Author: LokMarg

IndiGo has placed an order for 30 A350-900 aircraft, a decision that will enable the airline to connect Indian metros to destinations around the world.

Powered by Rolls Royce’s Trent XWB engine, these aircraft promise unparalleled mission capability and efficiency, offering IndiGo unprecedented options as it enters the next phase of its growth.

The airline ordering for wide-body aircraft will strengthen its fleet.

IndiGo’s strategic partnership with Airbus reaches new heights with this order, further enhancing the depth, breadth, and size of their relationship. Similarly, the collaboration with Rolls Royce marks the beginning of a promising long-term association.

With deliveries expected to commence from 2027, the exact configuration of the aircraft will be determined later. Additionally, IndiGo holds Purchase Rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft, providing flexibility for future expansion.

This announcement comes on the heels of IndiGo’s remarkable performance in 2023, during which it welcomed 100 million customers onboard its flights. As one of the fastest-growing airlines globally, this order will fuel IndiGo’s trajectory of growth and expansion.

Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, expressed his excitement on this moment, emphasising its significance for both the airline and Indian aviation. He reiterated IndiGo’s commitment to being India’s preferred airline and contributing to the nation’s growth.

The milestone was celebrated on Thursday at InterGlobe’s Corporate Headquarters in Gurgaon, in the presence of key executives from IndiGo, Airbus, and Rolls Royce. Looking ahead, IndiGo will host a conference call on April 30 to provide further insights into this strategic development.

IndiGo’s investment in wide-body aircraft aligns with the Indian government’s vision of positioning the country as a global aviation hub by 2030. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday.

According to the sources, the final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week. Phase 2 of the elections are scheduled for April 26. In this phase Wayanad from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting will go to the polls. 

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.                

As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Congress will contest 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state.

Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress is also contesting on Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur.

Earlier, posters featuring Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared outside the party’s office on Wednesday in the Gauriganj area of Amethi. This raised speculations of a possible ticket for Vadra. 

However, the Congress appears to be wanting to put up a fight for every seat that it is contesting and has thus decided on fielding the Gandhi sibling. Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. 

However, Rahul Gandhi will not find the going easy in his erstwhile bastion as Union Minister Smriti Irani has been campaigning extensively in the constituency. On April 8, the Union Minister questioned Rahul Gandhi’s loyalty to Amethi. 

“BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest elections from Amethi. PM Narendra Modi sends ration to 19 lakh citizens in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, if the Gandhi family is against Narendra Modi, so these 19 lakh citizens who are getting free ration, what will the Gandhi family say to these families?… I went to Wayanad a few days ago and got the information that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family…Yesterday a Congress leader said that Rahul Gandhi chose Wayanad because Rahul Gandhi says that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. So what about the loyalty of Amethi,” she said in a news conference.

Rae Bareli is a Congress bastion since 1960 with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by poll. With Sonia moving to the upper house, the Congress is likely to field Priyanka Gandhi who is a general secretary in the party.  (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

The successful completion of the Rs 18,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO) marks the beginning of Vodafone Idea 2.0, which will stage a “smart turnaround”, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said.

Birla praised PM Modi and telecom minister Ashwani Vaishnav for a conducive policy environment which encourages investment, innovation, and competition, at Vodafone Idea’s FPO listing at NSE today, April 25.

“The emphatic oversubscription of the FPO – with the overall book being subscribed seven times and the institutional book being subscribed 19 times — demonstrates the tremendous potential of the India digital story and Vodafone Idea’s role in it,” Birla said. ” I believe that a revitalised Vodafone Idea is important for India.”

Birla highlighted the government’s support in preserving a competitive three-player market and committed to remain in this sector.

“The Aditya Birla Group had remained committed to this sector for over two and a half decades now. Along with our partner, Vodafone Group, we have invested around Rs.1,70,000 crore in the Indian telecom industry. Before this FPO, in the last five years, out of Rs.30,000 crore raised by the company, more than 75 percent has come from the two promoter groups,” Birla said.

The proceeds of the fundraise will be used for technological upgradation of its telecom network. “This, in turn, will enhance operational efficiencies and lead to better performance. The cycle of investment will trigger the cycle of growth.

Praising investors and banks Birla said it is a beginning of Vodafone-Idea 2.0 “On the back of this fundraise and continued support from banks, Vodafone Idea will stage a smart turnaround. This moment, in some ways, marks the beginning of Vodafone Idea 2.0. I believe that a revitalized Vodafone Idea is important for India,”

“The robust engagement from both foreign and domestic investors is heartening. Notably, the full subscription of the retail portion is truly commendable, given the sheer scale of the offer.”

Birla said that Vodafone Idea is a “national asset” with 215 million users, about 8000 MHz spectrum and a network that spans Kashmir to Kanyakumari…. India’s digital economy is booming, and robust telecom networks are crucial to support this growth. A nation of 1.4 billion people deserves 3 private telecom players. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

As speculation over Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj seat deepens, sitting MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment of female wrestlers, said on Wednesday that there are 99.9 per cent chances that he will contest from the seat.

The BJP, which has declared its candidates for the majority of the seats in Uttar Pradesh, has so far not announced its candidate for the Kaiserganj seat.

Brij Bhushan Singh said, “I am not a candidate right now. But the BJP has no contest on the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Last time, victory was won by more than 2 lakh votes; this time, the workers have given a slogan of 5 lakh votes. If God has decided this, what can I do? But I am a strong contender, so I will contest 99.9 per cent, 0.1 per cent would remain.”

Further, the sitting MP said that even if the party announced the candidate just an hour prior, people would make him win.

“The Party believes that Kaisarganj is a seat of the BJP. Even if they announce the name of candidate just an hour prior, the people of the state will make the BJP candidate win. Has the party denied me a ticket? Has the party released a list that does not have my name? Kaisarganj is one among the 400 seats. PM Modi doesn’t need to contemplate Kaisarganj, I would like to tell him that we will begin (the victory) from here. Rahul ji and Priyanka will have no impact on Purvanchal. People of Kaisarganj will get good news suddenly. The entire region will be happy,” Brij Bhushan added.

Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat will vote on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election.

In the 2019 election, Brij Bhushan secured 5,81,358 votes.

Chandradev Ram Yadav from BSP got 3,19,757 while Congress candidate Vinay Kumar Pandey got 3,7132 votes. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi enjoys abusing him but people should not be angry about it adding that since centuries “Naamdars” have abused “Kaamdars”.

Addressing an election rally in Morena, Prime Minister Modi said, “Congress’ Shehzada enjoys abusing Modi. People on social media are saying that this language is not right. People are getting upset about it. I am appealing to them that you don’t have to be sad. They are Naamdar and we are Kaamdar. Naamdars have been abusing kaamdars for centuries. I have come out from poverty if again I get abused, then let it be. Don’t waste your time.”

Prime Minister was responding to the language used by Rahul Gandhi against him.

“The moment I talked about X-Ray, Narendra Modi was in fear. He started trembling. Jaise hi usko dar lagta hai vo jhoot bolne lagta hai. (Whenever he is in fear, he starts lying). Sometimes he talks about China, then Pakistan. He is lying repeatedly. Is baar nahi nikalpaega (This time he won’t be able to escape),” Rahul Gandhi had said at a public meeting on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Modi said that for the Congress ‘Gandhi family’ comes before the development of the nation.

“Nothing is greater than the country for BJP. But for Congress, it is family first. Congress’ policy is to keep the one who makes the maximum contribution, hard work and dedication for the country at the back. Therefore, for so many years, Congress did not allow the demands of army personnel like One Rank-One Pension to be fulfilled. We implemented One Rank-One Pension as soon as the government was formed,” he said.

He also said that Madhya Pradesh became a ‘Bimaru Rajya’ during Congress’ rule.

“After filling the potholes of Congress, the BJP has given a new identity to Chambal and Madhya Pradesh. The people of Bhind, Morena and Gwalior, who have seen the dark period of the Congress, are experiencing the development that has taken place under the BJP government more,” the PM said.

“The people of Madhya Pradesh know that once you get rid of a problem, you should stay away from it. Congress party is such an anti-development party,” he added.

Prime Minister further mentioned that Congress accepted the partition of the country on religious lines.

“Congress still does not want to improve their habits. For them, it is the easiest way of success. They are playing games. They have made religion appeasement as their pawn and are now playing with the future of the country,” he said.

Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19.

The next three phases will be conducted on April 26, May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. Out of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP secured a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, winning 28 out of the 29 seats. Congress managed to win only one seat. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest the general elections from Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency, the party said on Wednesday, just days after it declared Tej Pratap Yadav as its candidate from the seat.

The Party, in a post on X, said that the SP Chief will file his nomination from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat on Thursday.

“Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to file nomination papers as party candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha tomorrow,” it said.

Tej Pratap, a former MP from Mainpuri and nephew of Akhilesh Yadav is also the son-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is married to Lalu’s daughter Raj Laxmi Yadav.

Tej Pratap is the grandson of late SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s brother Ranveer Singh. He was Mainpuri MP from 2014 to 2019.

Akhilesh Yadav served as Lok Sabha MP from 2000-2012. He resigned from the Kannauj parliamentary seat in 2012 after he became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In 2017, his party was unable to form government in UP and he submitted his resignation to the Governor. He was elected Lok Sabha MP in 2019, and went on to be elected to the UP Assembly in 2022.

Following the UP Assembly polls, Yadav resigned as Lok Sabha MP and retained his state assembly seat.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, supplemented by two seats clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati’s BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav’s SP garnered five. Conversely, the Congress party secured only one seat. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the top 25 people in the country hold the same wealth as 70 crore Indians.

Drawing a comparison, the Congress MP said that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid by a common man and industrialist Gautam Adani is the same.

Rahul Gandhi will be seeking his second term from the Wayanad constituency in Kerala, which goes to polling in the second phase of elections on April 26.

Addressing the public meeting in Maharashtra’s Solapur, Rahul Gandhi said, “1 per cent of people in India have 40 per cent of the nation’s wealth and that’s why the unemployment is rising. They (Centre) did demonetisation saying that they would eliminate the ‘black money’, but it ended up benefitting only those 22-25 people. They implemented the ‘wrong’ GST, five different taxes, they put a tax on farmers…whether you (people) know this or not but the GST that you pay, Adani pays the same.”

He further alleged that 25 rich people in the country have been given benefits of Rs 16 lakh crore with loan waivers.

“Narendra Modi has given Rs 16 lakhs crores to 25 rich people in the country by waiving off their loans. Rs 16 lakh crore is equal to the MNREGA allocation of 24 years…the situation has reached an extent that on one hand are PM Modi’s 25 rich people and on the other hand there are 70 crore Indians with the same wealth”.

The former Congress President further asserted that this is not an ‘ordinary’ election, alleging that the BJP wants to “destroy” the Constitution after returning to power.

“This is not an ordinary election. First time after independence, there is a party that wants to destroy the Constitution. Their target is not to win the election but to destroy the Constitution. And our target, Congress party’s and INDIA bloc’s target is to save the Constitution and the democracy in the country,” he said.

Stating that all the benefits to the poor are ensured by the Constitution, he further vowed that “no power in the world” can change the Constitution.

“Whatever progress has happened in the country, whatever the poor, backwards have received, it is because of the Constitution. If they (BJP) destroy the Constitution nothing will be left for the poor, farmers, labourers,” the Congress leader said.

“This is the first election where the BJP and its leaders have openly said that after winning the elections, they will change the Constitution. But, I want to assure everyone, that there exists no power in the world that can change the Constitution of India,” he added.

Taking to social media platform X, about his public meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi is “trembling” out of fear and he knows that the elections have slipped out of his hands.

“Narendra Modi is trembling in fear of defeat! That’s why he is continuously saying one lie after the other. He knows that the people of India have understood that Narendra Modi is the leader of the billionaires, not of the poor. He knows that the people of India have stood up to protect the Constitution. He knows that the election has slipped out of his hands,” he posted.

नरेंद्र मोदी हार के डर से कांप रहे हैं!

इसीलिए वो लगातार एक के बाद एक, झूठ बोल रहे हैं।

वो जानते हैं कि हिंदुस्तान की जनता समझ गयी है कि नरेंद्र मोदी अरबपतियों के नेता हैं, गरीबों के नहीं,

वो जानते हैं कि हिंदुस्तान की जनता संविधान की रक्षा के लिए खड़ी हो गयी है।

वो जानते हैं… pic.twitter.com/PD5OWGAgLN

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 24, 2024

The polls for the five parliamentary seats in Maharashtra were held in the first phase of polling on April 19.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four.

Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, the Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP. The NCP also split with Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar joining the BJP-led NDA.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “panicked” after seeing the Congress’ “revolutionary” manifesto.

“So did you like the Congress manifesto? You must have seen that the Prime Minister has panicked. It is a revolutionary manifesto,” Rahul Gandhi said while speaking at Social Justice conclave organised by the Congress in Delhi.

Rahul alleged that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre transferred crores of rupees to a few billionaires and said that the Congress manifesto talks about returning a small amount of that money to the people who are at the bottom pyramid of income and wealth distribution.

“There is mention of x-ray (caste census) and income inequality created by Modi ji. The Congress will return a small amount of money to 90% of the people of the country from the Rs 16 lakh crore given to the 22 people by Narendra Modi,” he said

His comment was in the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi’s criticism that the Congress manifesto smacks of appeasement and that if it came to power, it would redistribute people’s wealth and also give reservations to Muslims from the quota for SC, ST, and OCB communities. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Actor Varun Dhawan is celebrating his 37th birthday today. He treated fans with a sneak peek of his birthday celebration.

Taking to Instagram, Varun shared a series of pictures of him and his family.

The first picture captured Varun posing happily with his birthday cake placed in front of him.

In the next photo, Varun’s mother, Karuna Dhawan is seen giving a warm hug to her son.

The third image shows Varun’s niece Niyara sitting in front of their home temple.

His pet dog, Joey also joined the celebration and posed with Varun’s mom.

Varun also shared his excitement for his new movie and expressed gratitude for receiving love on his big day.

“Growing, learning and yet trying to stay the same thank u for all the wonderful wishes and love. P.s – I ate very lil bit of that cake since I start a new movie. very soon so very excited about that !!!!”

As soon as the post was uploaded, Varun’s fans and industry friends flooded the comment section with wishes.

Shraddha Kapoor wrote, “Happy Bday Babdulal Main hoon na, I will eat a lot of cake from your side.”

Dia Mirza commented, “Happy Birthday the best boy. Be you and be true as always! Love love love.”

Malaika Arora dropped a wish, which read, “Happy happy birthday Varun Dhawan.”

Jacqueliene Fernandez posted, ” happy bdayyyyyy.”

Varun Dhawan and his wife Natasha Dalal recently celebrated their impending parenthood with a cosy baby shower attended by close friends and family. The couple, who announced their pregnancy in February with an endearing Instagram post, have been inundated with love and blessings from fans ever since.

Varun tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Natasha on January 24, 2021. The wedding was a close-knit affair with very few guests in attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Varun will be seen in the upcoming action thriller film ‘Baby John’. ‘Baby John’ is directed by A Kaleeswaran. Atlee is presenting the film in association with Jio Studios and Cine1 Studios.

He will also be seen in the Indian adaptation of the Hollywood series ‘Citadel’ opposite actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

It is an Indian adaptation of the Russo Brothers’ series of the same name. Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden headlined the international version. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Preity Zinta is set to make a comeback to Bollywood in the upcoming film ‘Lahore 1947’ alongside veteran actor Sunny Deol.

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, this project marks a significant milestone for Preity as she returns to the silver screen after a hiatus.

The ‘Veer Zaara’ actor gave fans a delightful sneak peek into the film’s production with a series of behind-the-scenes photos shared on social media.

Expressing her excitement, Preity posted snapshots from the film set, offering fans a glimpse into the world of ‘Lahore 1947’.

Sharing a photo of the film’s clapperboard, Preity captioned it with a simple yet powerful statement, “On set for Lahore 1947.”

Another image featured the actress sharing a candid moment with director Rajkumar Santoshi, hinting at the camaraderie behind the scenes.

The announcement of Preity Zinta’s return to Bollywood has sparked a wave of enthusiasm among her fans. Eagerly anticipating her comeback, fans flooded social media with expressions of joy and anticipation.

From labeling her as the “queen” of Bollywood to expressing their eagerness to witness her on the big screen again, fans have been vocal about their excitement in the comments section.

‘Lahore 1947’, produced under Aamir Khan’s banner, marks a significant collaboration between Sunny Deol and Aamir Khan’s Productions.

The film was officially announced last October, garnering attention for its star-studded cast and promising storyline.

Adding to the anticipation, veteran actor Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal has also joined the cast of ‘Lahore 1947’ in a pivotal role.

The movie will also feature Sunny Deol sharing screen space with his elder son Karan Deol. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/