<p>Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stoked yet another controversy when he referred to the Chinese invasion of sovereign Indian lands of 1962 as an "alleged Chinese invasion". In a video of an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Tuesday (May 28), Aiyar can be heard saying, "...in October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India."</p>

<p>As uproar on social media followed, the Congress party subsequently distanced itself from Aiyar's comment. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/elections/pitroda-to-aiyar-disastrous-comments-made-by-congress-leaders-1715160618950">Pitroda to Aiyar: Disastrous Comments Made By Congress Leaders</a></strong></p>

<p>Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that Aiyar had subsequently apologised "unreservedly" for using the term "alleged invasion" "mistakenly", and that the party distances itself from the "original phraseology".</p>

<p>Jairam Ramesh also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving the Chinese side a "clean chit" for their incursions in May 2020.</p>

<p>In a brief statement, Aiyar said: "I unreservedly apologise for having mistakenly used the word ‘alleged’ before 'Chinese invasion' at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-to-lalu-yadav-how-bjp-tossed-back-jibes-aimed-at-pm-modi-to-win-elections-696764">From Sonia Gandhi to Lalu Yadav: How BJP tossed back jibes aimed at PM Modi to win elections</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, the BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya hit out at the Congress over Aiyar's remarks.</p>

<p>“Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the FCC, during the launch of a book called Nehru's First Recruits, refers to the Chinese invasion in 1962 as 'alleged'. This is a brazen attempt at revisionism,” Amit Malviya wrote on X.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India Elections 2024: The mother of all elections</strong></p>

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<p>"Nehru gave up India's claim on permanent seat at the UNSC in favour of the Chinese, Rahul Gandhi signed a secret MoU, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports recommending market access for Chinese companies, based on them, Sonia Gandhi's UPA opened up Indian market for Chinese goods, hurting MSMEs and now Congress leader Aiyar wants to whitewash the Chinese invasion, post which the Chinese have been in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian territory," he alleged.</p>

<p>What explains "Congress's love for the Chinese?" Malviya asked.</p>

<p>Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said, "Allowances must be made for his (Aiyar's) age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stoked yet another controversy when he referred to the Chinese invasion of sovereign Indian lands of 1962 as an "alleged Chinese invasion".

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stoked yet another controversy when he referred to the Chinese invasion of sovereign Indian lands of 1962 as an "alleged Chinese invasion". In a video of an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Tuesday (May 28), Aiyar can be heard saying, "...in October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India." As uproar on social media followed, the Congress party subsequently distanced itself from Aiyar's comment. Also read | Pitroda to Aiyar: Disastrous Comments Made By Congress Leaders Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that Aiyar had subsequently apologised "unreservedly" for using the term "alleged invasion" "mistakenly", and that the party distances itself from the "original phraseology". Jairam Ramesh also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving the Chinese side a "clean chit" for their incursions in May 2020. In a brief statement, Aiyar said: "I unreservedly apologise for having mistakenly used the word ‘alleged’ before 'Chinese invasion' at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening." Also read | From Sonia Gandhi to Lalu Yadav: How BJP tossed back jibes aimed at PM Modi to win elections Meanwhile, the BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya hit out at the Congress over Aiyar's remarks. “Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the FCC, during the launch of a book called Nehru's First Recruits, refers to the Chinese invasion in 1962 as 'alleged'. This is a brazen attempt at revisionism,” Amit Malviya wrote on X. Also watch | India Elections 2024: The mother of all elections × "Nehru gave up India's claim on permanent seat at the UNSC in favour of the Chinese, Rahul Gandhi signed a secret MoU, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports recommending market access for Chinese companies, based on them, Sonia Gandhi's UPA opened up Indian market for Chinese goods, hurting MSMEs and now Congress leader Aiyar wants to whitewash the Chinese invasion, post which the Chinese have been in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian territory," he alleged. What explains "Congress's love for the Chinese?" Malviya asked. Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said, "Allowances must be made for his (Aiyar's) age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology." (With inputs from agencies)

Make allowances for his age: Congress after Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'alleged Chinese invasion' remark

India PM Narendra Modi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee both held rallies and roadshows in the Kolkata ahead of phase seven of the Lok Sabha elections. The seventh and final phase of the general elections will take place on June 1, and the results will be announced on June 4. Watch in for more details!

India General Election 2024: TMC, BJP face-off rallies in Kolkata

Six phases of voting in the Lok Sabha elections are over and now the last and final phase is all set to take place on the 1st of June. For the past two months WION brings you the voices of voters and what are the expectations. Watch in for more details!

India Elections 2024: Gauging the pulse of Chandigarh

<p>India's&nbsp;top poll body slammed Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi's&nbsp;Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (May 24), while&nbsp;pulling&nbsp;down three Instagram posts that the opposition dubbed as&nbsp;"communal".</p>

<p>The&nbsp;state's&nbsp;Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Reena Kangale also issued a&nbsp;"strong warning"&nbsp;to BJP, asking the party against uploading such posts in future.</p>

<p>“We have taken down the three objectionable posts from the BJP Instagram handle and a stern warning has been given to them not to upload such posts in future,”&nbsp;Chief Electoral Officer Kangale said.</p>

<h2><strong>Three objectionable posts</strong></h2>

<p>The first video was published&nbsp;on May 15. The animated video showed a man wearing a skull cap and green clothes robbing a woman.&nbsp;The man is later helped by a caricature of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>The second video, again animated, showed a caricature of Rahul Gandhi snatching a&nbsp;woman's&nbsp;mangalsutra and giving it to a man.&nbsp;This video was uploaded&nbsp;on May 20.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;India Elections 2024: Election Commission censures former judge-turned BJP politician | WION</strong></p>

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<p>The third animated video showed Rahul Gandhi placing an&nbsp;egg,&nbsp;labelled&nbsp;'&nbsp;Muslim'&nbsp;in a nest, along with other eggs marked with&nbsp;'&nbsp;SC, ST and OBC.'&nbsp;Later, the hatchling from the&nbsp;‘Muslim’&nbsp;egg grows so big that it pushes other eggs out of the basket.</p>

<h2><strong>EC's&nbsp;action</strong></h2>

<p>EC on Friday reached out to the BJP and&nbsp;also&nbsp;issued a direction to Instagram owner Meta.</p>

<p>The opposition Congress accused the BJP of disrupting communal harmony in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It is an extremely serious issue where BJP is conspiring to disrupt communal harmony of India and defame Congress party. They have made it a habit of violating the code of conduct and&nbsp;BJP’s&nbsp;social media handles have posted dozens of such posts. Their handle must be suspended. Just letting the BJP off with a warning is not enough. The Election Commission should take legal action against the BJP,”&nbsp;said Sushil Anand Shukla, in charge of the&nbsp;Congress’&nbsp;communication cell in Chhattisgarh.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwj-jb7H4KiGAxXrxTgGHZVdBpUQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2024-tmc-alleges-evms-found-with-bjp-tags-ec-responds-725270" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2024-tmc-alleges-evms-found-with-bjp-tags-ec-responds-725270&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj-jb7H4KiGAxXrxTgGHZVdBpUQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Lok Sabha elections 2024: TMC alleges EVMs found with BJP tags, EC responds</a></strong></p>

<p>BJP, on the other hand, defended its posts, saying there was nothing&nbsp;'objectionable'.</p>

<p>"There was nothing religious about it… The posts were related to the Congress narrative of inheritance tax and taking away reservation and giving it to Muslims,” said Somesh Pandey, from the social media cell of the BJP in Chhattisgarh.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India's top poll body slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (May 24), while pulling down three Instagram posts that the opposition dubbed as "communal".

India's top poll body slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (May 24), while pulling down three Instagram posts that the opposition dubbed as "communal". The state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Reena Kangale also issued a "strong warning" to BJP, asking the party against uploading such posts in future. “We have taken down the three objectionable posts from the BJP Instagram handle and a stern warning has been given to them not to upload such posts in future,” Chief Electoral Officer Kangale said. Three objectionable posts The first video was published on May 15. The animated video showed a man wearing a skull cap and green clothes robbing a woman. The man is later helped by a caricature of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The second video, again animated, showed a caricature of Rahul Gandhi snatching a woman's mangalsutra and giving it to a man. This video was uploaded on May 20. Watch: India Elections 2024: Election Commission censures former judge-turned BJP politician | WION × The third animated video showed Rahul Gandhi placing an egg, labelled ' Muslim' in a nest, along with other eggs marked with ' SC, ST and OBC.' Later, the hatchling from the ‘Muslim’ egg grows so big that it pushes other eggs out of the basket. EC's action EC on Friday reached out to the BJP and also issued a direction to Instagram owner Meta. The opposition Congress accused the BJP of disrupting communal harmony in the state. “It is an extremely serious issue where BJP is conspiring to disrupt communal harmony of India and defame Congress party. They have made it a habit of violating the code of conduct and BJP’s social media handles have posted dozens of such posts. Their handle must be suspended. Just letting the BJP off with a warning is not enough. The Election Commission should take legal action against the BJP,” said Sushil Anand Shukla, in charge of the Congress’ communication cell in Chhattisgarh. Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: TMC alleges EVMs found with BJP tags, EC responds BJP, on the other hand, defended its posts, saying there was nothing 'objectionable'. "There was nothing religious about it… The posts were related to the Congress narrative of inheritance tax and taking away reservation and giving it to Muslims,” said Somesh Pandey, from the social media cell of the BJP in Chhattisgarh. (With inputs from agencies)

India's poll body pulls up PM Modi's BJP, gets Meta to remove 'communal' posts

Sanjay Sehrawat, DCP Election Cell of Delhi Police, announced on Thursday that 33,000 Delhi Police officers, 51 paramilitary companies, and 17,500 Home Guards from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh will be deployed in the national capital ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

India General Elections: 33,000 policemen deployed in New Delhi ahead of Phase 6 polls

The Supreme Court has refused a petition related to elections in the country the petition wanted the poll body to publish booth-wise numbers of voter turnout as well as upload copies of form 17c on its website within 48 Hours of polling.

India General Election 2024: Supreme Court quashes voter turnout petition

In less than 12 hours from now India will hold its sixth phase of Elections. Here is everything you need to know.

India General Elections 2024: Phase 6 what's up for grabs?

<p><strong>Kerala Lok Sabha Elections 2024&nbsp;Dates: </strong>Polling is underway in all Lok Sabha constituencies of the south Indian state of Kerala on Friday (Apr 26) in the second phase of the mammoth exercise.<br />
<br />
Kerala is one of the few states where the Congress remains strong. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won most seats here while the BJP-led NDA didn't win any. Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, represents a constituency in Kerala, making it important for the national party. However, the NDA plans to change this trajectory in the 2024 elections. Kerala has one of the highest voter turnout, so resonating with the people here is important&nbsp;for both parties.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>When is Kerala Lok Sabha Elections? (Kerala Elections Date)</strong></h2>

<p>The Kerala Lok Sabha Elections for all 20 seats are taking place on April 26.</p>

<h2><b>Phase 2: Date of polling- April 26</b></h2>

<ol>
	<li>Kasargod</li>
	<li>Kannur</li>
	<li>Vadakara</li>
	<li>Wayanad</li>
	<li>Kozhikode</li>
	<li>Malappuram</li>
	<li>Ponnani</li>
	<li>Palakkad</li>
	<li>Alathur</li>
	<li>Thrissur</li>
	<li>Chalakudy</li>
	<li>Ernakulam</li>
	<li>Idukki</li>
	<li>Kottayam</li>
	<li>Alappuzha</li>
	<li>Mavelikkara</li>
	<li>Pathanamthitta</li>
	<li>Kollam</li>
	<li>Attingal</li>
	<li>Thiruvananthapuram</li>
</ol>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>In how many phases will Kerala's elections take place?</strong></h2>

<p>In Kerala, voting usually happens all at once because of its well-organised voters and system. Keeping with this tradition, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to hold the 2024 General Elections in Kerala in just one phase, which is phase two, on April 26.</p>

<h2><strong>How many Lok Sabha seats does Kerala have?</strong></h2>

<p>Kerala ranks 12th among states with the most Lok Sabha seats, which stands at&nbsp;a total of 20. Among these, 18 seats are unreserved, while two are reserved for SC candidates. In the 17th Lok Sabha Elections, the INC-led UPA won&nbsp;in 19 out of the 20 seats, making Kerala the most successful state for the alliance.</p>

<h2><strong>List of elected members and constituencies from the Kerala Lok Sabha Elections in 2019</strong></h2>

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		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;No.&quot;}"><strong>No.</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Constituency&quot;}"><strong>Constituency</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Elected Member&quot;}"><strong>Elected Member</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Party&quot;}"><strong>Party</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1}">1</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kasaragod&quot;}">Kasaragod</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Rajmohan Unnithan&quot;}">Rajmohan Unnithan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kannur&quot;}">Kannur</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;K. Sudhakaran&quot;}">K. Sudhakaran</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Vatakara&quot;}">Vatakara</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;K. Muraleedharan&quot;}">K. Muraleedharan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Wayanad&quot;}">Wayanad</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Rahul Gandhi&quot;}">Rahul Gandhi</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kozhikode&quot;}">Kozhikode</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;M. K. Raghavan&quot;}">M. K. Raghavan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Malappuram&quot;}">Malappuram</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;P. K. Kunhalikutty&quot;}">P. K. Kunhalikutty</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;IUML&quot;}">IUML</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Ponnani&quot;}">Ponnani</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;E. T. Mohammed Basheer&quot;}">E. T. Mohammed Basheer</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;IUML&quot;}">IUML</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Palakkad&quot;}">Palakkad</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;V. K. Sreekandan&quot;}">V. K. Sreekandan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:9}">9</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Alathur&quot;}">Alathur</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Ramya Haridas&quot;}">Ramya Haridas</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Thrissur&quot;}">Thrissur</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;T. N. Prathapan&quot;}">T. N. Prathapan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Chalakudy&quot;}">Chalakudy</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Benny Behanan&quot;}">Benny Behanan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:12}">12</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Ernakulam&quot;}">Ernakulam</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Hibi Eden&quot;}">Hibi Eden</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Idukki&quot;}">Idukki</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Dean Kuriakose&quot;}">Dean Kuriakose</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:14}">14</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kottayam&quot;}">Kottayam</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Thomas Chazhikadan&quot;}">Thomas Chazhikadan</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;KC(M)&quot;}">KC(M)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:15}">15</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Alappuzha&quot;}">Alappuzha</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;A. M. Ariff&quot;}">A. M. Ariff</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;CPI(M)&quot;}">CPI(M)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Mavelikkara&quot;}">Mavelikkara</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kodikunnil Suresh&quot;}">Kodikunnil Suresh</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:17}">17</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Pathanamthitta&quot;}">Pathanamthitta</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Anto Antony&quot;}">Anto Antony</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:18}">18</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kollam&quot;}">Kollam</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;N. K. Premachandran&quot;}">N. K. Premachandran</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;RSP&quot;}">RSP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:19}">19</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Attingal&quot;}">Attingal</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Adoor Prakash&quot;}">Adoor Prakash</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:20}">20</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Thiruvananthapuram&quot;}">Thiruvananthapuram</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Shashi Tharoor&quot;}">Shashi Tharoor</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;INC&quot;}">INC</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2><strong>Kerala Candidates for the 2024 elections</strong></h2>

<p>Following their stellar performance in the previous elections, INC will try to maintain their momentum and keep the ruling government alliance out of the state with their newly formed I.N.D.I.A alliance. Meanwhile, NDA will look to improve their standing in the state and secure key seats this time around.</p>

<p>Currently, the Left parties have announced&nbsp;their final lineup of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The CPIM, contesting 15 seats, has put forward candidates such as MV Balakrishnan (Kasaragod), MV Jayarajan (Kannur), KK Shailja (Vatakara), Elamaram Kareem (Kozhikode), V Waseef (Malappuram), KS Hamsa (Ponnani), A Vijayaraghavan (Palakkad), K Radhakrishnan (Alathur), C Raveendranath (Chalakudy), KJ Shine (Ernakulam), Joice George (Idukki), AM Ariff (Alappuzha), Thomas Issac (Pathanamthitta), M Mukesh (Kollam), and V Joy (Attingal).</p>

<p>CPI has also announced&nbsp;the names of candidates for the four seats they will be contesting, including Annie Raja (Wayanad), Pannian Raveendran (Thiruvananthapuram), Arun Kumar (Mavelikkara), and VS Sunil Kumar (Thrissur).</p>

<h2><strong>Complete list of candidates for the 2024 Kerala Lok Sabha Elections&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" data-sheets-root="1" dir="ltr" width="535">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;No.&quot;}"><strong>No.</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Constituency&quot;}"><strong>Constituency</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;I.N.D.I.A&quot;}"><strong>I.N.D.I.A</strong></td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;NDA&quot;}"><strong>NDA</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1}">1</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kasaragod&quot;}">Kasaragod</td>
			<td>Rajmohan Unnithan (INC)</td>
			<td>M L Ashwini</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kannur&quot;}">Kannur</td>
			<td>K Sudhakaran (INC)</td>
			<td>C Raghunath</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Vatakara&quot;}">Vadakara</td>
			<td>Shafi Parambil (INC)</td>
			<td>Prafulla Krishna</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Wayanad&quot;}">Wayanad</td>
			<td>Rahul Gandhi&nbsp;(INC)</td>
			<td>K Surendran</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kozhikode&quot;}">Kozhikode</td>
			<td>M K Raghavan (INC)</td>
			<td>M T Ramesh</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Malappuram&quot;}">Malappuram</td>
			<td>E T Mohammed Basheer</td>
			<td>Abdul Salam</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Ponnani&quot;}">Ponnani</td>
			<td>E T Mohammed Basheer</td>
			<td>Niveditha Subramanian</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Palakkad&quot;}">Palakkad</td>
			<td>V K Sreekandan (INC)</td>
			<td>C Krishnakumar</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:9}">9</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Alathur&quot;}">Alathur</td>
			<td>Ramya Haridas (INC)</td>
			<td>TN Sarasu</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Thrissur&quot;}">Thrissur</td>
			<td>K Muraleedharan (INC)</td>
			<td>Suresh Gopi</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Chalakudy&quot;}">Chalakudy</td>
			<td>Benny Behanan (INC)</td>
			<td>Rajeev Chandrasekhar.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:12}">12</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Ernakulam&quot;}">Ernakulam</td>
			<td>Hibi Eden (INC)</td>
			<td>KS Radhakrishna</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Idukki&quot;}">Idukki</td>
			<td>Dean Kuriakose (INC)</td>
			<td>N K Nair</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:14}">14</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kottayam&quot;}">Kottayam</td>
			<td>Kerala Congress (J)</td>
			<td>Saji John</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:15}">15</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Alappuzha&quot;}">Alappuzha</td>
			<td>KC Venugopal (INC)</td>
			<td>Shobha Surendran</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Mavelikkara&quot;}">Mavelikkara</td>
			<td>Kodikunnil Suresh (INC)</td>
			<td>N Moity Koyikkara</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:17}">17</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Pathanamthitta&quot;}">Pathanamthitta</td>
			<td>Anto Antony (INC)</td>
			<td>Anil K Antony</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:18}">18</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Kollam&quot;}">Kollam</td>
			<td>N K Premachandran</td>
			<td>G Krishnakumar</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:19}">19</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Attingal&quot;}">Attingal</td>
			<td>Adoor Prakash (INC)</td>
			<td>V Muraleedharan</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:20}">20</td>
			<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Thiruvananthapuram&quot;}">Thiruvananthapuram</td>
			<td>Shashi Tharoor (INC)</td>
			<td>Rajiv Chandrasekhar</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Kerala Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Dates: Polling is underway in all Lok Sabha constituencies of the south Indian state of Kerala on Friday (Apr 26) in the second phase of the mammoth exercise.

Kerala Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Dates: Polling is underway in all Lok Sabha constituencies of the south Indian state of Kerala on Friday (Apr 26) in the second phase of the mammoth exercise. Kerala is one of the few states where the Congress remains strong. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won most seats here while the BJP-led NDA didn't win any. Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, represents a constituency in Kerala, making it important for the national party. However, the NDA plans to change this trajectory in the 2024 elections. Kerala has one of the highest voter turnout, so resonating with the people here is important for both parties. When is Kerala Lok Sabha Elections? (Kerala Elections Date) The Kerala Lok Sabha Elections for all 20 seats are taking place on April 26. Phase 2: Date of polling- April 26 Kasargod Kannur Vadakara Wayanad Kozhikode Malappuram Ponnani Palakkad Alathur Thrissur Chalakudy Ernakulam Idukki Kottayam Alappuzha Mavelikkara Pathanamthitta Kollam Attingal Thiruvananthapuram In how many phases will Kerala's elections take place? In Kerala, voting usually happens all at once because of its well-organised voters and system. Keeping with this tradition, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to hold the 2024 General Elections in Kerala in just one phase, which is phase two, on April 26. How many Lok Sabha seats does Kerala have? Kerala ranks 12th among states with the most Lok Sabha seats, which stands at a total of 20. Among these, 18 seats are unreserved, while two are reserved for SC candidates. In the 17th Lok Sabha Elections, the INC-led UPA won in 19 out of the 20 seats, making Kerala the most successful state for the alliance. List of elected members and constituencies from the Kerala Lok Sabha Elections in 2019 No. Constituency Elected Member Party 1 Kasaragod Rajmohan Unnithan INC 2 Kannur K. Sudhakaran INC 3 Vatakara K. Muraleedharan INC 4 Wayanad Rahul Gandhi INC 5 Kozhikode M. K. Raghavan INC 6 Malappuram P. K. Kunhalikutty IUML 7 Ponnani E. T. Mohammed Basheer IUML 8 Palakkad V. K. Sreekandan INC 9 Alathur Ramya Haridas INC 10 Thrissur T. N. Prathapan INC 11 Chalakudy Benny Behanan INC 12 Ernakulam Hibi Eden INC 13 Idukki Dean Kuriakose INC 14 Kottayam Thomas Chazhikadan KC(M) 15 Alappuzha A. M. Ariff CPI(M) 16 Mavelikkara Kodikunnil Suresh INC 17 Pathanamthitta Anto Antony INC 18 Kollam N. K. Premachandran RSP 19 Attingal Adoor Prakash INC 20 Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor INC Kerala Candidates for the 2024 elections Following their stellar performance in the previous elections, INC will try to maintain their momentum and keep the ruling government alliance out of the state with their newly formed I.N.D.I.A alliance. Meanwhile, NDA will look to improve their standing in the state and secure key seats this time around. Currently, the Left parties have announced their final lineup of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The CPIM, contesting 15 seats, has put forward candidates such as MV Balakrishnan (Kasaragod), MV Jayarajan (Kannur), KK Shailja (Vatakara), Elamaram Kareem (Kozhikode), V Waseef (Malappuram), KS Hamsa (Ponnani), A Vijayaraghavan (Palakkad), K Radhakrishnan (Alathur), C Raveendranath (Chalakudy), KJ Shine (Ernakulam), Joice George (Idukki), AM Ariff (Alappuzha), Thomas Issac (Pathanamthitta), M Mukesh (Kollam), and V Joy (Attingal). CPI has also announced the names of candidates for the four seats they will be contesting, including Annie Raja (Wayanad), Pannian Raveendran (Thiruvananthapuram), Arun Kumar (Mavelikkara), and VS Sunil Kumar (Thrissur). Complete list of candidates for the 2024 Kerala Lok Sabha Elections No. Constituency I.N.D.I.A NDA 1 Kasaragod Rajmohan Unnithan (INC) M L Ashwini 2 Kannur K Sudhakaran (INC) C Raghunath 3 Vadakara Shafi Parambil (INC) Prafulla Krishna 4 Wayanad Rahul Gandhi (INC) K Surendran 5 Kozhikode M K Raghavan (INC) M T Ramesh 6 Malappuram E T Mohammed Basheer Abdul Salam 7 Ponnani E T Mohammed Basheer Niveditha Subramanian 8 Palakkad V K Sreekandan (INC) C Krishnakumar 9 Alathur Ramya Haridas (INC) TN Sarasu 10 Thrissur K Muraleedharan (INC) Suresh Gopi 11 Chalakudy Benny Behanan (INC) Rajeev Chandrasekhar. 12 Ernakulam Hibi Eden (INC) KS Radhakrishna 13 Idukki Dean Kuriakose (INC) N K Nair 14 Kottayam Kerala Congress (J) Saji John 15 Alappuzha KC Venugopal (INC) Shobha Surendran 16 Mavelikkara Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) N Moity Koyikkara 17 Pathanamthitta Anto Antony (INC) Anil K Antony 18 Kollam N K Premachandran G Krishnakumar 19 Attingal Adoor Prakash (INC) V Muraleedharan 20 Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor (INC) Rajiv Chandrasekhar

Kerala Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Date, Schedule, phase, seats, candidates you need to know

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<p>The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (May 22) rubbished a bail plea filed by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren while accusing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha&nbsp;leader of misleading the court. The apex court said&nbsp;Soren's&nbsp;bail plea was already under consideration by the trial court, an&nbsp;important&nbsp;fact that Soren failed to mention in his petition.</p>

<p>Soren wanted relief to have the opportunity to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, just like jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had&nbsp;been granted.</p>

<p>Notably, the trial court had already taken&nbsp;cognisance of the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate&nbsp;on April 4&nbsp;in connection with&nbsp;a land scam-related case.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjThPi7lqGGAxUq1TgGHXMnDRcQxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-from-west-india-to-harness-wisdom-for-future-military-strategy-from-its-own-ancient-texts-724211" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-from-west-india-to-harness-wisdom-for-future-military-strategy-from-its-own-ancient-texts-724211&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjThPi7lqGGAxUq1TgGHXMnDRcQxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE">Not from West, India to harness wisdom for future military strategy from its own ancient texts</a></strong></p>

<p>A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma told Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren:&nbsp;"We expected some candour from your client. He should have said that he had already applied for bail. That was not told to us in the course of arguments…You were pursuing parallel remedies…Why is it that in none of the petitions, despite being aware, you are not spelling it out that cognisance was taken on April 4, 2024…Your conduct leaves a lot to be desired…This is not the way you come before the court without disclosing material facts."</p>

<p>The court warned Sibal that it would write in its ruling that Soren had not approached the court with clean hands. However, Sibal then urged to withdraw the petition altogether, to which the court agreed.</p>

<p>Then, the court grilled Sibal for not mentioning&nbsp;important&nbsp;facts&nbsp;related to&nbsp;the case before the court.</p>

<p>"When did you get to know for the first time about the cognisance-taking order?”&nbsp;the court asked Sibal.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;India Elections 2024: Election Commission censures former judge-turned BJP politician | WION</strong></p>

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<p>“If you recall, I had put a question to you (when the SC heard the matter first and issued notice to ED)… What is the relief that you are seeking from the court? You said bail…Did your client not instruct you on the day we should notice that your bail petition before the special court is pending?”&nbsp;the court asked.</p>

<p>Sibal later said the confusion arose because of a misunderstanding.</p>

<p>“The client is in jail. We have never done that in our lives. Our intention is never to mislead the court. We have never done it,”&nbsp;Sibal said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (May 22) rubbished a bail plea filed by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren while accusing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader of misleading the court.

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (May 22) rubbished a bail plea filed by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren while accusing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader of misleading the court. The apex court said Soren's bail plea was already under consideration by the trial court, an important fact that Soren failed to mention in his petition. Soren wanted relief to have the opportunity to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, just like jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had been granted. Notably, the trial court had already taken cognisance of the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate on April 4 in connection with a land scam-related case. Also read: Not from West, India to harness wisdom for future military strategy from its own ancient texts A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma told Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren: "We expected some candour from your client. He should have said that he had already applied for bail. That was not told to us in the course of arguments…You were pursuing parallel remedies…Why is it that in none of the petitions, despite being aware, you are not spelling it out that cognisance was taken on April 4, 2024…Your conduct leaves a lot to be desired…This is not the way you come before the court without disclosing material facts." The court warned Sibal that it would write in its ruling that Soren had not approached the court with clean hands. However, Sibal then urged to withdraw the petition altogether, to which the court agreed. Then, the court grilled Sibal for not mentioning important facts related to the case before the court. "When did you get to know for the first time about the cognisance-taking order?” the court asked Sibal. Watch: India Elections 2024: Election Commission censures former judge-turned BJP politician | WION × “If you recall, I had put a question to you (when the SC heard the matter first and issued notice to ED)… What is the relief that you are seeking from the court? You said bail…Did your client not instruct you on the day we should notice that your bail petition before the special court is pending?” the court asked. Sibal later said the confusion arose because of a misunderstanding. “The client is in jail. We have never done that in our lives. Our intention is never to mislead the court. We have never done it,” Sibal said. (With inputs from agencies)

‘We expected some candour’: Indian Supreme Court rubbishes ex-CM Hemant Soren’s bail plea

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<p><strong>Amethi Lok Sabha Election 2024:</strong> On May 5, 2014, as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi addressed a political gathering in Amethi, located about 670 km southeast of Indian capital New Delhi. Blending raw emotion with subtle humour, Modi put up a dare to the mediapersons present at the venue.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"<em>Mere media ke mitro mein dum ho toh ek kaam kar ke dikhayein. Ek taraf meri chhoti behan ko khada kar dein aur ek taraf Rahul Bhaiya ke poore parivar ko khada kar dein. Aur sirf Amethi Lok Sabha kshetra ke gaon ke naam poochiye. Main daave se kehta hu, agar Smriti Irani sau gaon ke naam bata payengi, toh ye poora parivar dus gaon ke naam bhi nahi bata paayega&nbsp;</em>(The friends in media, if you dare, please do the following. Let my younger sister&nbsp;stand across Rahul Gandhi's family. Ask them the name of villages in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. If Smriti Irani names one hundred villages, they wouldn't be able to name even ten)"​</p>

<p><em><img alt="Smriti Irani and Narendra Modi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="65c06f7a-fdde-4cd0-ae05-4eca156fbed8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/BattleOfTheBastionsAmethi_0.png" />Smriti Irani with Narendra Modi in Amethi on May 5, 2014 | File</em></p>

<p>Since Amethi Lok Sabha constituency&nbsp;came into being in 1967, Congress won all Lok Sabha elections but twice — in 1977 and 1996.&nbsp;Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lost from Amethi in the post-Emergency Lok Sabha elections of 1977, but the constituency sent him to parliament in 1980. After Sanjay Gandhi's death in a plane crash, his brother Rajiv Gandhi — who became India's prime minister in 1984 — represented Amethi in Lok Sabha until his assassination in 1991.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em><img alt="Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="edd5db2b-4e4d-4197-badd-e1159dd8735b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/SoniaAndRajiv_0.png" /></em></p>

<p><em>Rajiv Gandhi (Amethi MP, 1981-1984; 1984-1989; 1989-1991) with wife Sonia Gandhi (Amethi MP, 1999-2004)&nbsp;in Amethi in April 1983 | Instagram/@rememberingrajiv</em></p>

<p>As Sonia Gandhi took a formal turn to politics, she chose Amethi's comfortable political pools for&nbsp;her electoral plunge in 1999. In 2004, when Sonia and Rajiv's son Rahul&nbsp;decided to enter parliamentary politics,&nbsp;the mother switched to neighbouring familyborough of Raebareli, leaving Amethi's sheltered political space for the fifth-generation scion of Congress party's Nehru-Gandhi family.<img alt="Rahul Gandhi in 2004" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ed27866-2000-47e1-9931-1b1fa5c34d2e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Rahul2004.png" /></p>

<p><em>Rahul Gandhi (R) with his election certificate outside a counting center in Sultanpur near Amethi on May 13, 2004 | AFP</em></p>

<p>Amethi in 2004 was&nbsp;"no more or less of a backwater than the rest of Uttar Pradesh", wrote Ruchir Sharma in his 2019 book <em>Democracy on the Road</em>' while referring to the dismal state of development in the constituency.</p>

<p>"Cultivating or nursing Lok Sabha constituencies is a latter day phenomenon in the Indian parliamentary tradition, starting ninth or tenth Lok Sabha Election," senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai told WION, while referring to the way the&nbsp;political strongholds are maintained by the political parties for winning Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>Kidwai reasoned that politicians prior to ninth Lok Sabha election (1989) often switched constituencies and did not nurse particular strongholds&nbsp;for themselves, and left the matters of development to the state government and local municipalities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But for the Nehru-Gandhi family of Congress party, starting 1980, Amethi remained a well-cultivated political stronghold.</p>

<p>Decades later, Amethi's political ground beneath Rahul Gandhi was shaken in 2014 after the BJP fielded popular actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani against him.<br />
<img alt="Former Defence Minister and Goa BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar was among the first to see the winds of change in Amethi in 2014, Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story: Why She Won Amethi' told WION | File" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9de0fd62-ee93-4c0c-b663-38ef690af8a6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/BattleOfTheBastionsAmethiManoharParrikar.png" /><br />
<em>Former Defence Minister and Goa BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar was among the first to sense the winds of change in Amethi in 2014, Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story: Why She Won Amethi' told WION | File</em></p>

<p>Amethi's tryst with Nehru-Gandhi family crumbled in 2019 when Irani secured nearly 50 per cent of total votes, beating Rahul Gandhi by over 55,000 votes.</p>

<p>The constituency's decades-long association with the Gandhis finally broke away in 2024 when, like 2004, Sonia Gandhi again gave away her political space — this time in neighbouring Raebareli — to her son Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-election-2024/rahul-gandhi-to-contest-lok-sabha-polls-from-rae-bareli-kl-sharma-from-amethi-717549">Rahul Gandhi to contest Lok Sabha polls from Rae Bareli, KL Sharma from Amethi</a></strong></p>

<p>Speaking to WION, Kartikeya Tanna, author of '<em>The Smriti Irani Story: Why She Won Amethi'</em> said that while Irani first lost out to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, she did not give up on the constituency.</p>

<p>"She visited Amethi almost every month, sometimes twice a month to fulfill all the promises that she had made during the campaign in 2014 even though she had lost," Tanna said.</p>

<p><img alt="Smriti Irani Story" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="612af013-9178-4142-b08e-97ee5c54776a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/SmritiIraniStory.png" /></p>

<p><em>Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story', points to Samajwadi Party's admitted "help" to ensure Rahul Gandhi's election from Amethi in 2014 after the party chose to not put up its candidate from the constituency&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>But "a significant percentage" of Irani's 2019 success in Amethi is the function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, Tanna contends.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In addition to Irani's Amethi visits between the general election of 2014 and 2019, BJP's Yogi Adityanath became Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2017. "So the BJP's state-level governance which also benefited Amethi, helped Smriti Irani win big in 2019," he said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Amethi is set to vote on May 20, 2024 during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Smriti Irani is seeking re-election while facing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-election-2024/who-is-kl-sharma-the-congress-candidate-challenging-bjps-smriti-irani-in-amethi-717616">Kishori Lal Sharma</a> of Congress party and Nanhe Singh Chauhan of Bahujan Samaj Party. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin on June 4, 2024.</p>

<p><i>For all the latest developments related to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/lok-sabha-election-2024">Lok Sabha Elections 2024</a>, stay tuned with WION, World Is One News.&nbsp;</i></p>


Amethi Lok Sabha Election 2024: On May 5, 2014, as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi addressed a political gathering in Amethi, located about 670 km southeast of Indian capital New Delhi.

Amethi Lok Sabha Election 2024: On May 5, 2014, as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi addressed a political gathering in Amethi, located about 670 km southeast of Indian capital New Delhi. Blending raw emotion with subtle humour, Modi put up a dare to the mediapersons present at the venue. "Mere media ke mitro mein dum ho toh ek kaam kar ke dikhayein. Ek taraf meri chhoti behan ko khada kar dein aur ek taraf Rahul Bhaiya ke poore parivar ko khada kar dein. Aur sirf Amethi Lok Sabha kshetra ke gaon ke naam poochiye. Main daave se kehta hu, agar Smriti Irani sau gaon ke naam bata payengi, toh ye poora parivar dus gaon ke naam bhi nahi bata paayega (The friends in media, if you dare, please do the following. Let my younger sister stand across Rahul Gandhi's family. Ask them the name of villages in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. If Smriti Irani names one hundred villages, they wouldn't be able to name even ten)" Smriti Irani with Narendra Modi in Amethi on May 5, 2014 | File Since Amethi Lok Sabha constituency came into being in 1967, Congress won all Lok Sabha elections but twice — in 1977 and 1996. Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lost from Amethi in the post-Emergency Lok Sabha elections of 1977, but the constituency sent him to parliament in 1980. After Sanjay Gandhi's death in a plane crash, his brother Rajiv Gandhi — who became India's prime minister in 1984 — represented Amethi in Lok Sabha until his assassination in 1991. Rajiv Gandhi (Amethi MP, 1981-1984; 1984-1989; 1989-1991) with wife Sonia Gandhi (Amethi MP, 1999-2004) in Amethi in April 1983 | Instagram/@rememberingrajiv As Sonia Gandhi took a formal turn to politics, she chose Amethi's comfortable political pools for her electoral plunge in 1999. In 2004, when Sonia and Rajiv's son Rahul decided to enter parliamentary politics, the mother switched to neighbouring familyborough of Raebareli, leaving Amethi's sheltered political space for the fifth-generation scion of Congress party's Nehru-Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi (R) with his election certificate outside a counting center in Sultanpur near Amethi on May 13, 2004 | AFP Amethi in 2004 was "no more or less of a backwater than the rest of Uttar Pradesh", wrote Ruchir Sharma in his 2019 book Democracy on the Road' while referring to the dismal state of development in the constituency. "Cultivating or nursing Lok Sabha constituencies is a latter day phenomenon in the Indian parliamentary tradition, starting ninth or tenth Lok Sabha Election," senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai told WION, while referring to the way the political strongholds are maintained by the political parties for winning Lok Sabha elections. Kidwai reasoned that politicians prior to ninth Lok Sabha election (1989) often switched constituencies and did not nurse particular strongholds for themselves, and left the matters of development to the state government and local municipalities. But for the Nehru-Gandhi family of Congress party, starting 1980, Amethi remained a well-cultivated political stronghold. Decades later, Amethi's political ground beneath Rahul Gandhi was shaken in 2014 after the BJP fielded popular actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani against him. Former Defence Minister and Goa BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar was among the first to sense the winds of change in Amethi in 2014, Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story: Why She Won Amethi' told WION | File Amethi's tryst with Nehru-Gandhi family crumbled in 2019 when Irani secured nearly 50 per cent of total votes, beating Rahul Gandhi by over 55,000 votes. The constituency's decades-long association with the Gandhis finally broke away in 2024 when, like 2004, Sonia Gandhi again gave away her political space — this time in neighbouring Raebareli — to her son Rahul Gandhi. Also read | Rahul Gandhi to contest Lok Sabha polls from Rae Bareli, KL Sharma from Amethi Speaking to WION, Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story: Why She Won Amethi' said that while Irani first lost out to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, she did not give up on the constituency. "She visited Amethi almost every month, sometimes twice a month to fulfill all the promises that she had made during the campaign in 2014 even though she had lost," Tanna said. Kartikeya Tanna, author of 'The Smriti Irani Story', points to Samajwadi Party's admitted "help" to ensure Rahul Gandhi's election from Amethi in 2014 after the party chose to not put up its candidate from the constituency But "a significant percentage" of Irani's 2019 success in Amethi is the function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, Tanna contends. In addition to Irani's Amethi visits between the general election of 2014 and 2019, BJP's Yogi Adityanath became Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2017. "So the BJP's state-level governance which also benefited Amethi, helped Smriti Irani win big in 2019," he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WION (@wionews) × Amethi is set to vote on May 20, 2024 during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Smriti Irani is seeking re-election while facing Kishori Lal Sharma of Congress party and Nanhe Singh Chauhan of Bahujan Samaj Party. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin on June 4, 2024. For all the latest developments related to Lok Sabha Elections 2024, stay tuned with WION, World Is One News.

Battle of the Bastions: Smriti Irani, Amethi and the unmaking of a Gandhi family stronghold

The Indian state of West Bengal is the economic powerhouse of east India. Moreover, its 42 Members of Parliament can make or break political fortunes at the center. As the election fever reaches higher pitch, we bring you an economic snapshot of West Bengal.

West Bengal: The economic powerhouse of India | Decoding Bengal's economy | Race To Power

The poll guarantees that the Indian National Congress is saying it will double the quantity of free ration for the poor if the I.N.D.I.A bloc is voted to power. Watch to know more!

India general elections 2024: Congress says it will double free ration if voted to power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has slammed the opposition on the citizenship Amendment act. He said while India has started granting citizenship under the CAA the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress are trying to spark riots by spreading lies.

Indian elections 2024: PM Modi praises the issuance of CAA certificate

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidA6Nrvp8Jz3Yj" />The Indian state of Odisha held elections for 28&nbsp;assembly seats in phase four. The assembly elections took place alongside the Lok Sabha elections in four seats in Odisha -&nbsp; Kalahandi, Nabarangpur (ST), Berhampur, and Koraput (ST). Voting for both the elections began at 7 am IST Monday (May 13) and went on till 6 pm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In total, Odisha has 21&nbsp;Lok Sabha constituencies, and 147 assembly seats. The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha as well as the assembly elections was on Monday, and the remaining three phases (for both elections) will take place on&nbsp;May 20, May 25, and June 1.&nbsp;Monday is also the day of the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections&nbsp;in the country.</p>

<p><strong>In the first phase of the assembly elections,&nbsp;243 nominees are in the fray for the 28 seats, and&nbsp;here's&nbsp;a look at the latest updates:</strong></p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;Odisha recorded over 65 per cent turnout in the phase 1 of the assembly polls.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;The top contenders in the first phase of the assembly elections&nbsp;were the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress.</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;Security had&nbsp;been tightened in the state&nbsp;given&nbsp;the assembly&nbsp;elections as well as the&nbsp;Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;Around 17,000 police personnel had&nbsp;been deployed&nbsp;in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-election-2024-phase-4-live-voting-updates-today-13-may-720691">Click here to follow all LIVE updates on the Lok Sabha elections</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;The top candidates in these assembly elections were Congress leader&nbsp;Saptagiri Ulaka - the sitting MP of&nbsp;Koraput seat;&nbsp;BJP's&nbsp;Balabhdra Maji and&nbsp;Pradeep Panigrahi, and&nbsp;the&nbsp;BJD's&nbsp; Bhrugu Baxipatra and&nbsp;Pradeep Majhi.</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;State ministers&nbsp;Jagannath Saraka and Rajendra Dholkia were also the top candidates in the assembly elections.</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong> On Monday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's candidate from&nbsp;Sambalpur, appealed to voters to exercise their franchise for change. "In the last 24 years, people have been fed up with the current govt due to their failure...We can clearly see that there is going to be a change in the government in Odisha," Pradhan said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;Voting for both the elections concluded at 6 pm. However,&nbsp;voting concluded earlier in remote and Maoist-hit areas.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Assembly Elections commence in Odisha today. I call upon the people of this state to cast their franchise in large numbers. Your vote is your voice—let it be heard loudly and clearly.</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1789833166317871367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>&gt;</strong> On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, "Assembly Elections commence in Odisha today. I call upon the people of this state to cast their franchise in large numbers. Your vote is your voice—let it be heard loudly and clearly."</p>

<p><strong>&gt;</strong>&nbsp;Last week, Prime Minister Modi said&nbsp;that the&nbsp;state will create history in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;clear that Odisha will create history in these elections!” Modi said in a post on X.</p>


The Indian state of Odisha held elections for 28 assembly seats in phase four. The assembly elections took place alongside the Lok Sabha elections in four seats in Odisha - Kalahandi, Nabarangpur (ST), Berhampur, and Koraput (ST).

The Indian state of Odisha held elections for 28 assembly seats in phase four. The assembly elections took place alongside the Lok Sabha elections in four seats in Odisha - Kalahandi, Nabarangpur (ST), Berhampur, and Koraput (ST). Voting for both the elections began at 7 am IST Monday (May 13) and went on till 6 pm. In total, Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha constituencies, and 147 assembly seats. The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha as well as the assembly elections was on Monday, and the remaining three phases (for both elections) will take place on May 20, May 25, and June 1. Monday is also the day of the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the country. In the first phase of the assembly elections, 243 nominees are in the fray for the 28 seats, and here's a look at the latest updates: > Odisha recorded over 65 per cent turnout in the phase 1 of the assembly polls. > The top contenders in the first phase of the assembly elections were the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress. > Security had been tightened in the state given the assembly elections as well as the Lok Sabha elections. Around 17,000 police personnel had been deployed in the state. Click here to follow all LIVE updates on the Lok Sabha elections > The top candidates in these assembly elections were Congress leader Saptagiri Ulaka - the sitting MP of Koraput seat; BJP's Balabhdra Maji and Pradeep Panigrahi, and the BJD's Bhrugu Baxipatra and Pradeep Majhi. > State ministers Jagannath Saraka and Rajendra Dholkia were also the top candidates in the assembly elections. > On Monday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's candidate from Sambalpur, appealed to voters to exercise their franchise for change. "In the last 24 years, people have been fed up with the current govt due to their failure...We can clearly see that there is going to be a change in the government in Odisha," Pradhan said. > Voting for both the elections concluded at 6 pm. However, voting concluded earlier in remote and Maoist-hit areas. Assembly Elections commence in Odisha today. I call upon the people of this state to cast their franchise in large numbers. Your vote is your voice—let it be heard loudly and clearly. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2024 × > On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, "Assembly Elections commence in Odisha today. I call upon the people of this state to cast their franchise in large numbers. Your vote is your voice—let it be heard loudly and clearly." > Last week, Prime Minister Modi said that the state will create history in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls. It’s clear that Odisha will create history in these elections!” Modi said in a post on X.

Odisha assembly polls 2024 Phase 4: Over 65% voter turnout recorded in state

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