LS polls Highlights: SP changes mind, now Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Kannauj

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

12:38 PM

Unfortunate that my statement on inheritance tax in the US is twisted by Godi media: Sam Pitroda

Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, today issued a clarification over his statement on inheritance tax, stating that his comments were twisted to deflect attention from core electoral issues. “It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted by Godi media to divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto. PM’s comments Mangal Sutra & gold snatching is simply unreal," Pitroda said in a post on X.

12:28 PM

Congress says it will impose inheritance tax: PM Modi

Amid a row over Sam Pitroda' comments, PM Modi claimed that the Congress wants to impose inheritance tax on citizens and snatch the rights of their children. PM Modi was addresing a rally in Ambikapur, Chattisgarh.

12:22 PM

Cong wants to snatch your assets and rights of your children: PM Modi amid row over wealth redistribution

11:52 AM

Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda's ‘wealth distribution’ remark, BJP hits out

Amid a row over Congress's "wealth redistribution" poll promise, Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda has advocated a US-like inheritance tax in India. However, Pitroda came criticism fire from the BJP even as the Congress distanced itself from his remarks. In an interview with news agency ANI, Pitroda defended Congress's poll promise, saying the policy of redistribution of wealth was in the interest of the people.

11:38 AM

Chandrasekhar writes to FM over unpaid dues to Kerala's govt employees

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote a letter to the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman over the issue of delayed pension and salary to the state government employees. "Any funds to be given to Kerala in the future should be released with a condition to the state Govt that all the dues to the employees, staff, and pensioners to be paid on time," wrote Chandrasekhar.

11:19 AM

No force can stop caste census: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Taking on the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today stated those who call themselves ‘deshbakt' are scared of the ‘X-ray' of caste census and asserted that no force can stop it. “As soon as our government is formed, the first thing that would be done is caste census,” Gandhi said.

10:49 AM

Repolling underway in four assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh

Amid enhanced security arrangements, re-polling at eight polling stations in four assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh is underway today,  an official said.

The repolling was necessitated following reports of violence, including damage to electronic voting machines (EVMs), during the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Arunachal on April 19, he said. The Election Commission ordered repolling to Sario under the Bameng assembly constituency in East Kameng district, Longte Loth in the Nyapin segment in Kurung Kumey, and Bogne and Molom booths under the Rumgong seat in Siang.

10:36 AM

BJP makes Tashi Gyalson Lok sabha polls candidate for Ladakh seat

 

The BJP on Tuesday announced Tashi Gyalson as its candidate from the Ladakh constituency replacing its current MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal from the Lok Sabha seat. Tashi Gyalson is a councillor from the Lingshed constituency and in 2020 was elected as chairman and chief executive councillor of the 6th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, (LAHDC), Leh. He was earlier a member of the PDP.

9:57 AM

Campaigning for 1st phase of LS polls in Karnataka ends today

Campaigning for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka for the first phase of General Elections on April 26 will come to an end today evening. A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the contention for this round of voting in most of the southern and coastal districts.

9:54 AM

My mother's mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country, says Priyanka Gandhi after PM's comments

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday rebutted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments about the Congress robbing people of their wealth to give to "infiltrators", questioning if such a thing has ever happened in the 50-year rule of the party. Speaking in Bengaluru, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that when it came to mangalsutras, her mother's was sacrificed for the country and her grandmother's gold was donated during the war.

9:51 AM

Re-polling in 8 Arunachal Pradesh stations for assembly polls today after violence

Re-polling is set to take place on Wednesday in Arunachal Pradesh, aftr incidents of violence marred the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections and state assembly elections on April 19. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had directed on Sunday that re-polling for the Assembly polls in eight stations would begin at 6 am and conclude at 2 pm.

9:08 AM

General Elections 2024 updates: NCP (SP) moves EC over poll symbol allocation in Baramati

The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) has recorded a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the symbol of a trumpet-like instrument given to an independent candidate contesting from its stronghold, Baramati, in Maharashtra's Pune district.