THE HEADLINES: –
- Election Commission announces schedule for General Elections 2024.
- Lok Sabha polls to be conducted in seven phases beginning the 19th of next month.
- Assembly polls in Sikkim, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh also to be held alongwith Lok Sabha elections.
- Counting of votes for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on 4th June.
- Met Department forecast rainfall and thunderstorms over East and Central India for next four days.
- In All England Open Badminton Championships, Lakshya Sen faces Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in Men’s Singles Semifinal at Birmingham.
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The Lok Sabha polls will be conducted in seven phases beginning the 19th of next month. The counting will take place on 4th June. Election Commission today announced the poll schedule for the General Elections 2024 as well as for the assembly polls in four states. Polling will be held in 102 Lok Sabha seats on 19th April in the first phase, in 89 seats on 26th April in the second phase, and 94 seats on 7th May in third phase. fourth phase will cover 96 seats on 13th May, fifth phase 49 seats on 20th May and the sixth phase 57 seats on 25th May. Announcing the poll schedule in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, the last and the seventh phase polling will be held on 1st June for 57 Lok Sabha seats.
22 states and UTs including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to poll in a single phase. Karnataka, Rajasthan, Manipur and Tripura will have voting in two phases while Chhattisgarh and Assam will go to poll in three phases for the Lok Sabha. Madhya Pradesh and Jharakhand will have polling in four phases and in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, the polling will be held in five phases. In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, the voting will be conducted in seven phases.
The Election Commission also announced the poll schedule for the assembly polls in Sikkim, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies will go to polls in a single phase along with the Lok Sabha elections on 19th April. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh assembly polls will be conducted in single phase on 13th May. The CEC said, polling for Odisha assembly will be held in four phases on 13th, 20th, 25th May and 1st June along with the Lok Sabha polls.
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force. The CEC said, the ECI team is fully prepared for the biggest festival of Indian democracy. He said the country has 97 crore registered voters and over 10.5 lakh polling stations will be manned by 1.5 crore personnel. He added that there will be 1.82 crore first time voters in this election. Mr. Kumar highlighted that the Commission is ready to facilitate vote from home for electors over 85 years of age and for persons with disabilities. He also said political parties will have to explain why they have fielded a candidate with serious criminal cases in the elections. He said adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the poll is conducted smoothly.
The term of the current Lok Sabha is ending on 16th June this year. The country has 543 Lok Sabha seats out of which 84 Parliamentary constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 for Schedule Tribes. Our correspondent reports that bypolls for 26 assembly seats in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura will also be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.
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Political Parties have welcomed the announcement of the schedule of Lok Sabha poll as well as State Assemblies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections. In a series of social media post, Mr Modi said, the party will go to the people on the basis of its track record of good governance and service delivery across sectors.
BJP President J P Nadda urged the people to come out in record numbers to vote and strengthen the foundation of the world’s largest democracy.
Congress President Mallikarjun Khadge said the Lok Sabha elections will open the door of Justice for India.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai said, the party is fully prepared and will fight the election with full strength with the I.N.D.I. Alliance.
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Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought public support to weed out corruption and usher in development. Addressing a public rally in Kalburgi of Karnataka today, the Prime Minister said that a large number of people have benefitted from schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan, Ujjwala and PM Awas yojana. He assured of Modi Guarantees to make Karnataka an Agricultural and Industrial hub. He accused the Congress Government of indulging in corruption and misgovernance in the state.
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Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge has announced Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay for people. Addressing media persons in Bengaluru today, he said there are 15 guarantees that will be announced by the party as part of its manifesto during the Lok Sabha elections. Shramik Nyay assures the working class of free medical care, increased payment under MGNREGS, employment guarantee scheme in urban areas and life insurance. Hissedari Nyay assures comprehensive caste census and representation in government institutions.
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Noted Singer Anuradha Paudwal today joined the Bhartiya Janta Party. She was inducted in the party in the presence of Party General Secretary Arun Singh at party headquarters in New Delhi.
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A Delhi Court today remanded Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till the 23rd of March in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Ms. Kavitha was produced before the court by the ED following her arrest yesterday. ED had sought 10 days of remand for Kavitha. The Telengana leader faces allegations of conspiring with top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party in exchange for favours in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
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Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court today granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against arrest for skipping Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) repeated summons in a case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The Court asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to furnish a personal bond of 15,000 rupees and a security bond of one lakh rupees for the bail.
The Delhi Chief Minister violated Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code. The section deals with disobeying a legal order to be at a certain place in person or by agent.
Mr. Kejriwal appeared before the court following the Enforcement Directorate’s complaints that the AAP Chief was not complying with agency’s summons in connection with the case. The ED also told the Court that the Chief Minister skipped eight summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The next hearing in the case will be held at 10 AM on the 1st of April.
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The Centre has declared the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Yasin Malik faction) as an unlawful association for a further period of five years. In a social media post, Home Minister Amit Shah said, the banned outfit continues to engage in activities that foment terror and secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, anyone found challenging the security, sovereignty and integrity of the nation will face harsh legal consequences.
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Former member of the National commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Prominent Buddhist Monk of Ladakh popularly known as Lama Lobzang passed away this morning in Delhi. He was 94. A distinguished tribal leader, Lama Lobzang had served in the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for 19 years since 1984.
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Former IAS officer Navneet Kumar Sehgal today took charge as new Prasar Bharati Chairman. Mr. Sehgal is a 1988-batch retired bureaucrat of UP cadre. He is the successor of A Surya Prakash who completed his term as Chairman in 2020. Talking to the media after assuming charge, Mr. Sehgal said Doordarshan and Akashvani have huge reach and they are reliable sources of information.
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The Government will conduct the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) as part of Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram tomorrow across 23 states. Union Education Ministry said, approximately 37 lakh learners will appear for this important nationwide assessment. The FLNAT will be held in all districts of each participating State and UT.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rainfall and thunderstorms over East and Central India for the next four days. The IMD said that widespread rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of up to 40 kilometres per hour will occur over parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh till the 20th of this month. Light rainfall and snowfall is likely to occur over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and North-East India for the coming six days.
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In All England Open Badminton Championships, Men’s Singles second Semifinal is underway between Lakshya Sen and world no. 9 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia at Birmingham. Lakshya had defeated Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia 20-22, 21-16, 21-19 in quarterfinal last night.
Indonesian star shuttler Anthony Ginting has entered the final defeating Christo Popov of France 19-21, 21-5, 21-11. He will now meet the winner of the second semi-final between Lakshya and Jonatan in the title clash.
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In the Women’s Premier League Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore will play against Delhi Capitals in the final at Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi tomorrow. The atch will begin at 7.30 p.m.
Delhi Capitals have won six of the eight games in the tournament while, Royal Challengers emerged winner in four games.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Election Commission announces schedule for General Elections 2024.
- Lok Sabha polls to be conducted in seven phases beginning the 19th of next month.
- Assembly polls in Sikkim, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh also to be held alongwith Lok Sabha elections.
- Counting of votes for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on 4th June.
- Met Department forecast rainfall and thunderstorms over East and Central India for next four days.
- In All England Open Badminton Championships, Lakshya Sen faces Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in Men’s Singles Semifinal at Birmingham.
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