Page 5 - Elections

No proposal under consideration to allow proxy voting for NRIs: Govt

No proposal is under consideration of the government to provide proxy voting facility to NRIs, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. "...no such proposal is under consideration," said Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in a written reply while responding to a question on whether the government is considering to provide the facility of proxy voting to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). In August, 2018, the previous Lok Sabha had passed a bill to allow proxy voting rights to eligible overseas Indians. But the bill could not be brought in Rajya Sabha. In 2020, the Election Commission had proposed to the Law Ministry to extend the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility, so far available only to service voters, to eligible overseas Indian voters as well. It would require changes in the election rules. But the government has so far not taken a call on the issue. The EC had told the government that it has been receiving several representations from the Indian diaspora residing abr

Simultaneous elections can save exchequer's money, says Kiren Rijiju

With elections becoming a big budget affair, the exchequer's money can be saved if Lok Sabha and assembly polls are held simultaneously, the government said on Thursday.

86 govt employees served notice for skipping duty in UP's Khatauli bypolls

A total of 86 state government employees here have been issued show-cause notices by authorities for being absent from election duty during the recent by-polls in Khatauli. On December 5, voting took place in the Khatauli Assembly constituencies and the results were declared on December 8. Sandeep Bhagiya, the Chief Development Officer (CDO), who was also the in-charge of the election duty told reporters on Wednesday that the show cause notices have been issued against 86 employees who were found absent from the poll duty. They have been asked to respond for the same till December 21. The employees were found absent at the time of dispatching of the polling parties on December 4, a day before polling. "Departmental action, including adverse entry and salary deduction, will be ordered against them in absence of suitable response," the CDO said.

India and UK look to fast-track free trade agreement negotiations

Sixth round of negotiations begins in New Delhi after a four-month hiatus

BJP gives free ration only when it needs votes, says Akhilesh Yadav

The BJP only provides free ration when it wants people's votes and the benefits vanish as soon as elections are over, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday. Referring to the BJP's defeat in the Mainpuri parliamentary and the Khatauli assembly bypolls, he said the saffron party faced public anger. "When the BJP wants people's votes, it gives free ration, oil, gram, jaggery and salt. But when it gets the votes, it stops giving free ration," he told reporters. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief was in Mathura with wife Dimple Yadav and their children to pay obeisance at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan on Sunday evening. This was their first visit to the temple after Dimple Yadav's victory in the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll. Launching a scathing attack at the BJP, he alleged that barring "some rich friends", it wanted to make everyone poor and was working on these policies. Akhilesh Yadav made a 'swastik' sign near the temple and prayed for the wellbeing, progress, ...

A new legislation for women's representation: The need of the hour

Bifurcating constituencies into two separate sections - each to be represented by a man and a woman respectively - can be accomplished within a few months

BJP to win, secure 404 seats in 2024 Lok Sacha elections: GVL Narasimha Rao

BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao on Saturday said that the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections are a testimony that Narendra Modi will return as the Prime Minister for the third time in 2024

Country's unity above win or loss in elections: Cong leader Salman Khurshid

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has said winning or losing elections is not important but what is important is the unity of the country. On his party's defeat in the just concluded Gujarat assembly elections, he said the Congress' vote went to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and termed it a matter of concern. Khurshid, who arrived here on Saturday to flag off the regional 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', attacked the Modi government and said the need for this yatra has arisen because the country is getting divided and the distance between people is increasing. "It is more important to unite the country. It is not necessary whether you win or lose the election," he told reporters. On the defeat in Gujarat, Khurshid said, "Our vote got transferred to AAP, so losing is not a matter of concern, what is the matter of concern is to find out how our vote went to Kejriwal?" Warning the BJP of any misadventure -- hinting at horse trading -- in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress leader said if the saffron

BS Views of the week: Election outcomes, inflation, RBI rate hike, and more

There's upside potential in Cement sector as prices rise across regions

Analysts expect H2 to be better and infra spending to be hiked in the Budget; benign energy prices and demand improvement are other triggers

Himachal poll result 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: Cong wins 40 seats, BJP settles at 25

Himachal Pradesh election result 2022: Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP. Stay tuned for Himachal Pradesh Assembly election result LIVE updates

Election results 2022: BJP breaks records in Gujarat, Cong wins Himachal

AAP becomes national party after winning 12% vote share, 5 seats in Gujarat

Winning ways

There is space for alternative political narrative

Rise of 2 new parties in Nepal ends monopoly of traditional forces

The recently concluded election in Nepal has witnessed two new parties - Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party - entering into Parliament from the Terai or Madhes region, ending the monopoly of the two traditional parties in the southern plains bordering India. In fact, the combined strength of both the traditional forces of Terai - Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) led by Upendra Mahato and Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) led by Mahantha Thakur - has been reduced by 50 per cent in the just concluded polls. Five years ago, the two Terai-based parties had a combined strength of 33 in the House of Representatives. However, their combined strength has been reduced to just 16 seats, with the emergence of two new political parties in the region. In the recent election, JSP has bagged seven seats under direct voting and it will get five more seats under proportionate voting. Similarly, LSP has won just 4 seats but it would not get any seat under proportionate voting as the party failed to

MCD polls: Counting of votes for 250 wards to begin at 8 am today

The counting of votes for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi election will be held to decide the winner of the civic polls where the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party face each other

Here is what exit polls predict for Gujarat, Himachal, Delhi civic body

The outcome of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections will be declared on December 8 while Delhi civic body reults will be declared on December 7

Chhattisgarh by-polls 2022: Voting begins in Bhanupratappur on Monday

Amid heavy security, polling for the byelections in Maoist-hit Bhanupratappur Assembly constituency of Chhattisgarh will be held on Monday. Seven candidates are in the fray for the bypolls in the constituency, which is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. The byelection has been necessitated after the death of Congress MLA and Deputy Assembly Speaker Manoj Singh Mandavi due to a heart attack on October 16. All preparations have been completed for conducting a free and fair byelection in Bhanupratappur on December 5. The polling time is from 7 am to 3 pm," an official said here on Sunday. According to poll officials, 1,95,678 voters, of which 95,186 men, 1,00,491 women and one third gender person will exercise their franchise. A total of 356 polling stations have been set up, of which 239 are in rural areas and the rest in the urban part of the constituency, they said. The counting of votes will take place on December 8. Polling parties were dispatched to their respective booths on

MCD polls today: Delhi set for three-way contest among BJP, AAP and Cong

As voters will throng the polling stations today to exercise their franchise in the elections to the 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, setting the stage for the high-stakes civic polls

Gujarat Assembly polls: Over 60% voter turnout recorded in Phase 1

A voter turnout of 60.48 per cent was recorded in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections which covered 89 constituencies of Saurashtra-Kutch and south Gujarat region. This was 8 per cent le

Gujarat Assembly elections 2022: BJP's prestige battle to defend its turf

Not just as the home state of PM Narendra Modi, but also as a major producing and exporting state known for its trade and enterprise, Gujarat holds a special place for all political parties