Lok Sabha Election Date 2024 Live Updates: Congress has only one agenda - to 'use and throw' - its alliance partners says, PM Modi

Lok Sabha polls: Over 100 all-women booths in Guwahati seat

The Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency will have more than 100 all-women polling stations during the upcoming general elections, a senior official said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference, Guwahati's Returning Officer Sumit Sattawan said the constituency has more women voters than men, and the figure is likely to go up in the coming days.

The Guwahati constituency, which will vote in the third phase on May 7, has 2,181 polling booths, spread across Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup and Goalpara districts.

Addressing the public gathering PM Modi says

To implement the Central Government schemes in a better way, you have to make NDA MPs and MLAs win. All NDA MPs and MLAs will work for you with great effort, this is Modi's guarantee.

Addressing a public gathering in Palnadu, PM Narendra Modi says,

See this coincidence, this time the results of the elections are going to be declared on 4th June. The whole country is saying, '400 paar'. '400 paar' for developed India, '400 paar' for Andhra Pradesh'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public gathering in Palnadu, Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a public gathering in Palnadu, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan says

In 2024, with the blessings of Vijayawada's goddess Kanaka Durga Devi, the NDA will form the government. Under PM Modi's leadership, the country is growing. Modi has introduced digital payments. However, YSRCP is not interested in digital payments. Jagan is a businessman who has looted sand and earned money through liquor. Once again, PM Modi will assume power thrice. Andhra Pradesh has become the capital of ganja in the country. Andhrapradesh turned into the new drug capital of the country.

Lok Sabha polls: In between the speech of Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges people to get down from the light tower, in Palnadu.

Andhra Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan attend a public gathering in Palnadu.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will discuss the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections at its meeting on March 19 and give the final shape to it. The Congress' central election committee (CEC) chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to meet on March 19 to 20 to finalise the remaining candidates of the party for the seven-phase polls beginning April 19.

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi to address first NDA rally in Andhra Pradesh shortly

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the National Democratic Alliance rally 'Prajagalam,' (the voice of the public), the first joint public meeting of NDA partners in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district today evening.

Taking to his social media handle, Prime Minister Modi posted on X, "On the way to Andhra Pradesh, where I will be addressing an NDA rally at Palnadu along with @ncbnJi and @PawanKalyan Ji this evening. The NDA is seeking AP's blessings to bring a positive change in people's lives and take the state to new heights of progress."

Lok Sabha seat: Stakes high for both Congress and BJP in Himachal's Hamirpur

High stakes loom for both the Congress, reigning in Himachal Pradesh, and the BJP in the prominent Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, where simultaneous by-elections for four assembly constituencies, out of six, will take place following the disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs.

With the disqualification of six Congress MLAs, reducing the party's strength from 40 to 34, including the Speaker, in the 68-member assembly, the BJP, holding 25 seats, garners support from three independents. These six seats could determine the fate of the government, as 35 MLAs are required for a majority in the House.

BJP kicks off poll campaign in Srinagar Lok Sabha seat

Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is not one of the 400 parliamentary seats that the BJP is confident of winning but within 24 hours of the Election commission announcing the polls, the party held a meeting of cluster and booth heads of Srinagar district in the hope of turning things around. At a workers' rally held at Jawahar Nagar Municipal Park on Sunday, senior BJP leader from Jammu and Kashmir Surinder Amberdar said the party has formed clusters -- comprising of two to three booths -- for effective election campaign.

"The BJP is a cadre based organisation. The preparations here are for the eight assembly segments of Srinagar district. We have made structure of clusters which includes two to three booths. This is an organisational meeting of cluster heads and booth heads," Amberdar told PTI.

The former MLC said as the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the party will take its symbol, ideology and performance card to the electorate.

EC releases electoral bonds data as returned from the Supreme Court registry

EC makes public new details on electoral bonds purchased by people, redeemed by parties

The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data received in digitized form from the registry of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds on its website: Election Commission of India

Election Commission makes public new details on electoral bonds purchased by people, redeemed by parties.

Rahul Gandhi addresses Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Mumbai, calls for 'combined consciousness'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a call for 'combined consciousness' while addressing Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Mumbai after the conclusion of his 63-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

While addressing the Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Mumbai on Sunday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, "If India is a country of 'Mohabbat' then why is hatred being spread? We say that the BJP spreads hatred, but there has to be a basis for this hatred. The reason for hatred is injustice. In this country, every day injustice is being done against the poor, farmers, Dalits, women, & youth."

"Papers are being leaked, farmers are not getting MSPs, labourers are not getting minimum wage, and small workers are crushed with GST. At every step, people came to me and spoke about the injustice happening to them," the Congress leader said, recollecting his journey at the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Making a call of empathy for each other, the Congress leader said that there is no 'combined consciousness' in the people of the country.

"People are able to see the injustice happening to them, but they neglect the injustice happening to the fellow citizens. Unless you see the injustice happening to your fellow countrymen, no movement can be started," he said.

Cabinet sends Lok Sabha poll dates to Prez Murmu for notification

The government on Sunday is learnt to have initiated the process of notifying the dates of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections by sending the Election Commission's recommendation to President Droupadui Murmu. The first notification will be issued on March 20 for the first phase of polls on April 19 in 102 seats. The nomination process begins for a particular phase with the issuance of the notification.The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission on Saturday.According to sources, the Cabinet meeting held this morning recommended to the President to issue the notifications for the different phases.

Strong anti-incumbency in UP, situation very good for INDIA bloc: SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav

amajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav Sunday claimed there is strong anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh and the INDIA bloc will defeat the BJP in at least 40 seats the ruling party won last time. Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls on all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections, beginning on April 19 and ending on June 1. The BJP-led ruling coalition won 64 seats -- BJP 62, Apna Da(S) 2 -- out of the total 80 constituencies in 2019.

"There is a strong anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh against both the state and the central governments. The situation of the alliance will be very good in UP and we will win in at least 40 seats the BJP won (last time)," Yadav said to reporters here.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party were in alliance. While the SP secured victory on five seats, the BSP won 10.

Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra get interesting after splits in Shiv Sena, NCP

Splits in key political parties Shiv Sena and NCP have made the battle for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra more interesting, besides the focus on traditional issues like unemployment and farmer suicides. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18. The undivided NCP had emerged victorious on four seats, the Congress one, while the AIMIM and an Independent accounted for the remaining two.

'These elections are moment of truth for us': TMC's Sagarika Ghose on Lok Sabha polls

After the announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghosh on Sunday termed the upcoming elections as a "moment of truth".

"Why are these elections necessary? These elections are a moment of truth for us. Can we stick to one party, one leader, one language, one religion, one dress? Or do we want to preserve our federal, multi-faith and multi-cultural diverse democracy?" she said.

"Remember that, vote wisely. Do we want to live in a time when our basic freedom is under threat?" she added.

Meanwhile, the general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday. The counting will be held on June 4.

Lok Sabha polls: Santhal Parganas, North Chotanagpur hold key in Jharkhand

Santhal Parganas and North Chotanagpur regions, which hold a total of eight of the 14 seats in Jharkhand, are significant in the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand. Kolhan region in the southern part of the state, which has the prestigious Jamshedpur seat, besides Singhbhum, is also important in the political landscape of the state.Lok Sabha polls will be held in the state in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged victorious in 11 seats, while its ally AJSU secured one seat. Both the JMM and Congress have one seat each.For the upcoming polls, while the BJP has announced candidates for 11 of the 14 seats, the INDIA bloc is yet to announce its nominees as talks continue among allies, including the JMM and Congress, over seat sharing.

Gujarat: BJP faces Congress-AAP combine in Lok Sabha polls

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, the BJP looks confident of retaining all 26 Lok Sabha seats, despite a combined opposition from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, key constituents of the INDIA alliance. Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The Congress and AAP fought the 2022 state assembly polls separately, and the BJP got a record 156 of the 182 seats in the House. In the ensuing Lok Sabha poll, the Congress will contest 24 seats, while the AAP is fielding candidates from Bharuch and Bhavnagar. The BJP is so confident of making a clean sweep that its state unit chief CR Paatil has routinely said the party's sights are on a victory margin of five lakh votes in each seat. The Congress would dearly hope for a repeat of the 2009 polls when it won 11 of the state's 26 seats, while for the AAP, even a single win coming after its assembly showing, will bolster its status as the opposition party to watch out for. Gujarat is divided into four regions, namely Saurashtra and Kutch, north Gujarat, south Gujarat and central Gujarat. Saurashtra and Kutch: All the eight Lok Sabha seats in the region are with the BJP since a long time. The focus this time will be on Porbandar, where Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been fielded, and Rajkot, where his cabinet colleague Parshottam Rupala will try his luck.

Oppn parties have come together because of 'Modi-phobia': Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma

Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma on Sunday said opposition parties which are trying to put up a facade of unity for the Lok Sabha poll will be fighting each other after three months. Due to their inflated egos and poor performance in the election, they will not be able to "choose even a leader of the opposition (in the Lok Sabha) from amongst themselves", the BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister told PTI in an interview.The Lok Sabha poll was announced by the Election Commission on Saturday and it will be held in seven phases -- April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.Sharma claimed that opposition parties are not in the election scene anywhere this time. Even the southern states will witness the sunset of opposition parties and the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this election, Sharma asserted.

2024 elections: How BJP, Cong fared in last LS polls in east Rajasthan, Mewar, Marwar regions

yeing a repeat of its electoral performance of 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party will look to win all 25 seats in the Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan, even as the Congress hopes to cause a dent in the saffron party's plans. Despite losing the Rajasthan assembly elections to the Congress in December 2018, and thus being in the opposition, the BJP had managed to win 24 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, with the only other seat going to its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP).This time, the BJP is in power in the state and looks to have wind in its sails.The Congress, which had won a majority of the assembly seats in eastern Rajasthan in the 2018 assembly polls, suffered a bitter loss a few months later in the parliamentary polls.The Gurjar community had voted for the Congress in the assembly polls, hoping that Sachin Pilot, a member of the community, would become the state's chief minister. When that did not happen, votes for the Congress took a hit and the BJP won all the seats in the region in the Lok Sabha polls.

Udhampur: People lauds Union Minister Jitendra Singh, hope for his third-time win

After the Election Commission announced the dates for the Lok Sabha elections, people in Udhampur constituency expressed their confidence in Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who will contest from here for the third time.Surinder Singh, a resident, told ANI that a lot of work has been done in Udhampur."In the coming time, I request that this time, when he (Jitendra Singh) wins, there should be further improvement in health and education. Many issues affecting the village people have been solved," he said.Sanjeet Kumar Sharma, another resident, said that the benefits of the initiatives taken by PM Modi across the country are visible in Jammu and Kashmir and especially in Udhampur.

After failed BSP experiment in 2019, SP pins hope on Congress tie-up to stop BJP juggernaut in UP

The coming general election may throw some surprising results in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-BSP alliance now replaced by the SP-Congress pact under the INDIA bloc. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in 2019 had offered some resistance to the BJP on a handful of seats in the western and eastern parts of UP, but failed to make a big impact.With BSP supremo Mayawati deciding to duke it out alone this time, it will be up to the SP and Congress to stop the marauding juggernaut of the NDA, which has now has RLD on its side, as well as a number of caste-based regional parties in the Poorvanchal region.In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and allies won 73 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

'ECI has lost its dignity': Shiv Sena (UBT) attacks Election Commission over voting in PM Modi's constituency Varanasi in last phase

As the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect with the announcement of the Lok Sabha schedule, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, asking why the poll body decided to conduct elections in the Prime Minister's constituency, Varanasi, in the last phase.

"The elections will go on until June 1, and the results will be announced on June 4. Counting the days from today. This makes it almost 2.5 months. Who is the EC trying to help behind closed doors by giving all this extra time?... We respect the EC just like we respect the SC because the EC is an independent organisation, but somewhere down the line, it has lost its dignity, but still, we will contest elections.

Why have they decided to conduct elections in the Prime Minister's constituency, Varanasi, in the last phase? PM Narendra Modi will reach Varanasi in the end after campaigning all over the country," Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said.

'We are well prepared': BJD exudes confidence of winning the upcoming elections

After the Election Commission announced the dates for the Lok Sabha 2024 Elections, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) national spokesperson Santrupt Misra said that the party was already well prepared for the polls, and now that the dates of the elections have been announced, the preparations will be enhanched further.

"The Chief Election Commissioner of India has announced the poll schedule for the whole of India and Odisha. Every state Chief Electoral Officer has been asked to brief all the political parties. We were also invited, along with other political parties, to be briefed about the plans for the election. He told us about new things and what was expected of us.

They also briefed us about the Model Code of Conduct and sort of the whole process so that elections can be conducted smoothly," he said.The BJD party is well prepared for the elections, he reiterated.

BJP hopes for smooth sailing in five LS seats in Uttarakhand

The BJP is looking to hoist the saffron flag yet again in all five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand, having won from all the parliamentary constituencies in the state in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections. While two Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand -- Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and Almora -- are located in Kumaon region, the remaining three seats of Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal and Garhwal (Pauri) are in the Garhwal region.Union Minister of state for tourism and defence Ajay Bhatt had won the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar seat in 2019, defeating former chief minister Harish Rawat by 3,39,096 votes. His victory margin was the biggest of the four other winning BJP candidates.The other seat in Kumaon region is Almora, the lone reserved (SC) seat in the hill state. Ajay Tamta of the BJP has been winning it since 2014. In 2019 he had defeated Pradeep Tamta of the Congress by 2,32,986 votes.

Reluctance of ministers to enter fray puts Karnataka Cong in spot of bother in selection of candidates

Reluctance of some ministers and lawmakers in Karnataka to contest the Lok Sabha polls seems to have put the Congress scouting for "winnable" candidates in a spot of bother in finalising contestants for bulk of the seats. It has been ten days since the Congress announced its candidates for seven segments while the process to pick nominees for the remaining 21 seats is on.The Congress' first list released on March eight did not have names of any of the ministers and legislators.According to party sources, the Congress leadership has been making efforts to convince some ministers and lawmakers to contest, as they have faced problems in identifying winnable candidates in several segments.

Bengal: Around 25,000 security personnel to be deployed for polling in 3 seats in first phase

Around 25,000 personnel of central forces will be deployed in West Bengal for elections to three Lok Sabha seats in the first phase of polling on April 19, an official said. Voting will be held in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seats in the northern part of the state in the first phase.

"Around 250 companies of central forces will be deployed for the first phase of elections on April 19. A control room will be established in each of the three districts, and senior officers will be in charge of those," the official said on Saturday.

One company of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) consists of around 100 personnel, meaning that around 25,000 personnel will be deployed for elections in these three seats.

LS elections: 4.92 crore electors, including 11.32 lakh first-time voters in Gujarat

As many as 4.92 crore persons, including 11.32 lakh first-timers and 10,322 centenarians, will be eligible to exercise their franchise for the 26 seats in Gujarat in the Lok Sabha elections, a senior Election Commission official has said. Elections to all the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies and bypolls to five assembly seats in Gujarat will be held on May 7, with the nomination process beginning on April 12, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi said here on Saturday.

Of the total registered voters, 2.54 crore are men and 2.39 crore are women. The state has 1,503 transgender voters, Bharathi said.

"The number of voters for the Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat has increased by 43,23,789 compared to the 2019 elections. A total 4,94,49,469 voters are registered as per the final electoral roll published on January 5, 2024," Bharathi told mediapersons.

'There are a maximum of 5 per cent of people who get justice...' says Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public gathering in Mumbai

"There are a maximum of 5 per cent of people who get justice. For them, the courts, government, and all other institutions work for them. But if we look at the other 90 per cent of the population, they have been suffering injustice," he said.

9.2 crore persons eligible to cast vote for 48 LS seats in Maharashtra

A total of 9.2 crore persons, including more than 50,000 centenarians, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, an increase of 34 lakh from 2019, according to a senior state Election Commission official. The Lok Sabha polls for the 48 seats in Maharashtra will be held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20 and votes will be counted on June 4.
According to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam, there are 4,78,50,789 male and 4,41,74,722 female voters in the state as of March 15. The state has 5,559 transgender voters.

The number of voters has increased by 34,69,534 since 2019, he said.

There are 1,78,84,862 voters in the age group of 18 to 29 years.

Maharashtra has 13,15,166 eligible voters aged over 85 years, including 52,908 over 100.

The state has 97,325 polling centres, the official said.

Rahul Gandhi holds 'Nyay Sankalp Padyatra' in Mumbai

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning undertook the 'Nyay Sankalp Padyatra' from Mani Bhavan, the home of Mahatma Gandhi in south Mumbai. His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, along with Congress supporters joined the foot march which will continue till the August Kranti Maidan, where the Quit India movement started in 1942 during India's struggle for independence from the British rule.

Members of some of the opposition INDIA bloc constituents joined Rahul Gandhi in the padyatra. Read more

PM Modi to address first NDA rally in Andhra Pradesh for 2024 polls along with Chandrababu Naidu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday evening address a grand National Democratic Alliance rally 'Prajagalam,' (the voice of the public) in Palnadu district, the first joint public meeting of NDA partners in Andhra Pradesh after ten years. Modi will be joined by TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan in the public meeting, and this is the first time all the three leaders will share the stage in a rally for the 2024 polls.

Named Prajagalam, the meeting will mark the first NDA election meeting in Andhra Pradesh in the run-up to the simultaneous Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled on May 13.

Lok Sabha polls: 10 factors that hold the key to this election

Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning April 19, Chief Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday. The counting of votes is set to take place on June 4 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a bid for a third consecutive term in office. Read more

'Elections are biggest festival of democracy,' Tripura CM after LS polls notified

Welcoming the announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha polls 2024, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Shah urged people across the country to vote in record numbers and contribute to strengthening the foundation of the world's largest democracy.Earlier, on Saturday, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the general elections would be held across seven phases, with the first on April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar informed.

Try 'One Election, One Phase' before 'One Nation, One Election': Kamal Haasan takes dig at BJP over LS poll dates

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan took a dig at the central government over the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll dates by the Election Commission in seven stages, saying that before implementing the idea of 'One Nation, One Election', at least one election should be held in a single phase.

"Before we try to attempt 'One Nation, One Election', can we at least try 'One Election, One Phase'?" the Makkal Needhi Maiam president posted on X.

The general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday. The counting will be held on June 4.

In Phase 1 which will be held on April 19, the voting will be held in a total of 102 constituencies. The second phase of Lok Sabha polls will be held on April 26 which will see voting on 89 constituencies. The third phase of General elections will be held on May 7. A total of 94 constituencies will see voting in this phase.

EC launches 'Know Your Candidate' app for voters to know if LS picks have criminal backgrounds

Before announcing the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections at a crowded press conference in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said the poll watcdog has launched a new mobile application called Know Your Candidate (KYC) that will enable voters to find out if any electoral candidate in their constituency has criminal antecedents.

The application has been made available for download on both the Android and iOS platforms, the chief election commissioner informed.

Expanding on the new mobile application, the poll panel chief said, "We have come up with a new mobile application that will enable voters to find out if a candidate, who is bidding to represent them in the Lok Sabha, has a criminal background. The application is called 'Know Your Candidate' or 'KYC'."

Congress will win 20 seats in Karnataka: DK Shivakumar

On a day when the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday expressed confidence that the Congress would win 20 constituencies in the state.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, Shivakumar said, "This is a festival of democracy. We need to enjoy and celebrate this festival and fight it (elections) out as well. We are very confident of winning 20 seats in the state."

The deputy chief minister shared that the ruling party in the state has almost finalised their candidates and the Congress Election Committee will hold a meeting on March 19.

Need to find institutional mechanism to protect donor privacy: CEC on scrapping of electoral bond scheme

Days after the Supreme Court rapped the State Bank of India (SBI) for not furnishing the data on political funding through electoral bonds with unique alphanumeric numbers, which could help identify the bond, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said though it was in favour of transparency in matters of political funding, the country needs an institutional mechanism to protect the donor's privacy.

"The Commission has always been in favour of transparency, right from the time we articulated our stand before the honourable Supreme Court. In a democray, there is no place for hiding things. Democracy is all about making everybody know, being aware, ensuring transparency and requisite information. It (electoral bond data) must be shared. We are all for it," Kumar said at a press conference in the national capital on Saturday, where he announced the full schedule or roster for the Lok Sabha elections.

The CEC, however, pointed out that protecting the privacy of donors also needs to be considered and an institutional mechanism needs to be found to ensure the same.

'If you have the courage...': Congress's Priyank Kharge hits back at BJP after it calls him 'dynast'

Congress leader Priyank Kharge took offence at the BJP's social media handle in the state referring to him as 'dynast', as he dared them to use the word on several of their leaders in Karnataka whose family members are in politics."Dear @BJP4Karnataka, If you have the courage, use and say the word DYNAST to @BSYBJP @BYRBJP @BYVijayendra @BSBommai @ikseshwarappa @Tejasvi_Surya @JagadishShettar @ShashikalaJolle @UmeshJadhav_BJP @BelladArvind among others in Karnataka. (The list is longer across India)," Kharge said in a post on 'X' in the early hours of Sunday, tagging several BJP leaders who have a political lineage.Priyank, a member of the state cabinet, is the son of Congress national chief Mallikarjun Kharge. His political lineage gave the BJP an opportunity to target the Congress over dynastic politics.Hitting back at the BJP, Kharge even offered a free DNA test for all leaders in the Opposition party Karnataka who have members of their families in politics.

Lok Sabha Elections: Model Code of Conduct comes into force; banners, hoardings and posters of political parties removed

1st in LS polls: 82 lakh aged over 85 can vote from home

For the first time in Lok Sabha elections, those aged above 85, and persons with disability (PwD) will be able to vote from the comfort of their homes.The facility, introduced in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections that were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, will ensure that poll officials visit 82 lakh senior citizens aged above 85 years, and 88.4 lakh registered PwD voters, at their residence to help them exercise their franchise. Voters will be able to mark their choice of candidate on the postal ballot without compromising secrecy. Read more