Page 12 - Election

Shah to visit MP on Sunday to review BJP's Lok Sabha poll preparations

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to review the BJP's preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the party's state unit chief VD Sharma said. Shah will visit Gwalior, Khajuraho and Bhopal and hold meetings with party functionaries and also address a public meeting, Sharma said. "He will give party workers the mantra for victory in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls," Sharma told reporters on Saturday. Terming Shah as the architect of the BJP's resounding victory in the 2023 Assembly polls in MP, Sharma said he will reach Gwalior at noon and address a meeting of the management committees of all four Lok Sabha seats under the Gwalior-Chambal cluster. "At 2:40pm, Shah will reach Khajuraho and address committees of 2,293 booths of the Lok Sabha seat there. He will reach Bhopal at 5pm and address a Prabuddhjan (eminent persons and intellectuals) meet at Kushabhau Thakre convention centre. Shah will also unveil a statue of Kushabhau Thakre at the conventi

Public discourse was on corruption before 2014, Modi changed it: Minister

The public discourse before 2014 was regarding corruption whereas a major transformation has happened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership with the country emerging as the fifth largest economy in the world now, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala said on Saturday. Rupala, the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said PM Modi's promise is to make the country the third largest economy in the world during his third term. "If you recall the atmosphere 10 years ago, before 2014, you will come to know that corruption was the only focal point in election time. There was nothing else," he told reporters. Rupala was here to attend the Telangana BJP's ongoing 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' for the coming Lok Sabha polls. "Everyday (before 2014), news of a scam surfaced... 2G, 3G, coal, or something else. There was nothing else for discussion. People were fed up," he claimed. Under Modi, there has been a major transformation and the country has now emerged as the fift

US calls on Pakistan officials to probe allegations of fraud in Feb 8 polls

A US Senator has urged the Pakistani authorities to fully investigate the claims of vote rigging in the country's elections, emphasising that without a credible investigation, a new government will struggle to bring the Pakistani people together. Taking to X on Friday, Senator Chris Van Hollen shared photos of a letter he wrote to Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Masood Khan on February 21 in which he praised the millions of Pakistanis who voted on February 8 in the country's elections. The significant turnout of Pakistani people from around the country and every walk of life speaks to the fundamental role elections play in democracies around the world, he said. "Unfortunately, these elections were marred by political violence, allegations of unfair restrictions on political expression, and accusations of vote rigging, the Democrat Senator wrote. The junior senator from Maryland, who was incidentally born in Karachi, further said, The State Department agreed with international and .

A thumbs up for transparency

The Supreme Court's verdict on electoral bonds is very welcome, but corruption remains a huge challenge for India

Pak election committee completes inquiry into poll rigging allegations

A high-level committee formed by Pakistan's election commission has completed its inquiry into the allegations of poll rigging in the garrison city of Rawalpindi levelled by a senior government officer and will submit its report to the electoral body, a media report said on Thursday. On Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formed the committee to probe the explosive allegations levelled by former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha that widespread rigging aided by the judiciary and the top election body took place against jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Chattha alleged on Saturday that the candidates who were losing the February 8 elections were made to win in the city. Before resigning from his post, he claimed that 13 candidates from Rawalpindi were forcefully declared winners. The ECP's inquiry committee formed to investigate the allegations completed its work within the stipulated period of three days and .

SP, Congress announce tie-up for Lok Sabha polls in UP, Cong gets 17 seats

INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party and Congress on Wednesday announced a tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, with the state's main opposition party leaving 17 out of the 80 seats for the Congress. The announcement was made at a joint press conference by SP state chief Naresh Uttam Patel, SP national general secretary Rajendra Chaudhary, Congress state president Ajay Rai and AICC in-charge for UP Avinash Pande. Pande said the Congress will contest on 17 seats, while on the rest of the 63 seats in the state SP and other alliance partners will contest.

US-India partnership to grow no matter who wins election: Trade group

As the US and China compete, Washington and New Delhi have come closer to collaborating on critical areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space

LS polls: EC asks railways to ensure smooth movement for CAPF personnel

The Election Commission (EC) has directed the railway board to ensure "smooth and hassle-free" train movement for more than 3.4 lakh security personnel being deployed for the upcoming general and assembly elections with specific instructions to avoid recurrence of delays noticed in the past. The poll panel has sought setting up of a 24x7 control room which will oversee this mega cross-country movement of the troops over the next few months and to make adequate arrangements for fans and air conditioning in coaches, meals, medical facilities at stations on route, availability of special and splinter bogies and pest control in the wagons during this exercise period. The EC, in a communication issued to the railway board last week, said "a large-scale" deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and police forces drawn from various states for election purpose was essential as they will undertake and ensure area domination, confidence building measures, poll day duties and ...

Pak SC rejects plea seeking re-election over allegations of rigging

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed as a publicity stunt a petition seeking new elections over alleged irregularities in the February 8 polls, clearing the way for the formation of a coalition government to end the political uncertainty in the country. The apex court also imposed a fine on the petitioner, a former army officer, over his failure to appear before the court. Retired Brigadier Ali Khan last week urged the apex court to order new elections within 30 days to be held under the direct supervision and oversight of the judiciary to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability. He had also sought a stay order to stop the formation of a new government till the case was decided. However, the petitioner failed to attend two consecutive hearings. Subsequently, a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, disposed of the plea and imposed a fine of Pakistani Rs ..

After PMO review, India makes likely final push for UK free trade agreement

If negotiations are not wrapped up at the earliest, discussions will have to be taken forward after India's election, depending on the priority of the new government

BJP suggests amending laws to hold simultaneous LS and Assembly polls

BJP submits memorandum to Kovind panel on One Nation, One Poll

BJP prez Nadda, 3 other party candidates declared elected to RS unopposed

BJP president J P Nadda and three other candidates of the party were declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat on Tuesday. There were four vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state and as many candidates, all of the ruling BJP, had filed their nomination papers. As no other candidates had filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat on four vacant seats, Returning Officer Reeta Mehta declared all the four BJP candidates, including Nadda, elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament, an official said. Tuesday was the last date of withdrawal of nomination forms. Apart from Nadda, the three others candidates elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha were diamond baron Govindbhai Dholakia, BJP leaders Jasvantsinh Parmar and Mayank Nayak.

Victory of voters: Sharad Pawar on SC ruling on his faction's name, symbol

Sharad Pawar on Monday described as a victory of voters the Supreme Court ruling that his faction can use the name 'NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar' till further orders. It is a win for the voters as the court observed that the voters of the country should not be undermined and questioned what about the fact that candidates have fought on the ticket of the original party, Pawar said in a statement. The apex court on Monday directed that Election Commission's order of February 6 allotting 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders. On the auspicious day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, the Supreme Court has granted us interim relief against the order of the Election Commission of India. We bow down to the Supreme Court for recognising us as Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' in the interim, and having directed the Election Commission of India to consider our application for a symbol to

China asks Pakistan's political parties to work together to form govt

Beijing is also bankrolling Pakistan, which is in the throes of an economic crisis, to maintain the balance of payments with periodic loans to maintain the requisite forex reserves

PML-N, PPP fail to decide power-sharing formula for govt formation

The talks between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party on a power-sharing formula for a coalition government remained inconclusive, though both sides claimed significant progress in the discussions, according to a media report on Sunday. The third meeting between the Contact and Coordination Committees (CCCs) of the two parties, which took place on Saturday, remained inconclusive and both decided to meet again on Monday to finalise the power-sharing formula. A brief announcement issued by the PML-N after the meeting said that there had been significant progress in talks with both sides, stressing the need for a strong democratic government. "The proposals put forth by both parties were thoroughly discussed, and while substantial progress was achieved, further deliberations are required to finalise the matters at hand," a joint statement read. Nawaz Sharif led PML-N has nominated Shehbaz Sharif for the Prime Minister's post. Independent candidates - a ...

If there's any such thing, will inform you: Nath to media on switch to BJP

Amid speculation that he could cross over to the BJP, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath arrived in the national capital Saturday afternoon and said if there would be any such thing, he would inform the media first. In his brief interaction with reporters, he asked them not to get excited. Asked if he is joining the BJP, Nath said, "If there would be any such thing, I would inform you first." When a reporter asked if he was not denying a possible switch, Nath said, "It is not about denying, you are saying this, you people are getting excited. I am not getting excited, this side or that side, but if there would be any such thing, I would inform you first." Over the past few days, Nath had been on a tour of his bastion Chhindwara, from where he had been an MP for nine terms. His son Nakul Nath won the seat in the 2019 polls, even as the BJP swept the remaining 28 seats in the state. Asked about the speculation that Nath could cross over to the

Revamped SEZ law unlikely before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections

The commerce department had sought the Union Cabinet's nod to bring amendments in the existing SEZ Act, 2005 late last year

Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's party claims his wife Bushra's life is in danger

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has expressed concern about the health of his wife Bushra Biwi and claimed that there was a "serious threat" to her life and the fascist regime in Pakistan was denying her medical aid. Bushra Biwi, 49, is imprisoned at Khan's Bani Gala residence here after an accountability court sentenced the couple to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case last month. Khan, 71, is lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Both of them have been convicted with multiple years' sentences in the Toshakhana expensive gift case and the iddat case which declared their marriage as un-Islamic. Bushra has already petitioned Islamabad High Court on February 6 against authorities' move to declare her residence as sub-jail and requested to move her to the Adiala Jail citing potential security issues.

Imran's party forms special committees to strategise govt formation

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has established special committees to strategise the government formation at the Centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Participants during the party's core committee meeting agreed to early completion of the nomination process for important government and parliamentary positions according to the recommendations and strategies proposed by the committees, Dawn News cited a statement as saying on Monday.

Shehbaz affirms Nawaz Sharif to become Pakistan's PM for record fourth time

Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif will become the prime minister for a record fourth time. "I had said that Nawaz Sharif would become prime minister for the fourth time. And I maintain today that he is going to be the PM for the fourth time," Shehbaz told a press conference at the party's headquarters here on Tuesday. When asked whether he was no more favourite to grab the top post, he said: "My candidate for the PM slot is Nawaz Sharif." The now 74-year-old leader, Nawaz Sharif first took power in 1990 but was forced out three years later by corruption allegations -- a theme that has dogged his career. He came to power for the second time in 1997 and held the prime minister's post till 1999 when he was deposed in a military coup after plotting to sideline army chief of staff Pervez Musharraf. More than a decade later he was back in power in 2013, but fresh graft allegations emerged when his