New Delhi, June 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Lok Sabha will witness the process of electing its Speaker on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, along with other NDA leaders, will propose to elect Om Birla for the post.

Senior leaders including Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Nitin Gadkari will support this proposal.

When the proceedings of the Lower House begin on Wednesday, the remaining newly elected MPs will be called to take oath.

Following this, PM Modi will propose the name of Om Birla as the new Lok Sabha Speaker in the House. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will support the proposal put forward by PM Modi.

Subsequently, JDU leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh will propose the name of Om Birla for Lok Sabha’s Speaker and RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan will support it.

Additionally, Hindustani Awam Morcha leader and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will also propose Om Birla's name for the Speaker's post, which will be supported by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

After this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will propose Om Birla's name in the House. This will be supported by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Further, more regional leaders are set to propose Om Birla's name in the House for the post of the Speaker and other NDA leaders will be in support of it.

At the same time, the Opposition has also prepared its strategy for the election of the Speaker. On behalf of the Opposition alliance, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction)'s Arvind Sawant will propose K. Suresh's name for the post of Speaker. This will be supported by RSP leader N. K. Premachandran.

SP MP Anand Bhadoria will also propose K. Suresh's name, which will be supported by Congress MP Tariq Anwar. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule, too, will also propose Suresh's name, which will be supported by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.

If the Opposition demands division of votes, then it is possible that this voting will be done through paper slips. However, given the numbers in the House, Om Birla is set to win the election easily as the NDA candidate.

Once the new Speaker is announced, as per tradition, the Leader of the House (Prime Minister) and the Leader of the Opposition will take the new Speaker to his seat, following which, leaders of all the parties in the House will put forth their views.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, June 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) The unpaid dearness allowance (DA), at par with the Central government employees, and the accrued arrears seem to have impacted the popularity of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress among the state government employees as is evident from the votes cast through postal ballots in the state.

Although the BJP won 12 Lok Sabha seats, they were ahead in 16, if figures of only postal ballots, where a large section of the voters are state government employees, are considered.

Another interesting phenomenon that has surfaced from the postal ballots, as per the data available with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), is that the BJP candidates were defeated in some constituencies where the postal ballots gave them substantial leads. Similarly, there were constituencies where Trinamool Congress candidates were defeated but were ahead as per postal ballot figures.

The BJP was ahead in postal ballots from Cooch Behar, Raiganj, Balurghat, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Maladaha-Uttar, and Maladaha-Dakshin in north Bengal and Ranaghat, Purulia, Murshidabad, Medinipur, Krishnanagar, Bangaon, Tamluk, and Baharampur in south Bengal, and Trinamool in the remaining 26 constituencies. There was no constituency where any Congress-Left Front alliance candidate was ahead in postal ballots.

Source: IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) With the ruling Left Democratic Front virtually wiped out in the Lok Sabha polls again the session of the Kerala Assembly, beginning on Monday, is expected to be stormy as the Congress-led opposition will train its guns on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on a host of issues.

Vijayan had led a state-wide bus ride along with his entire cabinet to kick-start the campaign but the results showed that he was unable to improve upon the 2019 tally of one seat, while the BJP also opened its account in the state for the first time.

What was even more damaging for Vijayan was the CPI-M's dismal performance in its strongholds of north Kerala like Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad. Popular CPI-M leader and former Health Minister K.K.Shailaja was beaten by young Congress legislator Shafi Parambil, while another sitting CPI-M lawmaker V. Joy suffered defeat - by less than 700 votes.

Sensing trouble in the upcoming Assembly session, veteran CPI-M leader and LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan on Thursday held that the verdict has nothing to do with the record of the Vijayan government and instead, people in Kerala voted for the Congress to stop the BJP.

However, the Congress-led opposition is getting ready with a list of the corrupt dealings of the Vijayan government which includes the bar scam, the ongoing probe against his daughter’s IT firm by the ED, the SFIO and the Income Tax departments, the K-Fon (Kerala Fibre-Optic Network) and AI cameras installation, in which a relative of Vijayan has got the contract.

Adding to Vijayan's woes is that various courts in the state are looking into these issues.

Moreover, CPI veteran C. Divakaran on Thursday fired the first salvo, complaining things are going worse for the ruling Left and demanding a change in leadership. Then, the third biggest party of the LDF - the Kerala Congress-M is upset as its party Chairman Jose K.Mani is unlikely to get a renomination to the Rajya Sabha as the CPI has staked claim to it.

Vijayan now appears to be on the back foot and with the Congress' aggressive attack, it remains to be seen how the Left allies will come to his support as he passes through one of his worst times.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) AIADMK ally DMDK's General Secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth on Thursday called for a recounting, under the supervision of a retired judge, in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency where her son and party candidate Vijaya Prabhakaran lost.

DMDK's Prabhakaran lost to his Congress rival and sitting MP, Manickam Tagore by a slender margin of 4,379 votes. While Tagore garnered 385,256 votes, Prabhakaran received 380,877 votes.

Addressing a press conference here, the DMDK leader alleged that her party candidate was made to lose the election deliberately and she had all the evidence to prove it.

"Vijaya Prabhakaran was defeated by a very close vote margin. Why did the District Collector stop the vote counting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.?"

She claimed that there were many irregularities after the 13th round of vote counting was completed and that the official announcement and reports from the constituency were contradictory. "Why were the postal ballot votes in Virudhunagar counted at midnight?" she asked, arguing that there had been a mistake in the vote counting.

She also questioned why Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced victory in all 40 constituencies (39 of Tamil Nadu and one of Puducherry) before the results of Virudhunagar were announced.

Premalatha Vijayakanth said that it was the right of a political party to demand recounting within 45 days of results being declared and she expected that the Election Commission would take a proper decision in this matter.

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Jana Sena leader and actor Pawan Kalyan received a grand welcome as he arrived at his elder brother, megastar Chiranjeevi's house here on Thursday after the emphatic victory of the party in Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.

Pawan Kalyan kneeled to touch Chiranjeevi's feet as other family members clapped. The megastar hugged him and garlanded him to congratulate him on the electoral victory.

The Jana Sena chief took the blessings of his mother Anjana Devi, other brother Naga Babu, and Chiranjeevi’s wife Surekha.

Earlier, petals were showered as soon as Pawan Kalyan reached Chiranjeevi’s house along with his wife Konidala Anna and son Akira.

Chiranjeevi’s son and popular actor Ram Charan moved forward to welcome his uncle and hug him. The women members of the family accorded a traditional welcome to Pawan Kalyan with ‘aarti’.

Pawan Kalyan cut a cake along with family members to celebrate the victory. ‘Dear Kalyan Babu Hats Off’ was written on the cake.

Pawan Kalyan, who was in Andhra Pradesh after the declaration of results, reached Hyderabad with his family to meet his mother, brothers and other family members.

All 21 candidates of the Jana Sena including Pawan Kalyan were elected to Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The party also won both the Lok Sabha seats it contested. Jana Sena contested the polls in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The TDP-led alliance made a clean sweep, winning 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly and 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Chiranjeevi had earlier congratulated Pawan Kalyan on the huge victory and called him a ‘Game changer’ and ‘Man of the match’. "My dear Kalyan babu, thrilled by the massive & fantastic mandate by the people of Andhra Pradesh. You truly are the Game Changer of this elections. You are the Man of The Match ! Your deep concern for the people of AP, your far sight, your heartfelt desire about the State’s development, your sacrifices, your political strategies have manifested in this terrific result. I am simply proud of you! Heartiest Congratulations!!!" he had posted on ‘X’.

"With your honesty, sincere efforts and able support, I am sure you will help put the state on the path of unprecedented growth and serve people exceptionally well Love & Blessings!" Chiranjeevi added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday submitted the names of the members elected to the 18th Lok Sabha to President Droupadi Murmu.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with the Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, met the President and submitted to her a copy of the notification issued by the ECI, in terms of Section 73 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, containing the names of the Members elected to the Lok Sabha following the general elections.

At the occasion, the President congratulated the CEC and the Election Commissioners on the successful completion of the electoral process.

"On behalf of the entire country, she appreciated the efforts of the Election Commission, its officials and members of staff, other public officials who were involved in management and superintendence of the campaign and polling, and police and security personnel, Central and State, for working tirelessly and diligently to uphold the sanctity of the people’s ballot and successfully completing a free and fair election," the President’s Secretariat said in a press communique.

In a related development, with the declaration of the results, the ECI lifted the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which was imposed on March 16. The provisions of MCC are enforced from the date of announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission and it remains in operation till the completion of the election process.

On Wednesday, the President dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha with immediate effect on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet. Its term was due to end on June 16.

Source: IANS

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Amaravati, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Congress' hopes of a revival in Andhra Pradesh were dashed as it drew a blank in the third successive election in the state, failing to win a single Assembly or Lok Sabha seat.

A decade after it was wiped out due to people’s anger over the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh, things have not changed for the party.

The Congress leadership had hoped that the party would recover to make its presence felt in a few constituencies and even open up its account.

However, the national party once again found itself totally rejected by the state's people. The Congress polled just 1.72 per cent votes in the Assembly polls and 2.66 per cent votes in the Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 elections, Congress had secured only 2.77 per cent votes. The vote share dropped further to 1.23 per cent in 2019.

In a state, where politics is dominated by regional players, the national parties have no significant presence.

Political analysts say the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could secure eight Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats mainly due to its alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP).

In 2019 when the BJP had contested alone, it had drawn a blank with a vote share of 0.84 per cent. This time, the TDP-led alliance scripted a landslide win to wrest power from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). The alliance, which also comprised the Jan Sena Party, bagged 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly and also won 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress’ hopes of a revival were based on the belief that the public anger may have dissipated. The party leadership had appointed Y.S. Sharmila President of the party’s state unit early this year with the hope that the daughter of former Chief Minister, the late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), could revive the party’s fortunes.

Sharmila, sister of outgoing Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, brought some enthusiasm into the party by leading a few protests on public issues. Claiming to be the real inheritor of YSR’s political legacy, she directly took on her brother by targeting him for ignoring her after becoming the Chief Minister in 2019. By entering the fray as Congress from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, a YSR family stronghold, she challenged her brother, who had once again given a ticket to their cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy. As Avinash Reddy was last year named as an accused by the CBI in the murder of former minister and their uncle Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, Sharmila slammed her brother for shielding the murder accused.

Supported by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Y.S. Sunitha Reddy, Sharmila appealed to people not to vote for Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party for allegedly promoting the politics of murder. Sharmila was expected to give a tough fight to Avinash Reddy but she finished a poor third. Avinash Reddy won the seat for a third consecutive time, with a majority of over 62,000 votes against his nearest rival C. Bhupesh Subbarami Reddy of the TDP.

Sharmila polled 1.41 lakh votes, the highest by any Congress candidate in these elections. In almost all constituencies, Congress candidates finished the distant third. Former Union Ministers M.M. Pallam Raju, J.D. Seelam, and Chinta Mohan all faced crushing defeats once again.

Source: IANS

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Shillong/Kohima/Aizawl, May 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Focusing on local and ethnic issues and the fight against corruption, two regional parties in northeast India, the Voice of the People Party (VOTPP) in Meghalaya and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) in Mizoram picked up their first-ever Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections.

Some other regional parties, who are allied with the BJP - the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in Sikkim - secured one Lok Sabha seat each.

While the AGP has won Lok Sabha seats several times earlier, the UPPL, with its base in Bodoland areas of western Assam, will have representation in the Parliament for the first time.

Five other regional parties -- All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland, the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, the National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya, and the Naga People's Front (NPF) in Manipur - were not so lucky this time around. All won a seat each in the 2019 elections but lost now.

In Meghalaya, the little-known VOTPP candidate Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon managed to snatch the Shillong parliamentary seat, defeating state Congress President and former Union Minister Vincent H. Pala, who has been winning the seat since 2009, by a margin of over 3.7 lakh votes.

The VOTPP was formed in December 2021 and won four seats in the February 2023 Assembly elections. The party contested 18 seats and got 5.36 per cent votes, but in the Lok Sabha elections, its vote percentage increased to 33.40 per cent. Syngkon, who is a PhD in Economics, secured 5,71,078 votes while Pala got 1,99,168.

Political analysts contend that the alliance between the NPP and BJP in the Christian-dominated Meghalaya was not accepted wholeheartedly by the people and this also helped the VOTPP to secure a record number of votes.

Meanwhile, in another shock, sitting MP and former Union Minister Agatha K. Sangma lost in the Sangma family’s "carefully nurtured" Tura seat in Garo Hills to Congress candidate Saleng A. Sangma, who won by a huge margin of 1.55 lakh votes.

Founded by former Union Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker and Chief Minister P. A.Sangma, the NPP, led now by his son, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, with 26 MLAs, dominates the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government and also has legislators in Arunachal Pradesh (5), Manipur (7) and Nagaland (5), would remain unrepresented in the Lok Sabha after several decades.

In Mizoram, the ruling ZPM's candidate Richard Vanlalhmangaiha won the state's sole Lok Sabha seat, defeating MNF candidate K. Vanlalvena by over 68,000 votes. Headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, the ZPM, which was constituted in 2018, came to power in the November 2023 Assembly polls, crushing the MNF.

In Nagaland, in a significant political development, Congress candidate S. Supongmeren Jamir wrested the state's sole Lok Sabha seat from the ruling NDPP, which leads the eight-party Peoples’ Democratic Alliance (PDA) government in the opposition-less state. The Congress does not have any members in the current Assembly nor in the previous one.

In Manipur, the Congress wrested both Lok Sabha seats from the ruling BJP and its ally NPF, which has an organisational base in Manipur and Nagaland and five and two MLAs, respectively, in the states.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) At a time when it is believed that the Muslim electorate in West Bengal voted largely in favour of the Trinamool Congress in all the 29 Lok Sabha seats the party won in the state, there are two seats where the dent made by the Congress-Left Front alliance in the Muslim the vote bank might have sealed the BJP’s victory.

In both the constituencies -- Maldaha Uttar in Malda district and Raiganj in North Dinajpur district -- the Muslims constitute a substantial percentage of the voting population.

In Raiganj, BJP’s Kartick Chandra Paul bagged 5,60,897 votes against the 4,92,700 votes managed by Trinamool's Krishna Kalyani.

However, Paul’s modest winning margin of 68,187 votes was facilitated to a great extent by the Left Front-supported Congress candidate Ali Imran Ramz a.k.a. Victor, who secured 2,63,272 votes.

Similarly, in Maldaha Uttar, BJP’s winning candidate Khagen Murmu secured 5,27,023 votes to defeat Trinamool's Prasun Banerjee, who got 4,49,315 votes. However, Murmu’s winning margin of 77,708 votes was facilitated by the Left Front-supported Congress candidate Mostaque Alam, who secured 3,84,764 votes.

On Tuesday evening, after the trends showed the Trinamool winning big in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told a section of the media that her party could have won a few more seats had the Congress and the CPI-M not extended clandestine support to support to the BJP.

Although the Chief Minister did not name any particular constituency, the results in Raiganj and Maldaha Uttar make it clear as to which seats she hinted at.

Source: IANS

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Belagavi (Karnataka), June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) In the wake of the failure of Karnataka's ruling Congress to reach double digits in Lok Sabha seats from the state, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Wednesday blamed the "overconfidence" of the party leadership for the reduced count.

Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, he indirectly pointed fingers at Deputy CM and state President D.K. Shivakumar, saying that had it not been for this overconfidence, the party would have secured more seats. The Congress won 9 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the leaders were expecting 15 to 20 seats.

“This kind of result is expected when the ‘director’ and ‘producer’ fail in their attempt. There is less time for the preparation of the election. One needs to be alert during that specific period. If not, the phase of the election is over. We need to work during that specific time,” Jarkiholi, who is considered a close associate of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said.

"The decision of our leaders to neglect many Lok Sabha segments is also a reason for getting fewer seats. The overconfidence in winning in some segments prevented the expected campaigning. Due to our negligence, the Congress was defeated by thin margins in many seats," he added.

Jarkiholi's daughter, Priyanka Jarkiholi, registered a thumping victory against senior BJP leader Annasaheb Jolle in the Chikkodi Parliamentary constituency.

One of the prominent mass leaders of oppressed classes in the state, Jarkiholi has advocated the creation of more Deputy CM posts in the state to check the influence of Shivakumar. He has also voiced his support for a Dalit CM candidate in case the decision is made to change CM Siddaramaiah.

He is also said to be upset with the prominence given to Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, a close associate of Shivakumar.

Both Hebbalkar and Jarkiholi hail from the Belagavi district. Hebbalkar's son, Mrinal Hebbalkar, lost to former CM Jagadish Shettar in the Belagavi seat.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi/Bengaluru, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) JD-S' Karnataka President H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said that his party will not place any specific demands before the BJP for the formation of the next NDA government.

"Giving (JD-S) representation in the Union Cabinet has been left to the discretion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he told reporters in New Delhi.

"We don’t have specific demands. However, the state has been facing various issues over the years. An attempt will be made to find solutions to them from the Centre. In the coming days, PM Modi will decide on the representation from Karnataka."

Kumaraswamy, who was elected from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, was responding to media queries about NDA members already demanding various posts, including that of Lok Sabha Speaker, from the BJP.

On the agenda of the NDA meeting, he noted that such meetings are generally held by a party that secures a majority in elections for strategising and planning the formation of an alliance government. "In my opinion, the decision will be made in the meeting to form the NDA government at the Centre under the leadership of PM Modi," he said.

The JD-S has won two seats in Karnataka and helped the BJP to win several seats.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru before leaving for New Delhi, the former Chief Minister asserted that the leaders of the INDIA bloc won't succeed in their efforts to form the government at the Centre, and the NDA, led by the BJP, will form the government.

"I am leaving for New Delhi to attend the meeting scheduled in the evening. There is no cause for being concerned with the results at the national level and everything will be fine," Kumaraswamy has said.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Amit Shah dialled Kumaraswamy on Tuesday and invited him to the NDA meeting.

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday claimed that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) transferred its votes to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections which helped the latter to double its tally of seats to eight in the southern state.

Addressing a press conference, he slammed the BRS leadership for 'selling their soul' to ensure BJP's victory.

He alleged that BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao mortgaged the self-respect of BRS legislators with the BJP to protect the interests of his family

He said the BRS forfeited deposits in seven out of eight seats won by the BJP. He also mentioned that for the first time since the formation of BRS, the party has no representation in the Parliament.

The Telangana Chief Minister pointed out that the BRS had polled 37.5 per cent votes in Assembly elections held in November 2023 but in Lok Sabha polls its vote share dropped to 16.5 per cent.

BJP had polled only 13 per cent votes in Assembly polls but its vote share has gone up to 35.5 per cent in Lok Sabha elections, he said.

He also claimed BRS secured a majority in only three out of 119 Assembly segments. In the Siddipet segment, where the BRS had been securing a majority of 30,000 to 1.5 lakh votes since the party's formation, the BRS got a majority of only 2,500 votes.

Revanth Reddy alleged that BRS legislator from Siddipet, T. Harish Rao completely transferred his votes to the BJP. He said by transferring the votes to BJP’s Raghunandan Rao, the BRS helped in defeating Congress candidate belonging to a weaker section.

The Chief Minister remarked that if Harish Rao wants to damage Congress by becoming a suicide squad, he should know that he would also disappear.

Revanth Reddy said Telangana's society and all democratic and secular forces should take note of how BRS helped BJP win the elections.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of Congress party in Lok Sabha elections. The party increased its tally from three to eight.

Stating that the Lok Sabha elections were a referendum on Congress governance in the state, he claimed that people endorsed the government as reflected by increase in both seats and vote share.

He recalled that in Assembly elections, the Congress party had secured 39.5 per cent votes and the party’s vote share in Lok Sabha polls increased to 41 per cent.

Claiming that people are happy with the Congress governance, he said they gave another Assembly seat to the party. The victory in by-election to Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly seat increased the Congress' tally to 65 in the Assembly.

He said that people have taught a lesson to BRS for making allegations against the Congress within 100 days of its governance and for hatching conspiracies against the government.

Revanth Reddy pointed out that BJP contested Lok Sabha elections in the country with the slogan of 'Modi guarantee' but its number of Lok Sabha seats came down from 303 to 243.

"People have rejected the Modi guarantee. The warranty of Modi guarantee is over," he said.

Revanth Reddy also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should resign from the PM post, adding "he should not become the Prime Minister again as people have rejected him".

The Congress leader said that PM Modi should gracefully quit the post.

Replying to a query, Revanth Reddy admitted that the results of Lok Sabha polls in the state were not fully to their expectation.

"So far, we worked for 18 hours every day. From now on, we will work for another two hours," he said.

The Chief Minister said that he owns responsibility for both the party's defeats and victories. He termed the results a mix of sweet and sour like 'Ugadi Pacchadi'.

On Telugu Desam Party's victory in Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Revanth Reddy said that Telangana wants good friendly ties with whoever forms the government so that both the states can solve their problems amicably.

Asked whether he would attend the swearing-in of N. Chandrababu Naidu as the chief minister, he said if invited he would definitely attend.

He, however, evaded reply on whether he would speak to Chandrababu Naidu to make him join the INDIA bloc, saying these matters are being handled by the leaders of the Congress-led alliance.

Revanth Reddy, however, referred to the assurance by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the party is committed to according Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh as laid down in the legislation passed by the Parliament.

Source: IANS

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Gurugram, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress candidate Raj Babbar failed to win the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat but managed to give the BJP's winning candidate Rao Inderjit Singh a tough fight.

Despite being a debutant in Haryana politics actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar managed to get 7,33,257 votes while Rao Inderjit Singh secured 8,08,336 votes.

Raj Babbar while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday thanked the people of the constituency.

"First of all, I would to thank the voters of the constituency and over 7 lakh families who have faith in me and cast their votes for Congress. The people want their basic issues to be addressed and their representatives to be more available and attentive. I will remain in the constituency and will make all possible efforts to address people's demands,” said Babbar.

A five-time MP himself, Raj Babbar had been criticised by the BJP as an outsider but he managed to strike a chord with the Ahir dominated belt during the short campaign of around 20 days.

Babbar led in the meo Muslim-dominated Nuh district by over 2.5 lakh votes. He got 1,08,645 votes in Punhana, followed by 1,23,568 in Firozpur Jhirka and Nuh, 98,070.

Babbar shocked the BJP in the Sohna Assembly segment, which is the BJP’s stronghold and constituency of state minister Sanjay Singh which gave a meagre lead of 5,000 to Rao Inderjit.

However, Rao Inderjit Singh led in all the nine Assembly segments while three Assembly segments in Nuh district rejected the BJP yet again.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing the press, lauded the victory of NDA in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Making a statement about the unexpected numbers, CM Sarma said: “We got 240 seats and our nearest rival (Congress) has got just 98 seats, so this is a unique achievement. We must celebrate the victory.”

Explaining why this has been a historical election, he said: “No Prime Minister has got a mandate for the third consecutive time. NDA has absolute majority, there is no crisis.”

He commented: “I'm sure PM Modi will break the record of Nehru as the longest-serving Prime Minister.”

Speaking about how the poll process unfolded in the northeastern states, referring to Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland, he said: “A religion in particular went against our government (NDA) and that religion has tremendous followers in those states. No one can fight with a religion, it’s political. Usually, they don’t interfere in politics, but this time they did.”

However, given the results in his own state, the Chief Minister said: “I am very amazed that with 40 per cent Muslim votes in Assam, I could give 11 seats to my party.”

He went on to add that no Assam leadership has been targetted by national leadership so far. “So my national profile has gone up during this election,” he remarked

Source: IANS

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Bhubaneswar, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has suffered the first poll defeat since its formation after splitting away from the erstwhile Janata Dal in 1997. The party remained invincible for over two decades after coming to power riding on the popularity of Biju Patnaik in the 2000 Assembly elections.

The party’s popularity can be gauged from the fact that BJD’s vote share in this election was 40.22 per cent which is higher than the vote share of BJP which stood at 40.07 per cent.

BJD President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ruled the state for 24 years earning the honour of the second longest-serving Chief Minister in India. However, the party’s former alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has put a break to its winning streak with a thumping win in the 2024 Assembly elections.

A strong anti-incumbency against the BJD is the most important factor behind the party’s poll debacle.

As per the political observers, among other major factors that led to the defeat of the ruling BJD in the state include an aggressive campaign by the BJP over Odia Asmita (Odia self-identity), Non-Odia successor to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a reference to Tamil Nadu-born BJD leader V.K. Pandian and the health condition of 77-year-old Patnaik.

After the alliance talks failed to materialise, the BJP immediately resorted to an aggressive campaign with the party heavyweights from across the country making a beeline to the state. The campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who launched scathing attacks on the BJD government on various issues.

The BJP attacked Patnaik’s close aide Pandian by accusing him of using Patnaik in the poll campaign despite his poor health conditions.

The party accused Pandian of ruling the state as a proxy by holding a frail CM Patnaik hostage.

Tamil Nadu-born Pandian was at the centre of an aggressive poll campaign by the BJP.

It also raised the issue that Pandian, a former bureaucrat, would take over the reins of the party as well as the government after winning elections in 2024, which is a threat to the self-identity and pride of Odisha.

The BJP put all its efforts into convincing the voters about an impending threat to Odia culture, language, literature, and Odia Asmita following the takeover of BJD's leadership by Pandian post-BJD victory in the 2024 elections.

The poll results suggest that the BJP has succeeded in convincing the voters regarding the probable takeover of the government in Odisha by non-Odia Pandian and the alleged threat to Odia Asmita.

The BJP also raised other issues such as the "mismanagement" in Shree Jagannath Temple -- the "missing keys" of Ratna Bhandar (treasure of the 12th-century shrine), and migration of labourers to other states played a major role in the defeat of an "invincible" BJD.

Another factor that led to BJD's defeat was the failure on the part of the party to create a strong and able second-rung of leadership.

Source: IANS

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Patna, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The NDA has won 30 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar while the INDIA bloc got nine seats and Congress' Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav secured the Purnea seat as an Independent candidate.

NDA partners BJP and JD-U got 12 seats each, Chirag Paswan-led LJP-Ram Vilas (LJPRV) won five, and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) got one seat. Similarly, INDIA bloc allies RJD won four seats, Congress (3), and CPI-ML (2). Independent (Pappu Yadav) won one seat.

Chirag Paswan and his brother-in-law Arun Bharti defeated RJD candidates Shiv Chandra Ram and Archana Ravidas from Hajipur and Jamui respectively.

Two members of Lalu Prasad's family contested elections from Patliputra and Saran Lok Sabha constituencies. The former Bihar Chief Minister's eldest daughter Misa Bharti contested from Patliputra and managed to defeat BJP's Ram Kripal Yadav in the third attempt -- she lost against him in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, Lalu Prasad's second daughter Rohini Acharya was defeated by sitting BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Saran by a narrow margin of 13,661 votes. This was Rudy's third consecutive victory from Saran.

Purnea saw a triangular contest between Pappu Yadav, RJD's Bima Bharti and JD-U's Santosh Kushwaha.

Pappu Yadav, who recently merged his party (JAP) in Congress, contested as an Independent candidate as he was adamant to contest from Purnea but the constituency went to the RJD's kitty following the seat-sharing agreement between INDIA bloc partners. Pappu Yadav won the election with a margin of 23,847 votes over JD-U's Kushwaha. Bharti came on third.

Karakat was another seat which saw a triangular contest. In karakat, However, Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh lost to CPI-ML candidate Rajaram Singh Kushwaha by a margin of 1,05,858 votes. Upendra Kushwaha who was contesting as an NDA candidate, secured the third position.

Source: IANS

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Bhopal, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BJP's clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday would give a sense of relief to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as well as strengthen his position among several high-profile politicians in the state.

It is more because Yadav has replaced an established politician and four-time former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. His governance will be judged later as his government is at an early stage right now, but in a short period of time, he earned what his predecessor Chouhan could not do.

BJP won Chhindwara, the last bastion of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Although it was the second victory of the right-wing in Chhindwara, the BJP cherished a first-ever victory on its own.

Last time, Jan Sangh leader Sunderlal Patwa, who later became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, had won Chhindwara Lok Sabha in 1997.

Chhindwara has been a Congress stronghold since the first general election held in 1951. Congress leaders like Raichand Bhai Shah, Bhikulal Chandak and Gargi Shankar Mishra represented Chhindwara between 1951 and 1977.

Kamal Nath, who was close to the Nehru-Gandhi family, was sent to Chhindwara, from where he won nine elections. Kamal Nath vacated the seat in 2018 for his son Nakul Nath, who won Chhindwara despite a massive wave in favour of Primer Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP, which was struggling to find even a suitable candidate against Kamal Nath or his family members in Chhindwara, tested Vivek Banti Sahu, who succeeded in crushing the Congress in its bastion.

Sahu had earlier contested two Assembly elections on BJP's symbol against Kamal Nath in 2019 (bypoll) and 2023, but lost.

Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was cluster in-charge of Chhindwara, has broken several trusted allies of Kamal Nath, including the most trusted - Deepak Saxena, which probably paved the way for Sahu's victory.

Soon after the results were out, state BJP President V.D. Sharma and CM Mohan Yadav celebrated the victory by offering sweets to each other at party headquarters in Bhopal. Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former state BJP chief Prabhat Jha also joined them later.

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Six months after capturing power in Telangana, the Congress faces a new challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it doubled its Lok Sabha tally in the state to eight.

Building on its impressive performance in the recent Assembly elections, the BJP made big inroads to win eight out of 17 Lok Sabha seats, almost reaching its target of 10 seats.

The BJP candidates also finished runner-up in six other constituencies.

This is the BJP’s best-ever performance in Telangana, which is seen as the party’s second gateway to south India after Karnataka.

The Congress, which was hoping to win 10-12 seats, could win only eight seats. The state ruling party suffered defeat in not only Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s home district Mahabubnagar but also lost Malkajgiri, from where Revanth Reddy was elected Lok Sabha in the previous elections.

The BJP, which won four seats in 2019 with a vote share of 19.5 per cent, has improved its vote share to 35.08 per cent.

This is a huge gain for the BJP, which got 13.90 per cent votes in the November 2023 Assembly elections and won eight seats in the 119-member Assembly.

With the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) virtually wiped out in these elections, the BJP is likely to become more aggressive as the opposition party in taking on the ruling Congress.

Both the BJP and Congress gained at the cost of BRS which drew a blank. This is the worst-ever performance for the BRS since the party’s inception in 2001.

The BRS was hoping to salvage some pride after losing power to the Congress.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) retained the Hyderabad seat as its president Asaduddin Owaisi recorded his fifth consecutive victory.

The BJP, which had won four seats in 2019, not only retained them but also wrested four seats from BRS and Congress.

Expanding its presence, the BJP bagged Malkajgiri and Chevella seats, both adjoining Hyderabad, for the first time. It also clinched victories in Medak and Mahabubnagar, which it had won in the past.

Union Minister and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy retained Secunderabad by a margin of 49,944 votes over his nearest rival Danam Nagender of the Congress.

Nagender was elected to the Assembly as a BRS candidate in recent elections but defected to Congress and secured the party ticket.

BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar retained Karimnagar by a margin of 2,25,209 votes against his nearest rival V. Rajender Rao.

The BJP also retained the Nizamabad seat, where the sitting MP D. Arvind defeated Congress' T. Jeevan Reddy by 1.09 lakh votes.

The BJP also retained Adilabad, where its candidate Godam Ganesh secured the victory by a margin of 90,652 votes against Athram Suguna of the Congress.

Former minister Eatala Rajender, who was defeated in recent Assembly elections, won the Malkajgiri seat for BJP, defeating P. Suneetha Mahender Reddy by a huge margin of over 3.91 lakh votes.

Another key BJP leader M. Raghunandan Rao, who too had suffered defeat in Assembly elections, won the Medak seat. He defeated Congress' Neelam Madhu by a margin of 39,139 votes. The BRS lost the seat for the first time after 2004.

This is also a huge blow for BRS as Medak is the home district of party chief and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who represents the Gajwel Assembly segment under the Medak constituency. The BRS had won six out of seven Assembly segments under this parliamentary constituency.

Konda Vishweshwar Reddy of the BJP bagged the Chevella seat by a margin of over 1.72 lakh votes. G. Ranjith Reddy of the Congress finished runner-up. In 2019, Ranjith Reddy was elected as BRS candidate but he switched loyalties to Congress after he was denied re-nomination.

BJP’s national vice-president D. K. Aruna won Mahabubnagar by a margin of over 4,000 votes against Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy of Congress. This is also a big setback for Congress as Mahabubnagar is the home district of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The Congress, which bagged three Lok Sabha seats in 2019 with a 30.2 per cent vote share, also increased its vote share to 40.10 per cent.

In Assembly elections held in November 2023, the Congress party won 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly, with a 39.40 per cent vote share.

The BRS, which had won 39 seats with 37.35 per cent vote share, suffered a massive loss as the vote share plummeted to 16.68 per cent.

The Congress retained Nalgonda and Bhongir seats and wrested Peddpalle, Nagarkurnool, Warangal, Khammam, Zahirabad and Mahbubabad seats from BRS.

In Nalgonda, Kunduru Raghuveer defeated his nearest rival S. Saidi Reddy of BJP by 5,59,905 votes, one of the highest victory margins in the country.

Raghuveer, son of senior Congress leader K. Jana Reddy, polled 7,84,337 votes while Sadidi Reddy secured 2,24,432 votes.

Kadiyam Kavya, who had defected to Congress after being fielded by the BRS from Warangal constituency, won the seat by a margin of over 2.20 lakh votes.

Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy of Congress won the Khammam seat by a huge margin of over 4.67 lakh votes.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BJP, which won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan in 2019, suffered a major setback as it could win only 14 seats in the state this time, losing 11 to the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Bhupendra Yadav and Arjun Ram Meghwal won from their respective seats while Kailash Chaudhary lost from Barmer.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot lost from Jalore.

In Churu, where sitting BJP MP Rahul Kaswan switched to the Congress after being denied the ticket, defeated Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia fielded by the BJP. Kaswan won the Churu seat by around 72,737 votes.

Speaking to the media, Kaswan said, "I want to thank the people of Churu for making me win. Congress worked unitedly to win this seat."

He also attacked BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, a seven-time MLA from Churu, and said, "People gave a befitting reply to those who themselves confuse voters as they don't have any developmental issue. Earlier, people gave a befitting reply in Tara Nagar too."

Rathore was fielded from Tara Nagar in the Assembly elections, where he faced defeat. Rathore blamed Kaswan for the defeat and later, Kaswan was denied the party ticket.

Sources said that because of the development, the Jats went against the BJP. The Churu effect extended to Haryana too where Jats boycotted the BJP.

In Barmer also, Jats voted for the Congress' Ummeda Ram Beniwal, who defeated independent candidate Ravindra Bhati. Union Minister Kailash Chaudhary ranked third in Barmer.

The Congress made a clean sweep in Rajasthan's Shekhawati belt, which has a significant presence of Jat voters, they said.

In Kota, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla won although his margin was reduced. He was fielded against Prahlad Gunjal, an ex-BJP leader who joined Congress after being denied the ticket.

In Dausa, Congress MLA Murari Lal Meena defeated BJP’s Jagmohan Meena. Murari Lal said that it is after 15 years that Congress has won this seat.

Congress sources said that the Dausa seat was a game changer as it equally influenced nearby seats including Bharatpur, Karauli Dholpur and Tonk Sawai Madhopur, which has a significant number of Meena and Gurjar votes. This time, both Meenas and Gurjars voted for the Congress, they said.

Further, the BJP lost three seats to INDIA bloc candidates. These were Nagaur, Sikar and Banswara. In Nagaur, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party's Hanuman Beniwal defeated BJP's Jyoti Mirdha. Similarly, CPI-M's Amraram won in Sikar and in Banswara, Congress-supported BAP candidate Rajkumar Roat defeated BJP's Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, a rebel Congress MLA.

Rajsamand BJP candidate Mahima Kumari Mewar won with the highest margin of 3,92,223 votes. She scored 7,81,203 votes. Mahima is the wife of Udaipur MLA Vishwaraj Singh Mewar. She defeated Congress' Damodar Gurjar.

Dhushyant Singh, son of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, secured the second-highest victory margin of 3,70,989 votes. He got 8,65,376 votes.

Bhilwara BJP candidate Damodar Agarwal scored 807640 votes and won with a margin of 354606 votes.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal won with a margin of 55,711 votes from the Bikaner seat; BJP's Manju Sharma won the Jaipur seat with a margin of 3,31,767 votes; Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav won with a margin of 48,282 votes from Alwar; Bhagirath Chaudhary won with a margin of 3,29,991 votes from Ajmer; P.P. Chaudhary won from Pali with a margin of 2,45,351 votes; Lumbaram won with 2,01,542 votes from Jalore defeating Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot; and Manna Lal Rawat won from Udaipur with a margin of 2,61,608.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari congratulated all the newly elected MPs.

She said, "Many congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party who won the Lok Sabha elections. On this occasion, I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the hard-working workers of the party and the God-like people."

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the "good performance" of the Congress and INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections indicated that the people of the nation have accepted party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing media persons here, he also said that it is uncertain who will form the government at the Centre.

On the Congress performance in the state, Siddaramaiah said: "We have not been able to win seats in the state as per our expectations. We were expecting 15-20 seats. However, in 2019, we won only one constituency. This time, we have risen to 9. We have got 45.34 per cent vote share and the BJP got 46.04 per cent. In 2019, the BJP got 51.38 per cent votes. We got only 31.88 per cent votes. Compared to 2019, our vote share has increased. BJP's vote share has dropped by 5 per cent."

"Even after aligning with the JD-S, their vote share has decreased. The JD-S also got less than in 2019. However, we did not win as many seats as expected. Congress vote share has increased at the national level. The BJP, which was in office at the Centre, has won fewer seats than Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi did in 2014 and 2019. BJP did not get a majority, even in the name of Prime Minister Modi... no party has got a majority," he added.

He contended that "due to this defeat, Prime Minister Modi has no moral right to become the Prime Minister again".

Congratulating Rahul Gandhi, the CM said his two yatras had yielded results.

"The people of the country have accepted Congress and Rahul Gandhi to a very large extent. In both the constituencies, Rahul Gandhi won with a huge margin."

Source: IANS

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New York, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian Overseas Congress-USA (IOC-USA) on Tuesday called the parliamentary election results "a resounding endorsement of the current constitutional framework, envisioned and implemented by (Jawaharlal) Nehru and (B.R.) Ambedkar".

"We are all once again reminded that democracy is not a majoritarian rule but respects diversity and facilitates equal justice regardless of caste, creed, language, religion, or region," the organisation's Vice Chairman, George Abraham, said in a statement.

Referring to the role of the group's members, he said: "We express our special gratitude to all those IOC volunteers from across the globe who participated in the electoral process to save democracy back in their motherland."

The National Democratic Alliance coalition won 294 seats, assuring it a majority for a third term in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

But the Congress party had more than doubled its strength from the 46 it had won in the last election, with the INDIA bloc winning a total of 231 seats as of Tuesday night.

"We at the Overseas Congress salute the INDIA coalition and its leaders, especially AICC (All India Congress Committee) President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi, for their tireless efforts in getting the message to the people, which elicited the current response through the ballot boxes," Abraham said.

He added: "If Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah persist in governing India through their makeshift coalition, it is imperative for them to uphold the Constitution."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

Source: IANS

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Chennai, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S. Ramadoss on Tuesday said that the party accepted its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu but termed it "sad".

The PMK is a constituent of the NDA.

Ramadoss said that the PMK had presented several plans and programmes before the voters but failed to evoke a response from the public and accepted its defeat.

"In a democracy, people are the ultimate masters. We bow down and accept their verdict in the Lok Sabha elections. Our party will continue to work to win their support and trust. The primary duty of the PMK is to fight for the rights of the people, regardless of an election victory or defeat. The same situation will continue," he said in a statement.

He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and those who supported him in the process of winning the Lok Sabha elections and leading the National Democratic Alliance to victory for a third time.

The PMK had contested 10 seats in Tamil Nadu.

His daughter-in-law Sowmiya Anbumani had contested from the Dharmapuri Lok Sabha constituency but lost by 21,300 votes to A. Mani of the DMK. She was the only candidate who fought till the last round in this election against the DMK-led alliance, which swept the polls in the state.

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ruling Congress in Telangana has wrested the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly seat from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the by-election, which was held along with Lok Sabha polls last month.

Sriganesh of the Congress defeated his nearest rival, T.N. Vamsha Tilak of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 13,206 votes.

Sriganesh polled 53,651 votes, while Tilak secured 40,445 votes. Nivedita Sayanna of BRS finished third, polling 34,462 votes.

The death of Nivedita's sister and sitting MLA Nanditha's death in a road accident in February had resulted in the vacancy.

Nanditha died in a car crash near Hyderabad on February 23.

The 37-year-old was elected in the elections held in November, 2023. She was the daughter of BRS leader five-time MLA from Secunderabad constituency, G. Sayanna, who had passed away on February 19 last year due to illness.

Nanditha had defeated her nearest rival Narayanan Sriganesh of BJP by a margin of 17,169 votes.

Sriganesh recently joined the ruling Congress and secured the ticket.

The by-election was crucial for the Congress which has a slender majority in the state Assembly and was looking to make inroads into Hyderabad as it drew a blank in the state capital in the Assembly polls.

The Congress won 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly in 2023 polls. However, it drew a blank in Greater Hyderabad region, which sends 24 MLAs.

BRS, which won 39 seats, has lost at least three MLAs to the ruling party.

The defeat in the by-election came as another shock for BRS, which drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls.

Source: IANS

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Amaravati, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Five years after he lost both the Assembly seats he contested, Jana Sena chief and popular actor Pawan Kalyan has finally made it to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

He won the Pithapuram seat in the Kakinada district by defeating seasoned politician Vanga Geetha of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) by a margin of 70,279 votes. Pawan Kalyan polled 1,34,394 votes while Vanga Geetha, a former MP from Kakinada, secured 64,115 votes.

The actor-politician has not only scored his maiden electoral victory but his party has emerged as a formidable force by winning all the 21 Assembly seats and both Lok Sabha seats it contested.

After a decade-long wait, Pawan Kalyan and his party made big electoral gains.

With 21 seats, it emerged as the second largest party in the 175-member Assembly, pushing behind the YSRCP, which was reduced to just 11 seats. It was a big moment for Pawan Kalyan, who had taken the initiative to align with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and later convinced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to join them in taking on Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP.

The tripartite alliance made a clean sweep by winning 164 Assembly seats. It also bagged 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.

The victory of Pawan Kalyan, the younger brother of megastar Chiranjeevi, brought huge cheers for the family. Chiranjeevi, who had a disastrous political stint, Pawan Kalyan’s other actor brother Naga Babu, Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan, nephew Allu Arjun and other family members congratulated Pawan Kalyan.

Pawan Kalyan’s wife Konidala Anna (formerly known as Anna Lezhneva) and son were seen celebrating the victory with him.

Power star, as Pawan Kalyan is popularly known, had been campaigning in Pithapuram for more than one-and-a-half months, conducting road shows. His nephew and actor Varun Tej also joined the high-octane campaign by holding a road show.

In a boost to Pawan Kalyan’s campaign, his elder brother Chiranjeevi had appealed to Pithapuram voters to elect Jana Sena leader.

In a video message, Chiranjeevi said that Pawan Kayan entered films under compulsion but willingly entered into politics.

Two days before polling, Ram Charan, his mother Surekha and uncle Allu Arjun also reached Pithapuram to show their support.

Pawan Kalyan recently bought a home in Pithapuram and announced that he would actually reside in the town to be close to the people and work for their development.

After launching the Jana Sena Party in March 2014, the actor supported the BJP-led NDA in the elections held the same year. Angry with the Congress for bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, he campaigned for the TDP-BJP combine and shared the dais with then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.

However, later he distanced himself from both the BJP and the TDP for going back on the promise to accord special category status.

He had a disastrous electoral debut in 2019, losing both the Assembly seats he contested. He had contested from Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram from Visakhapatnam and West Godavari districts respectively but lost in both to the YSR Congress candidates.

In 2019, Pawan Kalyan had an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Left parties. However, the Jana Sena could win just one seat in the 175-member Assembly and drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls.

Often criticised by his opponents for being a part-time politician, Pawan Kalyan took his own time to position himself in state politics. After coming under criticism from a section of his own party leaders for agreeing to only 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats this time, he had appealed to supporters and party cadres to give him five years, saying he would be in politics for a long time.

Unlike his more popular elder brother Chiranjeevi who wound up his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) within a couple of years of its launch, Pawan Kalyan is determined to carry on his fight to achieve his goal of new age politics. Aware of his strengths and weaknesses, the 52-year-old was cautious not to repeat his past mistakes and this is the reason he did not bargain hard for seats. He agreed to bring down the number of seats to a realistic level to ensure that the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance materialises to avoid a split of anti-YSRCP votes.

Analysts say Pawan Kalyan displayed maturity in seat-sharing talks to make sure that the alliance takes shape. Seen as a youth icon, he crafted the image of a fighter and he is seen as a crowd-puller. In tune with his screen image of an angry young man, he displayed aggression during the showdown with the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YRSCP government on a few occasions while taking up people’s issues.

Source: IANS

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Panaji, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for South Goa Lok Sabha seat, Pallavi Dempo -- an industralist -- has lost to Congress nominee Capt. Viriato Fernandes.

Viriato Fernandes got 2,17,836, while Pallavi Dempo bagged 2,04,301 votes.

Revolutionary Goans Party candidate Rubert Pereira got18,885 votes.

Speaking to mediapersons, Viriato Fernandes said that this victory belongs to the people of Goa who campaigned for him.

"People have taught a lesson to the BJP that is trying to suppress voices and attack our Constitution,” Fernandes said.

Except senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, no other national leader of the party had campaigned in South Goa.

However, BJP had campaigned vigorously by arranging meetings of national leaders at several places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also addressed a massive gathering in South Goa.

Source: IANS

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Imphal/Kohima, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) In line with the rest of the country, the Congress put up an improved performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the eight northeastern states, which are now dominated by the BJP and its allies.

The grand old party wrested two seats in Manipur, and one seat each in Nagaland and Meghalaya from the BJP and its allies, besides winning three seats in Assam.

Like the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won nine seats in Assam besides retaining two seats each in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Currently, the BJP is heading the governments in all these three states along with Manipur.

BJP ally National People’s Party (NPP) lost both seats in Meghalaya to the Congress and the Voice of the People Party, while another ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) lost the lone Nagaland seat to the Congress.

However, BJP’s allies United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in Sikkim secured one seat each.

Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the eight northeastern states, in 2019, 14 were won by the BJP while the Congress had secured four (three in Assam and one in Meghalaya). The remaining seven seats were bagged by state parties and an Independent nominee.

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam, NDPP in Nagaland, Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, NPP in Meghalaya, Naga People's Front (NPF) in Manipur, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in Sikkim and an Independent (Naba Kumar Sarania) in Assam had won one seat each in 2019.

Though the MNF is a constituent of the NDA’s northeast chapter, the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mizoram Chief Minister and ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) President Lalduhoma has already announced that his party would maintain equal distance from the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Congress chief and former Union Minister Vincent H. Pala, who has been winning the Shillong Lok Sabha seat since 2009, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon of the Voice of the People Party this time.

However, Congress candidate Saleng A. Sangma won the Tura seat by defeating ruling NPP nominee and former Union Minister Agatha K. Sangma, the younger sister of Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP supremo Conrad K. Sangma.

Political pundits feel that over a year-long ethnic violence in Manipur, and unresolved ethnic issues in Nagaland and Meghalaya might have caused electoral setbacks for the BJP in these states.

Criticising the Central government, the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) had urged the people to abstain from voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19 in support of its demand for a separate state comprising six districts in the state’s eastern region.

The people in the six districts, which have over four lakh voters, remained indoors on April 19 responding to the ENPO's boycott call.

Meanwhile, Tripura Congress President Asish Kumar Saha said on Tuesday that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra yielded better dividends for the party in the Lok Sabha elections in the northeast.

He said that Rahul Gandhi began his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur on January 14, highlighting the five 'guarantees' (Nyay) and visited most of the northeastern states evoking a positive impact among the people.

“The Nyay Yatra has also stirred the minds of the people across the country and accordingly the Congress achieved better results in the Lok Sabha polls,” Saha told IANS.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

Source: IANS

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Gurgaon, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister and BJP candidate Rao Inderjit Singh on Tuesday won from Haryana's Gurgaon parliamentary constituency defeating Congress' Raj Babbar, a former five-time parliamentarian, by a margin of 75,079 votes.

"People of Gurgaon, Nuh and Rewari have again kept faith in me. I am thankful to them from the bottom of my heart and I will work for them. It is a victory of people," Singh told reporters.

"I was very much hopeful of winning but the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Singh said.

Singh secured 8,08,336 votes while his rival Babbar got 7,33,257 votes. The incumbent Union Minister maintained a lead in all the rounds and defeated his nearest rival by a huge margin.

This was his third consecutive victory from the Gurugram Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket.

Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria got only 13,278 coming third followed by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Vijay Khatana (8,946 votes) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Sorab Khan who secured 4,917 votes.

Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana. It comprises nine assembly constituencies: Bawal, Rewari, Pataudi, Badshahpur, Gurgaon, Sohna, Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, and Punhana.

According to the district administration out of 25,73,411 total registered voters, the constituency recorded voting by 15,86,895 voters.

The BJP secured a 50.48 per cent vote share while the Congress got 45.79 per cent votes. In 2019, the BJP won with a 61 per cent vote share, followed by the Congress' 34.4 per cent.

A total number of 23 candidates were in the fray from the Gurgaon constituency.

Son of former Haryana Chief Minister Rao Birender Singh, Inderjit Rao said: "We fought the elections on issues of development and infrastructure growth in Gurgaon and south Haryana and this victory is a witness of our development works which were supported by the voters."

The veteran leader said he will continue to focus on development work.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, June 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that it humbly accepts the public mandate and concedes the defeat in Baramati and other Lok Sabha seats.

"We congratulate state president and MP of Raigad Lok Sabha constituency Sunil Tatkare on retaining the seat. It was expected that Sunetra Pawar would win the Baramati seat but we accept the people's verdict in Baramati and other constituencies. Public opinion is always respected in democracy," said NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil.

Patil thanked all the voters who supported the NCP in the Lok Sabha elections.

While congratulating all the elected candidates across the country, Patil said: "The criticisms against each other during the elections should not remain bitter. All the MPs should work in tandem in the Parliament and for the betterment of the country. I hope that they will work in the national interest without any party bias."

Patil also stated that despite the defeat from Baramati, Sunetra Pawar will continue the work with renewed vigour upon reflecting on the defeat and rectifying the errors.

"Victory and defeat are a part of the elections. We should accept it humbly. You don't want to be hysterical about the win or depressed about the loss. Our leader has a lion's heart and won't get bogged down by defeat. Therefore, all the NCP workers should stand firmly behind their leader and prepare for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha Assembly elections," he said.

The NCP won only one Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra.

Source: IANS

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Chandigarh, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two Independent radical candidates, one of them locked up in an Assam jail under the National Security Act, on Tuesday won their constituencies in Punjab, evoking a radical wave.

In his first electoral contest, Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, head of 'Waris Punjab De' and currently behind bars under the National Security Act, won the Khadoor Sahib seat by 197,120 votes over his nearest rival, Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira.

While Amritpal Singh ended up with 404,4300 votes, Zira secured 207,310. Laljit Singh Bhullar of the Aam Aadmi Party was in third place with 194,836 votes. BJP's Manjit Singh Manna was fifth with 86,373 votes, behind Virsa Singh Valtoha of the Shiromani Akali Dal with 86,416 votes.

For supporters and sympathisers, Amritpal Singh is the next-gen of Sikh 'separatist leaders' like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in the Indian Army's Operation Blue Star in 1984. He also considers the late separatist an "inspiration" for him.

Amritpal Singh, a fiery pro-Khalistan propagator and self-styled preacher, had been running 'separatist' propaganda through speeches before going to jail.

On the radar of Central investigating agencies, he drew comparisons to Bhindranwale owing to his looks and donning a navy blue turban, a white chola and a sword-sized kirpan. However, unlike Bhindranwale, Amritpal Singh didn't have any formal religious schooling. A dropout from a polytechnic, he cut his hair and shaved his beard while in Dubai. Police records say Amritpal Singh, who tied the knot with UK-based NRI Kirandeep Kaur in 2023, has been involved in scores of disputes, kidnappings and issuing threats.

Amritpal Singh, who hails from Jallupur Khera in Amritsar district, was not known till September 2022 when he returned to India from Dubai where he had been running his family's transport business since 2012. After taking charge of 'Waris Punjab De', which means the heirs of Punjab, he was trying to position himself as a new fulcrum for the panthic cause by calling on the youth to "fight for the freedom" of the Panth.

'Waris Punjab De' was floated by lawyer-actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu in 2021. One of the accused in Red Fort violence, Sidhu died in a road accident near Haryana's Sonepat in February 2022.

In the Faridkot (reserved) seat, Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, the son of one of the assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, won by 70,053 votes over his nearest rival, Karamjit Singh Anmol of the AAP. While Khalsa secured 298,062 votes, Anmol had 228,009 in his kitty. Amarjit Kaur Sahoke of the Congress was in third place with 160,357 votes.

BJP's Hans Raj Hans was fifth with 123,533 votes.

In 2014 and 2009, Khalsa unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll from the Fatehgarh Sahib (reserved) and Bathinda seats, respectively. In 2019, he was the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.

Class 12 dropout Khalsa is the son of Beant Singh, one of the two assassinators of Indira Gandhi. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, bodyguards of the PM, had killed her on October 31, 1984.

His mother, Bimal Kaur, and his grandfather, Sucha Singh, became the MPs from Ropar and Bathinda, respectively, in 1989.

Source: IANS

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Bhubaneswar, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Riding on a strong anti-incumbency factor against the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government and the Narendra Modi wave, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history in Odisha on Tuesday, as the party finally managed to breach the impenetrable fortress of the BJD.

After winning 78 seats in the 147-member state Assembly, the BJP is set to form the government in Odisha alone for the first time. The BJD finished with 51 seats while the Congress could manage just 14 seats in the Assembly polls held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in four phases between May 13 and June 1.

Notably, the BJP in coalition with the BJD had formed the government in Odisha in 2000 and and 2004. However, this time the party has single-handedly ended the 24-year reign of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

As per the information shared by the Election Commission of India, BJP's vote share in Odisha increased to 40.01 per cent this time from 32.49 per cent in 2019. The BJP won only 23 seats in 2019.

The people of Odisha clearly voted for change following 25 years of BJD rule in the state.

The BJP also swept the Lok Sabha polls by winning 19 out of the total 21 seats in Odisha.

“Thank you Odisha! It’s a resounding victory for good governance and celebrating Odisha’s unique culture. BJP will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the dreams of the people and taking Odisha to new heights of progress. I am very proud of all our hardworking party karyakartas for their efforts,” PM Modi said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Naveen Patnaik also congratulated all the candidates who have won in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

"My best wishes to all the winning candidates irrespective of their party affiliations. I express my respect and gratitude to all the workers and leaders of Biju Janata Dal for their dedicated efforts and sacrifice," Patnaik posted on X.

Source: IANS

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Shimla, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BJP in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh hit a hat-trick on Tuesday by winning all four Lok Sabha seats with a comfortable margin.

A spokesperson for the state election body said that BJP candidate from Kangra, Rajeev Bhardwaj, defeated his nearest Congress rival and four-time MP Anand Sharma by a margin of 2,51,895 votes.

Bhardwaj got 6,32,793 votes, while the Congress candidate got 3,80,898 votes. A total of 6,372 preferred NOTA.

Likewise, four-time MP and Union Minister Anurag Thakur won BJP’s bastion Hamirpur with a margin of 182,357 votes from his nearest rival of the Congress, Satpal Raizada. Anurag got 607,068 votes, while Raizada got 42,4711 votes. As many as 5,178 opted NOTA.

In the Mandi Parliamentary seat, actress and BJP candidate Kangna Ranaut got 537,022 votes, while Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh polled 462,267 votes.

Kangna won by 74,755 votes, whereas 5,645 preferred NOTA.

In Shimla (reserved), Suresh Kashyap of the BJP defeated his nearest rival Vinod Sultanpuri of the Congress by a margin of 91,451 votes.

Kashyap polled 519,748 votes, while Sultanpuri got 428,297 votes. There were 5,930 who preferred NOTA.

Source: IANS

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Chandigarh, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a humiliating defeat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab two years after its landslide victory, its Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party's national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, set an ambitious target of winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats on Tuesday and won just three seats, with four of five cabinet ministers failing to secure victories.

However, it improved its 2019 performance when it managed to win a lone seat.

Instead, the main Opposition Congress, which was at the helm between 2017 and 2022, won seven seats, while Independents won two and the Shiromani Akali Dal won one seat.

The BJP, which has won two seats in alliance with SAD in 2019, was blank in 2024.

Except for minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Sangrur), all four ministers -- Health Minister Balbir Singh (Patiala), Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian (Bathinda), NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Amritsar), and Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib -- lost the elections. Also its three legislators lost the parliamentary poll.

Political observers told IANS that the party was banking heavily on its populist schemes, like the free power of 300 units a month to each household, free Aam Aadmi mohalla clinics, 43,000 government jobs, the repair of canals and the establishment of schools of eminence.

However, the only saving grace for AAP was to win Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's bastion Sangrur this time.

The Congress INDIA ally AAP, which had decided to go solo in Lok Sabha polls, won only three seats. The other AAP two candidates who won the poll were Malwinder Singh Kang (Anandpur Sahib) and Raj Kumar Chabbewal (Hoshiarpur- reserved).

In a last-minute bid just hours before the campaigning for 13 parliamentary seats come to an end, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal campaigned with the state counterpart for party candidate Hayer.

Both led a road show with the AAP candidate from Sangrur and appealed to the people to make Meet Hayer MP with record votes with a message: "If we have 13 MPs from Punjab, then all of them will become Bhagwant Mann's hands and voice in the Parliament."

Addressing the people, Kejriwal had said Sangrur is the home constituency of Chief Minister Mann.

"You have made him the Chief Minister. This time too, we have a lot of expectations from you. Therefore, make AAP candidate Meet Hayer win here with the highest margin.”

Surprisingly, in a setback to AAP in June 2022, just three months after coming to power, the two-time MP and former IPS officer, Simranjit Singh Mann, who has been demanding an independent homeland -- called Khalistan -- won the bypoll in the Sangrur Parliamentary constituency.

Speaking at the roadshow amidst the blistering heat wave, Kejriwal had said: "You elect us with a record majority in the assembly elections. You gave 92 out of 117 MLAs to the Aam Aadmi Party. Now strengthen us in the Lok Sabha, so that we can easily get Punjab's work done from the central government and get all the pending funds of Punjab released".

State Chief Minister Mann had appealed to the people and said in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections: "You made me win by about 2.14 lakh votes. I will be very happy when you break that record and make Meet Hayer win by 2.5 lakh votes. Then we will be able to work with more hard work and dedication."

Bhagwant Mann represents the Dhuri Assembly seat, while his Cabinet minister, Meet Hayer, is a legislator from Barnala -- both seats are part of the Sangrur Parliamentary constituency.

Meet Hayer defeated Congress nominee Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the legislator from Bholath in Kapurthala, by a margin of 172,560 votes.

The outgoing MP Simranjit Singh Mann, who had won this Parliamentary seat in 1999, finished runner up with a margin of 176,839 votes.

Banking on rural electorates, he was mainly raising issues concerning the Sikhs and is strict with the idea of Khalistan, a separate state.

From this seat, the former legislator and businessman Arvind Khanna was BJP's candidate, while Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Badal fielded former legislator Iqbal Singh Jhundan.

The former lost by a margin of 235,832 votes, while the latter by 3,01,597 votes.

In 2019, Bhagwant Mann was the lone AAP MP in Parliament and he had defeated the then Congress candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon by more than 1.1 lakh votes from Sangrur.

The by-poll for Sangrur was necessitated following the resignation of Bhagwant Mann, who won the Assembly election in February from the Dhuri constituency and became the Chief Minister.

In the 2022 Punjab Assembly poll, AAP notched a stupendous victory, winning 92 out of the 117 Assembly seats.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress has retained Karnataka's Shorapur Assembly seat with the victory of its candidate Raja Venugopal Naik in the bypoll, thwarting the hopes of former minister and senior BJP leader Narasimha Naik aka Raju Gowda to enter the Vidhana Soudha.

Venugopal Naik secured 1.14 lakh votes while Raju Gowda managed to get 96,566 votes.

The bypoll in Shorapur was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik.

The Congress had allotted the ticket to Raja Venkatappa Naik's son and sources explain sympathy and guarantee undercurrent worked in favour of Venugopal Naik.

The Shorapur Assembly segment is a part of the Raichur Lok Sabha seat, which was also won by Congress candidate G. Kumar Naik.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) BJP's Rao Rajendra Singh won the Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha seat by a wafer-thin margin of 1,615 votes on Saturday, defeating his nearest rival Anil Chopra of the Congress.

The announcement of the results for the Jaipur Rural seat was delayed after Chopra along with his supporters sat on a dharma demanding recounting of votes.

The Congress candidate demanded recounting alleging irregularities in postal ballot votes, but his demand was rejected. Chopra then sat on a dharna at the Returning Officer's room. He came out only after Rao Rajendra was declared the winner.

Addressing his supporters outside the counting centre, Chopra asked them to maintain patience, stating that the people showered their blessings on them due to which the Congress got more than 6 lakh votes.

Earlier, state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and Shahpura MLA Manish Yadav reached the Commerce College where the counting was underway. However, the police did not let them enter.

After that a large number of Congress supporters started protesting on JLN Marg. Congress MLAs Abhimanyu Poonia, Ramnivas Gavadia, and Vidyadhar Chaudhary also reached the Commerce College and got involved in an argument with the police regarding entry.

Former state Congress President Sachin Pilot also tweeted demanding recounting of votes in the Jaipur Rural seat. Later, former CM Ashok Gehlot retweeted Pilot's post and demanded recounting of votes.

Source: IANS

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United Nations, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulates the people of India for the "massive exercise of democracy", his Associate Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino said on Tuesday.

"We, of course, want to congratulate the people of India for engaging in this massive exercise of democracy as they are the largest democratic elections in the world," she said.

Since the tallying of results was on, she said: "We can't officially comment until all the voting has all the counting has been done" on its outcome.

"And we hope to have a much more official statement once everything has been said," she added.

Customarily the Secretary-General sends a message of congratulations to leaders when their elections are officially announced. At the time of noon briefing in New York, 19 results were still pending while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance had won 292 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha assuring him of a third term. The opposition opposition INDIA bloc had won 232 seats in the election.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

Source: IANS

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