East Delhi, and New Delhi parliamentary constituencies, while Congress will contest in Chandni Chowk, North West Delhi, and North East Delhi seats. The national capital has a total of seven Lok Sabha seats, all of which were won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the previous Lok Sabha elections. Wasnik mentioned that AAP will also contest in Gujarat’s Bharuch and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats, as well as in Haryana’s Kurukshetra seat. It was decided after lengthy discussions that Congress will field its candidate from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.

There has been a deadlock between both parties regarding Bharuch as senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Patel and daughter Mumtaz Patel opposed AAP being given this seat. Faisal and his sister Mumtaz were being considered for the Congress ticket from this seat. AAP had already announced its MLA Chetan Vasava as its candidate from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat. Congress and AAP have decided to contest separately in Punjab. The Lok Sabha elections are proposed for April-May.

Main Slide / News / Politics

UP SP Forms Alliance with Congress for Lok Sabha Elections, Official Announcement Expected Today Evening

February 21, 2024February 21, 2024 - by Chirag Goyal

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the challenges for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh seem to be easing to some extent. According to sources, discussions have resumed between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) regarding seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh. It is almost finalized between the two parties, and an official announcement could be made anytime soon. Sources claim that Priyanka has initiated talks and reached an agreement on the negotiation with SP. She has spoken with Rahul Gandhi and then with Akhilesh Yadav. It is said that during these discussions, Congress has agreed to leave the demand for the Muradabad seat under the seat-sharing arrangement. The official announcement of seat distribution could be made today or tomorrow. Akhilesh Yadav is currently in Muradabad and may return to Lucknow by evening. It is also being speculated that the SP may withdraw its candidate from Varanasi.

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has stated that the alliance between the SP and the Congress will happen, and there are no disputes between us. Soon, all matters will be clear.

On the other hand, the Congress is seeking changes in the seats given by Akhilesh. Congress wants to exchange the Hathras seat with SP and receive Sitapur in return. SP is showing signs of agreement on this demand. Secondly, either Bulandshahr or Mathura seat can be taken by SP, and Congress can be given Shravasti. SP is considering this option.

It was reported on Tuesday that for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Samajwadi Party is trying to create pressure on Congress by issuing another list of its candidates. It was said that under this strategy, the Samajwadi Party had announced the names of its candidates for 5 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. In this list, Surendra Singh Patel was announced from Varanasi. It was seen as a strategy to put pressure on Congress by Akhilesh Yadav. Meanwhile, the party has made Shivpal Singh Yadav a candidate instead of Dharmendra Yadav from Badaun. In this way, the party has announced the names of 32 candidates so far.
The Samajwadi Party has announced candidates like Ikra Hasan from Kairana, Praveen Singh Aron from Bareilly, Ajendra Singh Rajput from Hamirpur, and Surendra Singh Patel from Varanasi. Along with this, the party has made Mahboob Ali and Ramavatar Saini in charge of Amroha, Dharmendra Yadav for Kannauj, and Azamgarh respectively. Additionally, Manoj Chaudhary has been appointed as the in-charge of Baghpat.