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With the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, political campaigns, rallies and roadshows have reached a crescendo with political parties attacking candidates over guarantees, religion, corruption, and more.
In a press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the electoral bonds scheme was the “world’s biggest extortion scheme”. “No matter how much clarification the prime minister gives, it will make no difference because the whole country knows that the prime minister is the champion of corruption,” he said. Read: Will abide by party decision: Rahul Gandhi on contesting LS polls from Amethi
Ahead of the scheduled polling for the Lok Sabha polls, to commence at 7 a.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024, all electioneering and campaigning activities are to come to an end, and strict regulations are set to come into force across all 102 constituencies casting their first votes this poll season. The regulations will be in force till the closure of polls, under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court disagreed with the idea of a return to paper ballots to restore the “little man’s” confidence in the electoral process, saying machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them.
For the full schedule of the elections, click here.
For updates on April 16, click here.Here are the updates on April 17: