Amit Shah slammed Congress over reservation, Uniform Civil Code, and Muslim Personal Law during a debate on 75 years of the Constitution in Rajya Sabha. He questioned the delay in implementing UCC and accused Congress of introducing Muslim Personal Law instead. Shah also called for separation of religion and politics, urging all parties to not link patriotism with political ideology. He also criticized Congress for blaming EVMs instead of accepting defeat.
In a heated debate in the Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress for constantly blaming EVMs for their electoral defeats, calling out their hypocrisy of claiming malfunctioning machines in Maharashtra but accepting victory in Jharkhand. He also highlighted the contrast between the number of amendments made during the Congress' rule versus the BJP's, emphasizing the BJP's contributions towards backward classes, GST, Article 370, and triple talaq. This comes as the Lok Sabha begins a two-day discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution.
Speaking out against his ally's stance on Electronic Voting Machines, newly elected Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah criticized the Congress for changing its tune on EVMs after their loss in recent elections. He called for consistency in opinions about the voting mechanism and emphasized that parties should not blame machines for their defeat. Abdullah also expressed his support for the controversial Central Vista project in Delhi, which has further strained relations between the NC and Congress.
Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has taken to social media to express her concerns over her husband Fahad Ahmad's loss in the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024. She has questioned the Election Commission about the sudden change in results after round 16 and highlights the 99% charged EVM batteries, which she claims were manipulated in favor of BJP. Despite the loss, Swara is grateful for the support they received during their campaign.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has responded to Congress' claims of EVM irregularities in Jharkhand by calling out their inconsistent stance on the matter. He highlighted the party's tendency to only question the integrity of the EVM process when the results aren't favorable to them. Shinde also reaffirmed the public's support for Shiv Sena's win in the recent elections.
As soon as the election date is announced, political parties in India begin their preparations for the upcoming battle. With a shift from paper ballots to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the electoral process has evolved significantly. But what happens to these machines after the votes are cast? The EVMs are stored in highly secure strong rooms, and after the results are declared, they are kept for 45 days before being moved to a storage facility. Before the next election, they are retrieved, and the integrity of each machine is verified by representatives from political parties before being reused.
Congress-led UDF candidate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is leading in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll in Kerala, with a margin of over three lakh votes after three hours of counting, according to Election Commission figures. The counting of postal ballots began at 8 am, with Priyanka receiving 3,17,983 votes so far. The strong rooms where EVMs were kept were opened more than an hour before counting began.
According to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, some seats have been stolen amid the counting of votes for the Maharashtra polls, leading to a win for the ruling Mahayuti. Along with other leaders, he questions the election results, alleging foul play and pointing to the use of EVMs in the elections. They have called for an investigation into the matter and expressed confidence in their faction's victory that is not reflected by the current trend.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a historic third term in Haryana, winning 48 Assembly seats. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is set to meet with senior BJP leaders in Delhi to discuss finalizing his cabinet. Despite this victory, the Congress party has raised concerns about the integrity of the counting process and functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The elections in Jammu and Kashmir also saw a significant increase in BJP's tally and its government at the Centre claims credit for holding the elections for the first time since Article 370 was abrogated.
In a surprising turn of events, the ruling BJP secured a historic third term in the Haryana Assembly Elections, winning 48 seats. However, the Congress has raised concerns over the integrity of the counting process and functioning of EVMs in some districts and has promised to bring it up with the Election Commission. The results defied pollsters' predictions of a Congress win and experts attribute BJP's success to its consolidation of non-Jat votes, fresh candidate selection, extensive campaigning, and a fragmented opposition. Meanwhile, Congress supporters started celebrating outside the party headquarters as early trends showed a big victory for the party in Haryana and a lead for the Congress-National Conference alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.