Page 20 - Election

Srettha Thavisin wins vote to become Thailand's 30th prime minister

Srettha can form his cabinet once his appointment is endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a Royal Gazette

Over 30.6 mn voters in Telangana after Special Summary Revision: Official

Telangana's total electorate stands over 3.06 crore as per the draft roll after the second Special Summary Revision (SSR) was released, a senior official said on Monday. Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj said the draft roll for the second Special Summary Revision was published in all 119 Assembly Constituencies on August 21. As per the draft roll, the total number of voters in Telangana stood at 3,06,42,333 comprising 1,53,73,066 male voters, 1,52,51,797 female voters and 2,133 voters belonging to the third gender, an official release said. The state has 119 Assembly constituencies and there are 35,356 polling stations. The total number of general electors in the state is 3,06,26,996, the CEO said. There are 2,742 NRI voters and 15,337 service electors in the electoral roll. The number of young electors in the age group of 18-19 stood at 4,76,597, Raj said. The CEO said the period of filing claims and objections is from August 21 up to September 19. As part of clai

EC makes fresh push for eco-friendly campaigns ahead of state polls

Ahead of assembly polls in five states, the Election Commission has expressed concern over the use of non-biodegradable materials for campaigning and urged political parties to avoid plastic and polythene for making posters and banners. The poll panel has come out with consolidated instructions issued by it from 1999 onwards on making election campaign "eco-friendly". In a letter to presidents of all recognised national and state parties on August 18, the poll panel said, "In today's world, the environmental concerns have become more significant. Election Commission is also very concerned with the issue of environment hazards caused by use of non-biodegradable materials in elections." The commission pointed out that since 1999, it has been urging all political parties and candidates to avoid the use of plastic and polythene for preparation of posters, banners during election campaign. "Protecting the environment is not an individual task but a collective responsibility and hence th

BJP announces candidates for September 5 Tripura assembly bypolls

The BJP has announced its candidates for the September 5 bypolls to Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies in Tripura's Sepahijala district, a party leader said here on Wednesday. The party nominated Taffajal Hussain for the Boxanagar assembly seat and Bindu Debnath for the Dhanpur segment, he said. Hussain is a local leader of Boxanagar, while Debnath is the party's mandal president in Dhanpur. Senior leaders are going to Boxanagar and Dhanpur to begin booth-level campaign from today. Our candidates will file nomination papers on Thursday," Tripura BJP's media in-charge Sunit Sarkar said. The bypoll to the Boxanagar constituency was necessitated due to the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque. Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik's resignation as the MLA of Dhanpur necessitated the by-election to that seat. The CPI(M)-led Left Front has fielded Kaushik Chanda and Mijan Husain as its nominees for Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies respectively. The last date for filing t

Uttarakhand BJP sends 3 names to party central board for Bageshwar bypoll

Uttarakhand BJP has sent three names to the party's central parliamentary board for selection of one candidate for the upcoming assembly bypoll in Bageshwar. The process of filing nominations for the by-election, scheduled for September 5, has already begun and will continue till August 17. Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt said the names of the top three contenders for the seat have been sent by the state unit's election committee to the party's central parliamentary board. The board will announce the BJP candidate soon after due consideration of the list of names forwarded to it, Bhatt said. A by-election is being held on the seat Bageshwar as it fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLA and cabinet minister Chandan Ramdas in April this year. He had won the seat on a BJP ticket for four consecutive terms. BJP has fixed August 16 for filing its nomination, Bhatt said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Bhatt, apart from a host of party workers, will accompany the

Ecuador arrests 6 in prez candidate Villavicencio assassination case

The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said Thursday as authorities investigated the motive for a crime that shocked a nation already reeling from a surge in drug-related violence. The six men were captured hiding in a house in Quito, Ecuador's capital, said the report, which was reviewed by The Associated Press. Officers also seized four shotguns, a 5.56-mm rifle, ammunition and three grenades, along with a vehicle and a motorcycle, it said. Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against drug cartels, was assassinated in Quito on Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election. He was not a front-runner, but his death deepened the sense of crisis around organised crime that has already claimed thousands of lives and underscored the challenge that Ecuador's next leader will face. Ecuador's interior minister, Juan Zapata, had earlier

Govt lists bill in Rajya Sabha to regulate appointment of CEC, ECs

The government has listed a bill for introduction in the Rajya Sabha to regulate the appointment, conditions of service and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill also seeks to set up a procedure for transaction of business by the Election Commission. Though the contents of the Bill were not immediately available, the Supreme Court had in March delivered a landmark verdict aimed at insulating the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners from the Executive's interference. It had ruled that their appointments will be done by the President on the advise of a committee comprising the prime minister, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph, in a unanimous verdict, held that this norm will continue to ho

Ecuadorean presidential candidate Villavicencio shot dead in Quito at event

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed on Wednesday by an unidentified gunman while at a political rally in the country's capital of Quito, President Guillermo Lasso said. The killing comes amid a startling wave of violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise. I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished, Lasso said in a statement. Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law. Videos on social media appear to show the candidate walking out of the event surrounded by guards. The video then shows Villavicencio entering a white truck followed by gunfire. The politician, 59, was the candidate for the Build Ecuador Movement. He was one of eight presidential candidates for the late August election. He was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017. He filed many judic

Chhattisgarh: Farm loan disbursement goal nears 100% in election year

The state had set a target of disbursing farm loans worth Rs 6,100 crore to the farmers in the current kharif marketing season

Gehlot admin releases transfer orders for 22 IAS, 24 IPS, 15 IFS officers

61 officers were given transfer orders, while five others were given additional charges in light of the new districts formed in Rajasthan

Lack of values among voters encourage money culture during polls: Experts

Lack of moral values among voters is the key factor which encourages money culture during elections in India, experts in diverse fields observed during a media conclave here on Saturday. They were also of the opinion that the government-appointed Election Commission of India (ECI) failed to perform its duty as a neutral body for which the menace of money culture during elections has become common. "Political analysts agree that without money, democracy cannot run and the ghost of running an election or to become a candidate is not possible without money, said Toko Tatung, secretary general of Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), during the conclave conducted by Arunachal Electronic and Digital Media Association (AEDMA) on the topic Money culture in elections' to mark its 11th foundation day. Tatung said approximately Rs 600 billion was spent during the 2019 election by political parties. Stating that money culture in elections is a simple economics of supply and ...

WFI elections on Aug 12, Maharashtra declared ineligible for participation

The much-delayed elections of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will be conducted on August 12, it was announced on Friday, but the state of Maharashtra will not be part of the poll process as Returning Officer Justice MM Kumar declared that both rival factions were ineligible for participation. The ad-hoc panel had scheduled the elections for July 6 but it was forced to reschedule the polls to July 11 after disaffiliated state bodies from Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh approached it for a hearing, claiming that their dismissal was not appropriate. Panel heard the aggrieved representatives of the state bodies but the polls could not go ahead even on July 11 with Gauhati High Court staying the elections after Assam Wrestling Association (AWA) sought right to participate in the poll process. The Supreme Court then paved the way for elections on Tuesday after staying the Gauhati High Court order. The electoral college will now have 48 members wit

UK Conservatives suffer big defeats but avoid wipeout in special elections

Britain's governing Conservative Party avoided a drubbing Friday in a trio of special elections, managing to hold onto former premier Boris Johnson's seat in suburban London. Though the main opposition Labour Party and the smaller centrist Liberal Democrats overturned massive Conservative majorities to win a seat apiece, the Conservatives found some crumbs of comfort in their narrow success in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London. Labour won the seat of Selby and Ainsty in northern England while the Liberal Democrats took Somerton and Frome in southwest England, with voters from both parties clearly backing the party most likely to beat the Conservative candidate. Facing this level of tactical voting by voters, the defeats will leave many Conservative lawmakers rattled ahead of the likely national vote next year. The defeats don't mean a change of government, since the Conservatives still have a big majority in the House of Commons. Opinion polls have been giving Labour a ...

Reform momentum likely to pick up after Lok Sabha elections next year: S&P

Reform momentum is likely to pick up only after the Lok Sabha elections next year and a little bit of boost to the expenditure in an election year would not adversely impact India's fiscal deficit target, S&P Global Ratings Director Andrew Wood said on Wednesday. "Our expectation is major reforms in the country are probably unlikely right up to the election cycle and until 2024 Parliamentary elections are over. After that perhaps, reform momentum could pick up, particularly if there is a very strong mandate for the next government," Wood said. S&P anticipates that the central government will meet its modestly lower fiscal deficit target and also state governments will be consolidating their finances gradually overtime. "Even if we see a little bit of boost to the expenditure in an election year, in the run up to the elections, revenue growth also remains healthy in India and that has been supporting the gradual pace of fiscal consolidation," Wood said. He was replying to a ...

Thai court suspends PM candidate, to rule whether he broke election law

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday agreed to suspend Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, a candidate to become prime minister, from his duties as a member of Parliament pending its ruling on whether he violated election law. The court's announcement came on the verge of a likely second vote in Parliament whether to confirm Pita as prime minister. His party was the top finisher in May's general election and assembled an eight-party coalition that won 312 seats in the House of Representatives. However, the coalition failed to win enough support in an initial vote last week from the Senate, which votes together with the lower house to name the new prime minister. The court's announcement still would allow Pita's nomination and selection as prime minister, at least until a ruling. Thailand's state Election Commission had referred Pita's case to the court, saying there was evidence he had violated election law over his alleged undeclared ownership of media company ...

Sealed ballot boxes recovered from high school in West Bengal's Gajol

Three sealed and uncounted ballot boxes were recovered from a high school at Gajol in West Bengal's Malda district on Tuesday morning. Sources said the boxes were kept in a classroom which was converted into a counting centre for the recently concluded rural elections. Reacting to the recovery of the ballot boxes, Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said it only proves that the panchayat polls have been a farce in the name of democracy. He said the sealed boxes should have been under the supervision of a returning officer, which is ideally the BDO. "I demand strict action against the officer concerned as results have already been declared without counting the votes in those three boxes," Bhattacharya said. Echoing the Congress leader, CPI(M) leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya also said the panchayat polls was a farce. He said it shows the desperation of the ruling Trinamool Congress to wrest power in the rural countryside. The TMC secured a massive victory in the July 8 panchayat ...

Spain's early poll could put far right in power for 1st time since Franco

Spain's general election on Sunday could make the country the latest European Union member swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and its small far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos ("United We Can"), took a beating in local and regional elections. The center-right Popular Party emerged from the May 28 elections with the most votes. Polls for the general election have consistently put the PP in first place but likely needing support from the far-right Vox party to form a government. Such a coalition would return a far-right force to the Spanish government for the first time since the country transitioned to democracy following the 1975 death of Gen. Francisco Franco, the dictator who ruled Spain for nearly 40 years. The Popular Party and Vox have agreed to govern together in some 140 cities and tow

2024 LS Polls: Amid changing political climate NDA to counter Oppn today

The regional parties which have been rivals sta the state level and have been splintered at the national level are now looking seeking refuge in BJP or the Opposition

Shehbaz Sharif to step down as Pak PM before next month; all you must know

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said that he will hand over power to a caretaker government on August 14, paving the way for general elections

There will be relentless fight against growing violence in Bengal: WB guv

The decision to hold re-polling followed widespread allegations of ballot box tampering and violence, resulting in losing at least 19 lives