As India waits with bated breath for the Lok Sabha poll results, political analysts say this year's election was "one of the most polarised" with parties using caste and religion to garner votes. While the BJP focused on integrating various backward castes under the Hindutva fold, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc tried to win over Other Backward Caste (OBC) voters by promising to conduct a caste survey if it is voted to power, they said.
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Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the I.N.D.I.A. bloc is hopeful about the Lok Sabha results and it will be completely opposite to what the exit polls are showing.
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Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday called on Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and submitted a resolution passed by newly-elected MLAs of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) electing him as their legislature party leader to stake claim to form the next government, an official said.
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India created a world record with 64.2 crore voters, including 31.2 crore women, participating in the Lok Sabha elections this year, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Monday. Addressing a press briefing, he said over 68,000 monitoring teams and 1.5 crore polling and security personnel were involved in the world's largest electoral exercise.
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Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty surged nearly 4 per cent in early trade on Monday, a day before Lok Sabha elections counting, to hit their fresh all-time high levels after exit polls predicted a massive win for the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.
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Independent candidate from South West Graduate constituency, Raghupathi Bhat, accused the BJP counterpart of appeasing voters by distributing money. Several households in Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru were given money, he told media persons after exercising his franchise at Manipal Junior College.
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A group of United Nations experts called on Monday for all countries to recognise a Palestinian state to ensure peace in the Middle East. The call came less than a week after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state, prompting anger from Israel, which has found itself increasingly isolated after nearly eight months of war in Gaza.
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Production banner Roy Kapur Films along with Trickitainment Media on Monday said they have acquired the rights to produce a biopic on the life of Sukumar Sen, India's first Chief Election Commissioner. The announcement comes a day before the vote counting of the 18th general election on Tuesday.
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Kylian Mbappe has been left out of France's 25-man preliminary squad for a training camp ahead of this year's Paris Olympics, head coach Thierry Henry said on Monday. Although his omission does not mean the 2018 World Cup winner has been ruled out of the Games, his chances of playing appear to be receding.
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