Political Parties

Influencers hog limelight in poll season; Rajasthan govt notifies ad rates

Both govts and political parties woo them for campaigns; Rajasthan govt notifies ad rates

10 regional parties received Rs 852 cr via electoral bonds: ADR report

Ten regional parties, including the DMK, BJD, YSR Congress, JDU and the AAP, have declared receiving Rs Rs 852.88 crore donations through electoral bonds in 2021-22, according to an NGO working for electoral reforms. The total income of 36 regional parties for the financial year was Rs 1,213 crore, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in a report, citing official data. The report analysed the total income and expenditure incurred by 36 out of 54 regional parties during 2021-22, as declared by these parties in their audit reports submitted to the Election Commission on India. "Ten regional parties -- DMK, BJD, TRS, YSR-Congress, JDU, SP, AAP, SAD, MGP and TDP -- have declared receiving donations through electoral bonds worth Rs 852.88 crore...for 2021-22," it said. The TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) has subsequently renamed as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. The party is in power in Telangana. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is currently in power in Tamil Nadu

Though not a poor state, Karnataka can ill-afford election freebies

The state's committed liabilities are projected to rise to 60% in FY'24 from 55% in the previous year

Political malice do not benefit country: BSP on Rahul's disqualification

A day after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Parliament, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Saturday referred to the Emergency as she took a swipe at both the Congress and the BJP, saying political malice and hatred had not benefited the country in the past and neither will in the future. She said the Congress must think whether what happened during the Emergency in 1975 and what is happening now with its leader Rahul Gandhi are justified. In a series of tweets, Mayawati said the Congress earlier and the BJP government now, due to their "politics of extreme selfishness", hardly focussed on public welfare and removal of serious problems of poverty, unemployment and backwardness. "It is very sad and unfortunate," she said in a tweet in Hindi. "Political malice, hatred, etc. towards each other have neither benefited the country in the past nor is it going to benefit it in the future," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. She said it is clear that had successi

14 parties move SC over action of probe agencies against Oppn leaders

"We are asking for pre- and post-arrest guidelines. Today the CBI and ED are used against us," Singhvi told the court

Why a WSJ writer considers BJP 'most important foreign political party'?

"For the foreseeable future the BJP will be calling the shots in a country without whose help American efforts to balance rising Chinese power are likely to fall short," it said

Discontent in party not sufficient for governor to call for floor test: SC

Calling for a trust vote merely on the ground of differences between MLAs of a ruling party can topple an elected government, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday, adding the governor of a state cannot lend his office to effectuate a particular result. "It will be a sad spectacle for democracy," a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said while taking forward the hearing on the events that unfolded during the June 2022 Maharashtra political crisis triggered by a revolt in the then undivided Shiv Sena by MLAs loyal to Eknath Shinde. The bench made the observations after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Maharashtra governor, narrated the sequence of events and said there were various materials before the governor including a letter signed by 34 Shiv Sena MLAs, a letter from Independent lawmakers withdrawing support to the Uddhav Thackeray government, and another of the Leader of the Opposition that prompted him to order a trust ...

Election Commission to hold peace meetings in Tripura ahead of poll results

The Chief Election Officer, Kiran Gitte told ANI that they had meetings with all political parties in this regard

Congress will set up National Election Fund: Draft political resolution

The draft noted that the Congress would build the widest possible consensus with all like-minded political parties to take up the issue with the Election Commission

Parties in arbitration proceedings must learn to accept awards: SC judge

Parties involved in arbitration proceedings must learn to accept the arbitral award, instead of carrying on a battle through multi-tiered scrutiny, Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said on Sunday while hailing the fact that virtual court hearings have raised the level of efficiency. Justice Kaul said it is necessary to utilise the virtual system for which a vast infrastructure has been created and a large amount of money sanctioned by the government. "Parties must learn to accept (arbitral) awards and unfortunately, the public sector more so requires this and there is no need to carry a battle through two or three-tier scrutiny just to complete the formality. I think that is something I am sure the law minister will look into," the apex court judge said while speaking at the concluding session of the four-day "Delhi Arbitration Weekend". Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was the chief guest at the concluding session. Justice Kaul said the international arbitration ...

Party constitutions should have fair mechanism to settle disputes: EC

The Election Commission on Friday lamented that party constitutions are often "mutilated" to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office-bearers without any election at all. While delivering its final order allotting the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the poll panel also observed that the constitutions of political parties ought to provide for free, fair and transparent election of office-bearers. It also stressed on a free and fair procedure for the resolution of internal disputes. "These procedures ought to be difficult to amend and should be amendable only after ensuring a larger support of the organisational members for the same," it said. It said that by the time a dispute comes to the Commission, the party constitutions are often seen to have been mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office-bearers without any election at all. Such party structures fail

Google to discontinue spam backdoor for political campaign groups

Google plans to discontinue a pilot programme that let some political campaign emails bypass spam filters in Gmail at the end of this month, the media reported

Modi govt does not discriminate people on political lines, says Javadekar

He also accused Pinarayi Vijayan-led State government of having the "habit of appropriating what PM Modi has done" in the southern state

People to decide future of Janardhan Reddy's new party: Karnataka Minister

"This is a democratic country and everyone has the opportunity to establish political parties here. Janardhan Reddy has formed a new political party along the same lines," said the Minister

A question of transitivity: Why predicting electoral outcomes is hazardous

Voter behaviour is as unpredictable as the crow on a tree. You don't know in which direction it will fly off

Walk for an India where no one lives in fear, says Rahul Gandhi on BJY

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre and said that Bharat Jodo Yatra is a "walk for an India where no one lives in fear"

Nepal's govt formation likely to be delayed as parties fail to end impasse

Nepal's major political parties failed to break an impasse over the formation of a new government as a crucial five-party alliance meeting aimed at striking a deal for power sharing ended inconclusively here on Saturday, a day ahead of the deadline set by the president. President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday called on all the political parties of Nepal to form a new government within seven days, as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba discussed the power-sharing deal with the coalition partner Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. As no single party got a majority in the House of Representatives (HoR) election held on November 20, the president has called for submitting a claim by a member of the HoR who can garner a majority with support from two or more parties, as stipulated in the Article 76 clause 2 of the Constitution. The deadline for submission of the claim is 5 pm on December 25, according to a statement issued by the Office of the President. Inter-party consultations and ...

PFI has links with Al Qaeda, leaders in touch with terror group: NIA report

In a report filed before a Kerala court, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed that the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) has links with the Al Qaeda

AAP used excise scam to generate illegal funds, caused Rs 2,873 cr loss: ED

The ED has claimed in its charge sheet before a court here that the Delhi Excise Policy, which caused total loss of Rs 2,873 crore to govt exchequer, was a device created by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, some of who are part of Delhi government, to generate illegal funds. In its first charge sheet filed in the scam, the agency alleged that the constitution of expert committee and calling of public opinion were merely eyewash and their reports were never to be implemented. The policy was formulated with deliberate loopholes, inbuilt mechanism to facilitate illegal activities and is marred with inconsistencies which when looked deeply, reflect malafide intentions of the policymakers, it alleged. This policy promoted cartel formations through back door, awarded exorbitant wholesale (12 per cent) and huge retail profit margin of 185% and incentivized other illegal activities on account of criminal and political conspiracy of leaders of AAP, it alleged, adding that the 12 per cent profi

Vote counting for Fiji's general election finishes with no clear winner

Vote counting finished in Fiji's general election on Sunday but there was no clear winner, and various political parties are now negotiating to form a coalition government. The election had pitted two former coup leaders against each other. Sitiveni Rabuka, who led a coup back in 1987 and later served as an elected prime minister in the 1990s, emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who has held power for the past 16 years. Rabuka's People's Alliance Party and allies the National Federation Party won about 45 per cent of the vote combined. Bainimarama's Fiji's First party, meanwhile, won about 43 per cent. That has left both sides seeking to form a coalition with the Social Democrat Liberal Party. The liberal party's general secretary Lenaitasi Duru told media they were having meetings with both sides. The first round of negotiations was done yesterday, Duru said. "We are expecting more negotiations later this afternoon. He said the party's priorities