Page 33 - Election Commission Of India

Electoral bonds used as bribe by companies for contracts: Prashant Bhushan

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Saturday labelled the electoral bonds as the biggest scam in the history of Indian democracy and alleged that they were used as bribes for contracts, shielding people from central probe agencies, manipulating policies, and influencing drug regulators. He said the Supreme Court will soon commence hearing on a petition filed before it seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into alleged quid pro quo arrangements between corporates and political parties. "The electoral bonds were used (by companies) as bribes to get contracts, to protect themselves from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI and to save themselves from drug regulators," Bhushan said. Out of the Rs 16,500-crore electoral bonds, half went to the BJP and the rest to parties like the TMC and the Congress. However, those who were not ruling did not get any money, he said. "I see that Rs 5,000-crore worth of electoral bonds were issued, resulting in the sanctioning of contracts

Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

From Jairam Ramesh hitting out at the BJP for giving a ticket to Brij Bhushan's SAon to the damage done by the dust storm in national capital on Friday, catch all the news from around the world here

Voter turnout in phase 3 of Lok Sabha elections at 65.68%, says EC

The updated voter turnout figures for the third phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections stood at 65.68 per cent, the Election Commission said on Saturday. The poll panel had given a similar voter turnout figure on May 8, a day after the third phase of voting took place. In a statement on Saturday, EC said 66.89 per cent of men, 64.4 per cent of women and 25.2 per cent of the registered transgender voters turned up at polling stations. In the third phase, 17.24 crore citizens, including 8.85 crore males and 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote. Voting for the third phase was held on Tuesday in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence. In phase three of the 2019 parliamentary polls, the turnout of voters was 68.4 per cent.

Varun Gandhi's criticism of BJP govt cost him ticket, indicates Maneka

BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Saturday indicated that her son Varun Gandhi's writings that were sometimes critical of the government may have cost him the party's Lok Sabha ticket from Pilibhit but asserted that he would do very well even without it. In an exclusive interview with PTI at her residence here, the former Union minister and BJP's Sultanpur candidate also said Varun Gandhi wants to come and campaign for her but a decision on that hasn't been taken yet. The Sultanpur seat in Uttar Pradesh goes to polls on May 25 in the sixth round of the seven-phase general elections. Polling was held in Pilibhit in the first phase on April 19. On Varun Gandhi being denied a ticket and if she felt bad as a mother, Maneka Gandhi said, "Well I can't say I was delighted but I am sure Varun will do very well even without a ticket." Asked about calls from Pilibhit that he should have been fielded from there this time also, she said, "Yes, he should have been there but the party has taken a ...

Kerala CM's foreign trip: Governor Khan 'thanks' media for information

Days after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan embarked on a three-week-long foreign tour, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday expressed his displeasure over not being informed about the trip and "thanked" the media for letting him know about it. When the media sought his reaction about the foreign trip of the CM and his family, Khan sarcastically thanked the media and said at least they had informed him about it. "I am not aware...Thank you very much for informing me...At least you have informed me," the Governor told reporters in nearby Aluva. Khan said he had earlier written to the President of India that the Raj Bhavan was "kept in the dark" about such foreign visits. "Earlier I have written..not this time..honestly I am not aware about it," the Governor added. The CM and his close family members left for various foreign destinations on May 6. While the opposition Congress and BJP had accused the CM of keeping the details of the foreign trip a "secret" and sought to kn

Contenders for Medinipur face more resistance internally than from Oppn

Medinipur is probably the only Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal where both the prime contenders, the BJP and the TMC, seem more troubled with resistance from within than from the opposition outside. Should pollsters choose to add yet another layer of political complexity to the seat, there are those who view the battle for Medinipur as that taking place between current and former TMC supporters, roughly translated into followers of party supremo Mamata Banerjee and turncoat Suvendu Adhikari, with both rooting for candidates of their choice. What could have been a cakewalk for the BJP is now an arena where the fight is thrown wide open, with the saffron camp deciding to relocate popular sitting MP and former state party president Dilip Ghosh to Bardhaman-Durgapur, replacing him with the party's state Mahila Morcha president Agnimitra Paul as its candidate for Medinipur. Paul, a Kolkata-based fashion designer and sitting Asansol Dakshin MLA, has had a meteoric rise in the BJP since she w

Lok Sabha polls Phase 4: 96 seats go to polls on May 13; all details here

Lok Sabha polls: May 13 will witness another high-stakes poll battle in the fourth stage of Lok Sabha elections in 10 states and UTs of India. A total of 96 constituencies will go to polls on Monday

LS polls: People of disputed Kotia to cast votes in both AP, Odisha

Armed with two voter cards issued by two states, over 5,500 electors of the disputed Kotia region are eligible to exercise their franchise in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha elections in the fourth phase on May 13. Twenty-one of the 28 villages of the picturesque Kotia cluster are claimed by both states and a case over the dispute has been pending with the Supreme Court since 1968. Due to the dispute, residents of Kotia get the best of both worlds since they have Aadhaar and ration cards issued by both states and receive the benefits of schemes announced by the two governments. "I will vote in both states. While the Andhra Pradesh booth is nearer, the one established by Odisha for our village is at Ransingh, and to reach there we have to trek a few miles. Nevertheless, we will participate in polls of both states," Tamal Kanaya, a resident of Tadivalsa village, said. "We are not bothered about the dispute between the two states. We vote in both states because we benefit from the sche

INDIA bloc leaders meet EC over voter turnout data, allege MCC violations

Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc will meet the Election Commission on Thursday over their demand to promptly release the absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls after each phase, sources said. They will also raise the issue of alleged "use of religious symbols" by the BJP in their campaign, they said. The sources said leaders from the INDIA bloc will meet the full bench of the Election Commission of India on Thursday afternoon, submit a memorandum and also discuss the issues with the poll panel. INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have written to the poll panel separately so far, expressing concern over the alleged "delay" in the release of the voter turnout data in the first two phases. Amid the opposition's allegations, the poll body had asserted that booth-wise data of the "actual number of votes polled" is available with the candidates soon after the voting ends. In a statement iss

TMC to file complaint with EC against NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma

The Trinamool Congress on Friday said it will file a formal complaint with the Election Commission against National Commission for Women's chairperson Rekha Sharma over allegations of atrocities on women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. NCW had recommended to President Droupadi Murmu that President's rule be imposed in West Bengal over alleged violence and atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. "TMC will go to the Election Commission against Rekha Sharma, who is the chairperson of National Commission for Women," West Bengal minister and TMC spokesperson Shashi Panja said. Some videos on Sandeshkhali went viral which were shared by TMC. PTI did not verify the authenticity of the videos shared by TMC. Panja said that the TMC has already filed complaints against BJP and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari before the EC over such allegations.

Polls contest between vote for development and 'vote for jihad': Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the 2024 election is Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi and that it is a contest between vote for development and "vote for jihad". Addressing an election rally in Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency of Telangana, he said the election is between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Bharatiya guarantee" against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Chinese guarantee". Describing the Congress, BRS and AIMIM as a triangle of appeasement, he said the parties don't let Ram Navami procession to take place and that they also oppose CAA. "These people don't allow the celebration of 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' (September 17). These people oppose CAA. These people want to run Telangana on the basis of Sharia and Quran," he said.

LS polls: Will end drain of wealth from poor to crony corporates, says Cong

The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of aiding "drain of wealth" from ordinary Indians to crony corporates, and said it will end this practice if it comes to power at the Centre. The Congress attack came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Rahul Gandhi had stopped "abusing" Adani and Ambani and whether his party received money from them in return. "On June 4, as the Congress-led government takes power, we will rapidly accelerate economic growth while ensuring that ordinary Indian families are the biggest beneficiaries. We will end the 'drain of wealth' from Indian families to crony corporates," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement. "The 'Hum Do Hamare Do' effect: Net household savings fell by 9 lakh crores in the last three years. Real household savings are at their lowest since 2014. PM Modi has overseen a 'drain of wealth' - from Bharat ke Parivar to Modi ka Parivar," Ramesh also said in a post on X, while sharing his ...

LS polls: TMC to approach EC over Sandeshkhali 'sting operation' video

The TMC will lodge a complaint with the EC against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and others, claiming that a saffron party leader has "confessed" on camera that the rape accusations in the Sandeshkhali incident were concocted, sources said on Thursday. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will submit a letter to the Election Commission (EC)later in the day, they said. Party sources said their complaint is based on a purported video in which a man claiming to be Gangadhar Kayal -- BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali -- was heard saying that Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, was "behind the whole conspiracy". In the "sting operation" video done by a news platform which was later shared by the TMC on X, Kayal is heard saying sexual harassment complaints were filed at the behest of Adhikari. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, meanwhile, alleged that the "sting operation" was "fake", and suspected that it was made using artificial intelligence (AI).

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: When can you find out Exit Poll predictions?

Countdown to clarity: Key dates and insights for when Lok Sabha 2024 Exit Polls will go live. Read on to know the A to Z of Exit Polls in India

LS polls: INDIA bloc leaders to meet EC over voter turnout, other issues

Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are likely to meet the Election Commission on Friday over their demand to promptly release the absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls after each phase, sources said. While the sources had earlier said that the meeting was scheduled for Thursday, it was later changed to Friday. The opposition leaders will also raise the issue of alleged "use of religious symbols" by the BJP in its campaign, the sources added. INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have written to the poll panel separately so far, expressing concern over the alleged "delay" in the release of the voter turnout data in the first two phases. Amid the opposition's allegations, the poll body had asserted that booth-wise data of the "actual number of votes polled" is available to the candidates soon after the voting ends. In a statement issued last week, the EC also said it attaches "due importan

'Corrupt' YSRCP govt in Andhra will be thing of past after Jun 4: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh will be a thing of the past after June 4 as people are fed up with "corruption, cronyism and mafia raj". Modi said this after a roadshow here. "Due to its strong link with Congress culture, YSRCP has only furthered corruption, cronyism and Mafia Raj. Andhra Pradesh is totally fed up of the YSRCP. Come 4th June, their government will be a thing of the past," he said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister said that after travelling across the southern state recently, he was convinced that people were voting for the NDA alliance of the TDP, BJP and the Janasena in large numbers. Women and young voters are propelling this surge of support, he said, calling the roadshow memorable. Modi said the BJP and the TDP have worked together in the past and their alliance was committed to futuristic development, while the active support of the Janasena has further fortified the coalition. He noted that the people

LS polls: 695 candidates set to contest across 49 constituencies in Phase 5

A total of 695 candidates are in the fray across 49 constituencies spread over eight states and Union territories in the upcoming fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) said on Wednesday. The figure emerged after the scrutiny of 1,586 nomination forms filed for the fifth phase of the ongoing polls. Of the nominations, 749 were found to be valid after the deadline for filing papers closed on May 3, according to a statement issued by the EC. The statement said 695 candidates will contest the polls from eight states and Union territories in the fifth phase on May 20. Maharashtra topped the list with 512 nominations, resulting in 301 valid candidates contesting across 13 constituencies, while Uttar Pradesh followed closely with 466 nominations, leading to 147 valid candidates across 14 constituencies. The highest number of nominations in a single constituency was seen in Maharashtra's Chatra, which received 69 candidatures, followed by Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh

EC orders repolling at 4 booths in Betul on May 10 after EVMs damaged

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday ordered repolling at four booths in Madhya Pradesh's Betul Lok Sabha seat on May 10 after electronic voting machines were damaged when a bus ferrying them and polling personnel post-voting caught fire, an official said. The bus was ferrying election staffers and electronic voting machines after polling in the Betul Lok Sabha seat during the day when it caught fire on Tuesday at around 11 pm near Gola village, causing damage to a few EVMs, he said. However, no one was injured in the incident, Betul Collector Narendra Suryavanshi told PTI earlier. After the district administration submitted a report on the fire incident, the EC on Wednesday ordered re-election at four polling stations of the constituency. The repolling is scheduled from 7 am to 6 pm on May 10 (Friday) on these booths located under the Multai assembly segment of the parliamentary seat, the official said. These booths were set up at Government Integrated High School, Rajapur,

Karnataka Police summons JP Nadda over BJP's video post targeting Muslims

The investigating officer has issued summonses to JP Nadda and Amit Malviya, granting them a week to comply and appear for questioning

LS polls 2024: Repolling at polling station in Rajasthan's Barmer underway

Repolling is underway at the Dudhwa Khurd polling station in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday. Repolling is being done after complaints of breach of confidentiality of votes were made after some videos showing bogus voting and the voters being denied their right to franchise went viral on social media. The Barmer District Election Officer has suspended four members of the polling team which had conducted the voting at the booth. Voting was held in this Lok Sabha constituency in the second phase on April 26. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said repolling will be held from 7 am to 5 pm at polling centre number 50, Government Higher Secondary School, Dudhwa Khurd booth of Chauhtan assembly constituency. A total of 1,294 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. He said the department has made all preparations for repolling as per the instructions of the Commission and webcasting will be done at the polling station. Earlier repolling was held on Ma