Page 22 - Election

Bengal governor takes stock of panchayat polls, meets bomb-attack victim

As part of his assurance to monitor the situation in West Bengal where panchayat polls are being held, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the residence of a person who was injured in a bomb attack in North 24 Parganas' Barasat-I subdivision. After speaking to his family members at Pirgachha, Bose went to the hospital in Barasat where the person is being treated and talked to doctors, an official said. "The Governor then arranged for the shifting of the person to city-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He also took stock of the situation and enquired about polling," he told PTI. Bose, who was supposed to travel to Nadia district, was stopped near Basudebpur on Kalyani Expressway by supporters of the BJP and CPI(M) who complained about "vote looting" and urged him to take action. Bose tried calling officials of the state election commission (SEC) and police but could not because of mobile connectivity issues, the official said. He later stopped at a rest house at

Panchayat polls: TMC workers have been murdered, claims WB minister Panja

In a long Twitter post, TMC took on central forces for failing to ensure the safety and security of the people

Several people killed as West Bengal's rural areas vote in panchayat polls

Several people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, officials said. The polling started at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates, they said. BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, they said. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him. The TMC denied the allegations. The supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said. The deceased was identified as 41-year-old Abdullah. He died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the morning, Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee said. Protesting against the killing, locals blocked t

WB polls: Polling booth vandalised, ballot papers set on fire in Coochbehar

Polling for panchayats in West Bengal began this morning under stringent security cover

Assembly polls: BJP picks in-charges for Raj, Chhattisgarh, MP, Telangana

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed union ministers and senior party leaders as in-charges for the upcoming state elections this year

Bengal Guv reaches Murshidabad to visit violence-hit areas ahead of polls

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose reached Murshidabad district to visit the violence-hit areas on Friday, a day before the rural polls in the state. He is expected to hold meetings with senior officers later in the day, a district official said. The governor reached Berhampore, the district headquarters, by train this morning and is expected to visit some places before returning to Kolkata this evening, he said. Bose will visit places like Domkal, Khargram, Navagram, and Beldanga, where clashes among political parties have been reported in the run-up to the rural polls. Meanwhile, fresh violence was reported in the Ranninagar area of Murshidabad, another district official said. The governor has previously visited Bhangar, Canning and Basanti in South 24 Parganas, and also in Cooch Behar district where clashes broke out between political parties. Bose had on Thursday alleged that State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha has failed in discharging his duties during the panchayat

With hopes for development, Bengal's hills ready to vote after 23 years

Residents of West Bengal's hills in the north are getting prepared to cast their votes in the July 8 panchayat polls after 23 years, even as nominees are doing last-minute canvassing before the trail ends on Thursday. Over the past one month, the candidates have walked to remote villages in their respective areas and listened to people's aspirations for development while sipping tea with them after being welcomed with traditional 'khada' (scarf) as a mark of respect. Despite being witness to violent bouts of agitation for Gorkhaland statehood, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts have largely been free from incidents of political violence so far in this election season, barring some isolated happenings, in stark contrast with the regular hurling of crude bombs and firing of bullets in the plains of West Bengal since the filing of nominations began a month ago. Roads, water, electricity, MGNREGA jobs, development of tourism and agriculture, corruption and minimum wages in tea and ...

Next Opposition meet of parties to be held in Bengaluru on July 17-18: Cong

The Congress announced on Monday that the next meeting of opposition parties will be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal made the announcement on Twitter and said "we are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces". In a tweet, Venugopal said, "After a hugely successful all-opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward." Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said the next opposition meet will be held in Bengaluru on July 13-14. Those dates were said to be clashing with the Assembly sessions in a few states. The first such meeting of opposition parties was held in Bihar's Patna on June 23.

EC launches portal for parties to file financial statements, contributions

The Election Commission on Monday came up with an online portal to allow registered political parties file their financial statements, including contribution reports and poll expenditure accounts, a move seen as an effort to bring in more transparency in disclosures made by political entities. The move is part of the poll panel's "3C strategy" comprising clean up, crackdown and compliance to strengthen transparency and accountability in the political funding and expenditure on which it had been working for a year now under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, sources said. Political parties not intending to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not doing so in writing and may continue to file reports in hard copy format along with CDs or pen drive in the prescribed formats. "The Commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online,"

Govt authorises sale of 27th tranche of electoral bonds from Monday

The decision comes ahead of assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram

Govt approves issuance of 27th tranche of electoral bonds, sale from July 3

The government on Friday approved the issuance of the 27th tranche of electoral bonds that will open for sale on July 3. The decision comes ahead of assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. Poll dates are likely to be announced in a couple of months. Electoral bonds have been pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency to political funding. State Bank of India (SBI), in the 27th phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash electoral bonds through 29 authorised branches from July 3-12, the finance ministry said in a statement. The sale of the first batch of electoral bonds happened on March 1-10, 2018. The authorised SBI branches include those in Bengaluru, Lucknow, Shimla, Dehradun, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Patna, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur and Mumbai. SBI is the only authorised bank to issue electoral bonds. An electoral

Poll preparedness: Deputy election commissioner team to visit MP next week

A team of deputy election commissioners will visit Madhya Pradesh next week to take stock of the preparedness for the assembly polls slated for October-November, sources said on Friday. They said the team is likely to be in Bhopal for two days beginning Monday. Election Commission officials had earlier visited four other states going to polls later this year -- Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan -- to review the preparations. Polls in the five states are likely to be held together in October-November this year. While the term of the Mizoram legislative assembly ends in December this year, the terms of the legislative assemblies of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh end on different dates in January 2024. Before the "full Commission" comprising the chief election commissioner and election commissioners visit a poll-bound state to interact with stakeholders, including representatives of political parties, deputy ECs tour the state to take stock of the

Siv Sena won't win more than 5 seats in 2024 Maha elections: Narayan Rane

Union minister Narayan Rane on Thursday claimed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will not win more than five seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections due next year. Taking a dig at Uddhav Thackeray for meeting leaders of various political parties to garner support, Rane told reporters here that Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray never visited offices or residences of other political leaders. Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in the country, Rane said the central government has done many things for tribals and to help entrepreneurs from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. "I firmly believe that we will be able to convince them on this issue," the minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said in reply to a question. Rane was here to address the media over the completion of nine years of the BJP-led central government under PM Modi. After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray-led

Congress leaders discuss party's strategy for Chhattisgarh assembly polls

Top leaders of the Congress on Wednesday discussed the party's strategy and poll preparedness in Chhattisgarh where assembly elections are due later this year. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, besides the party's in-charge for the state Kumari Selja and general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal were among the leaders who attended the meeting at the party headquarters here. Chairing the meeting, Kharge said party members will work together to keep bringing change in the lives of the people of Chhattisgarh. "'Garhbo Nava Chhattisgarh' is not just a slogan for us, it is a goal for the state's progress and social justice. The people of Chhattisgarh and their unwavering faith in the Congress party will continue to propel the continuous stream of development," the party chief said in a tweet in Hindi. "We will work together and keep bringing change in the lives of the people of Chhattisgarh," he ...

BJP expanding its real estate footprint across India, Congress struggling

BJP's frenetic acquisition of real estate has coincided with its electoral expansion beyond its traditional catchment areas of northern and central India

Asha workers, DBT beneficiaries in focus as govt preps for elections

For a government opposed to freebies, ensuring that benefits of its schemes come early will be politically crucial

Clash breaks out between 2 groups in West Bengal, 1 killed, 4 injured

Gitaldaha is near Jaridharla, one of the most interior places in the Coochbehar district and is very close to the International Border. The only mode of communication is via boat

No discussion held on 'PM post' during Oppn meeting in Patna: Sharad Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said no discussion took place on the "prime ministerial post" in the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last week ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year. There were discussions on issues like inflation, unemployment and "deliberate attempts" at some places to encourage communal forces, Pawar told reporters in Baramati town here in Maharashtra. He also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for its criticism of the opposition meeting. Why was the BJP worried about the conclave, Pawar said, claiming there was lack of "political maturity". Drawing the battle lines, over 32 leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties held a crucial meeting in Patna hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday and resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At a joint press meeting, the opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their ...

New voter ID law stopped thousands from casting ballots: UK polls watchdog

Britain's electoral watchdog said on Friday that about 14,000 people were prevented from voting in last month's local elections because of a new law requiring voters to show photo identification. The Electoral Commission said 0.25 per cent of people who went to polling stations were unable to cast ballots because they didn't have the right ID, and significantly more than that likely did not show up at all. Craig Westwood, the commission's communications director, said there was concerning evidence that disabled and unemployed people were more likely than other groups to give a reason related to ID for not voting. We don't want to see a single voter lose the opportunity to have their say, he said. We are working to understand the challenges people faced, and will make recommendations that, with the engagement of government and wider electoral community, will support the participation of all voters. The government says ID is required to vote in many democracies, and the move will he

Oppn unity nearly impossible, will face drubbing in LS polls: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday dubbed as a "photo session" the meeting of opposition leaders in Patna, and said their unity is nearly impossible and they will face drubbing in the next Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a public rally here, Shah also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has the habit of criticising everything. Referring to the opposition meet underway in Bihar's capital, Shah said, "A photo session is happening in Patna. All the opposition leaders have come together on a single platform to convey a message that they will challenge BJP, NDA and Modi (in 2024). All I want to say to these opposition leaders is that your unity is nearly impossible and even if it gets real, please come in front of the people as in 2024, Modi's return with 300 plus seats is confirmed, he said. Top leaders of Opposition parties are holding deliberations to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.The meeting is being hosted by Bi