Elections

While markets eye both economic and political issues, in the medium-to-long term, analysts believe election results do not matter much

Amid the arrival of a number of new electronic voting machines in Odisha, the state chief electoral officer (CEO) D N Gupta Friday has asked the media to refrain from speculations about early state Assembly poll. The CEO's office said in a statement that there is no connection between EVMs being supplied to the state and timing of the state poll, which is held simultaneously with Lok Sabha electtion. EVMs have a life span. The factory-made machines are being supplied to different states, including Odisha for use in future elections, the statement said. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier dropped hints about early polls in Odisha. The arrival of a batch of 8200 new EVMs in the first phase from Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad to the state on Tuesday triggered speculation in the media about early Assembly election in the coastal state. Representatives of different political parties were present when the EVMs arrived at the Puri ...

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said there will be change of power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh deciding the "destiny" of the country. He also slammed the Union government for its "silence" on China despite the latter's "incursions". "There will definitely be change of power in the country after 2024. I can say this very confidently," Raut, a key aide of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, said while being interviewed at an event here. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party's "real power" was in instigating Hindu-Muslim riots and creating an atmosphere of tension between India and Pakistan for electoral gains. Slamming the Union government's silence on China, he said, "Then why not create atmosphere of tension between India and China because China has made incursions into the country." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have not utte

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday alleged that communal violence was on the table for the BJP with the 2024 general elections approaching, and recent incidents in West Bengal and Gujarat were a "trailer." Violence and arson was reported from West Bengal's Howrah district after clashes broke out between two groups during Ram Navami festivities, with the BJP and the TMC trading barbs over it. Violence during Ram Navami festivities on Thursday was also reported from Gujarat and Maharashtra. In a tweet, Sibal said, "As we approach 2024. For the BJP, on the table: 1) communal violence 2) hate speech 3) baiting minorities 4) target opposition by use of ED, CBI, election commission. Trailer: Burning of Bengal, stoking communal violence in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat." Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and 2 regimes, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support. Sibal recently floa

Karnataka will for polls on May 10. Votes, as per the Election Commission schedule, will be counted on May 13

The far-right politician's return is also for the first time since his supporters stormed the SC, Congress and presidential palace on Jan 8, which came weeks after weeks after protests

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked BJP workers in Jharkhand to pull up their socks and work sincerely for the victory of the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Das the BJP national vice president told the party workers to interact with people across the division and make them aware about the welfare schemes launched by the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing BJP workers on Saturday, Das stressed the need for strengthening booth level committees to win polls. He alleged that the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand has "failed" to deliver on all fronts. The former CM alleged that no work is done in Jharkhand without 'cut money'. BJP Jharkhand unit president Deepak Prakash said the party has dedicated workers and they will help the saffron party to win the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with their hard work.

The High Court of Karnataka directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to rectify discrepancies in the voters list of the Shivajinagar and Shantinagar Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru to ensure free and fair elections. Disposing of two petitions filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and one of its party workers, the High Court recently directed the Election Commission to act swiftly and complete the process before March 26. "The Commission must bear in mind that these discrepancies are to be rectified for the conduct of elections to be free and fair. Elections being free and fair is of paramount essence in a democracy. In fact, it is the lifeblood of a democracy, Justice M Nagaprasanna said in the common judgment on both petitions. The BJP in its petition regarding Shivajinagar constituency contended that its complaints and representations about voter discrepancies have not been considered. It was contended that voters who are either dead or have shifted out of the constitue

The electoral bond scheme was implemented by the Centre in 2018 as a source of political funding

Remember that in elections and in cricket, it's never over till it's over. The oddest combinations of factors can make bookmakers look foolish

Altogether 42 candidates are in the fray for the first Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) polls in Mizoram on March 29, officials said Thursday. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded 11 candidates each, while the BJP is contesting in nine wards, they said. More than 40,000 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the municipal elections. Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm, the officials said. Counting of votes will be undertaken on April 3. LMC was created by the MNF government headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga in 2022. It is the second municipal council in the state after the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC). There are 11 seats in the LMC, of which four are reserved for women.

The State Election Commission of Nagaland on Thursday announced that it will hold polls to 39 Urban Local Bodies (ULB) after almost two decades on May 16 with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women, one of the contentious issues blamed for the situation. The newly formed Nagaland Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio during its first meeting on Tuesday had deliberated on the conduct of the ULB elections by May this year with 33 per cent women reservation as directed by the Supreme Court. Subsequently, State Election Commissioner (SEC) T Mhabemo Yanthan announced that the elections to constitute three municipal councils and 36 town councils in the state with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women will be held on May 16. Notifying the election programme, he said filing of nominations will start on April 3 and end on April 10. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on April 12 and 13 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 24. Votes will be counted

Sri Lanka's election commission on Monday said that the new date for the cash-strapped country's local election will be announced after receiving a guarantee from the Treasury on the funds required to hold it. The local body polls scheduled for March 9 were postponed due to a plethora of reasons linked to the country's current economic crisis. We have asked to meet the Treasury Secretary, the inspector general of police and the government printer," the chair of the independent Election Commission Nimal Punchihewa said on Monday. The new date will be announced with a guarantee from the Treasury on the money required to hold it. The meeting follows last week's order by the Supreme Court on the Secretary Treasury to release the budgetary allocation made for conducting of the poll for 340 local councils in the 2023 budget. The election to appoint new administrations to 340 local councils for a four-year term has been postponed since March last year due to the ongoing economic crisis.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Partynational convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of looting Chhattisgarh for the last 23 years and appealed people to give a chance to his party in the state to rid it of corruption and 'mafia raj'. Sounding the poll bugle for the Assembly elections scheduled in Chhattisgarh this year-end, he also asked people to keep their children's future in mind before casting their votes. He was addressing a rally of AAP workers at Jora ground on the outskirts of the capital Raipur. Kejriwal hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he loves industrialist Gautam Adani like his 'muh-bola' brother and is handing over everything in the country to him. Calling Manish Sisodia, who was recently arrested in Delhi excise policy case, a 'sant' (saint) and 'mahatma' (great soul), he said PM Modi will face the curse of students and poor people in Delhi for putting him in jail. "Chhattisgarh is a mineral-rich ..

History was scripted in Nagaland on Thursday when the state elected its first women legislators in its 60 years of statehood. The two women lawmakers - Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) are greenhorns in politics but defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats respectively. By virtue of the result of her constituency being declared earlier in the day, Jakhalu became the first woman MLA in the Nagaland Assembly. She defeated her nearest rival and sitting MLA Azheto Zhimomi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) by 1,536 votes. The victory is not mine alone, it belongs to my people who trusted me with their hopes and aspirations. I dedicate this victory to God and pledge to serve my constituents with honesty and integrity, Jakhalu tweeted. A lawyer by education and social entrepreneur by profession, she is also the founder and chair of YouthNet Nagaland, an organisation working for the uplift

The maiden alliance of the Left and the Congress in Tripura and the emergence of TIPRA Motha as a dominant force in tribal seats did not prove enough to topple the BJP from power in the state as the ruling party's development plank and ideological resonance surmounted local factors to deliver it another victory. Among the three northeastern states that went to assembly polls, Tripura's verdict was the most keenly watched due to the high stakes for three national parties - the BJP, Congress and the Left - and the results underscored the continuity of momentum in the saffron party's favour despite the occasional setbacks it has suffered in state polls. "If our 2018 victory was an endorsement of our ideological and development agenda, the win now shows its popular acceptance," a BJP leader involved in the Tripura polls said. The party had benefited from popular anger against the Left "misrule" for 25 years in 2018 and it has now received a positive mandate for the Centre and state ...

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya won 20 seats, and was leading in five other constituencies, the Election Commission said on Thursday as results of 52 of the 59 assembly seats that went to polls on February 27 were declared. The United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged 11 constituencies, while the Congress won five seats. The Voice of the People Party (VPP) and the Trinamool Congress won four seats each, while the Mamata Banerjee-led party was ahead in one constituency. The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), the People's Democratic Front and the BJP won two seats each, while the saffron party was leading in one constituency. Two Independent candidates also emerged victorious. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was leading in the South Tura seat by a margin of 2,830 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong won Pynursla seat by 8,140 votes. Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma of the TMC won Songsak seat by a margin of 507 votes, but lost Tikrikilla constituency

Sangma expressed satisfaction and thanked people for voting for his National People's Party (NPP)

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya won 13 seats, and was leading in 12 other constituencies, the Election Commission said on Thursday as the counting of votes for the assembly elections was underway. The United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged nine constituencies and was ahead in two seats. The Congress won four seats and was leading in one constituency. The Trinamool Congress won three seats and was ahead in two other constituencies. The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) won two seats each. The VPP was ahead in two constituencies. The BJP was leading in three seats, and the People's Democratic Front in two constituencies. Two Independent candidates emerged victorious, as per the latest trends available. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was leading in the South Tura seat by a margin of 2,830 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong was leading in Pynursla seat by over 8,140 votes. State Congress president and MP Vin

AJSU party candidate Sunita Choudhary was leading by 21,960 votes over her nearest rival Bajrang Mahto of the Congress after the ninth round of counting in the Ramgarh by-election, an official said on Thursday. The AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll, got 1,04,442 votes while the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, got 82,482 after the completion of the ninth round of counting, the official said. Counting of votes for the Ramgarh assembly by-election began at 8 am at Ramgarh college, some 40 km from the state capital Ranchi, said Ramgarh SDO cum Returning officer Md Javed Hussain. A voter turnout of over 67.96 per cent was recorded in the Ramgarh assembly constituency bypoll on February 27. Though 18 candidates, including 14 Independents, were in the fray, the contest is mainly between the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, and the AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll. The by-election was necessitated after