Page 22 - Election

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

Amit Shah holds discussions on 2024 LS elections with Goa CM, JP Nadda

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held a review meeting with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding the feedback of BJP's "Maha Jansampark" Abhiyan

236,000 nominations filed for 74k seats for West Bengal panchayat polls

A total of 2,36,464 nominations have been filed for nearly 74,000 seats in the three-tier panchayat election scheduled in West Bengal on July 8, a senior official of the State Election Commission (SEC) said. The ruling Trinamool Congress has filed 85,817 nominations while the BJP is in the second position with 56,321 candidates, according to a report prepared on Friday afternoon. CPI(M) nominees filed nominations in 48,646 seats followed by the Congress (17,750), Independent (16,293), Forward Bloc (1,595) and others (10,042), the official said. Thursday was the last day for filing nominations. Out of the total nominations, 4,932 were filed for Zilla Parishads, and 35,445 for Panchayat Samitis. A total of 1,96,087 nominations were filed for the Gram Panchayats, it stated. Approximately 5.67 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose their representatives in zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats. The Calcutta High Court has ordered deployment o

Violence over panchayat election nomination continues in West Bengal

Violence continued to rock parts of West Bengal over the filing of nominations for the July 8 panchayat poll for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, as activists of the ruling TMC and opposition parties. Clashes were reported in parts of South 24 Parganas and Bankura districts prompting the police to use force to disperse the mobs. Supporters of Indian Secular Front (ISF) and TMC clashed in Bhangore area of South 24 Parganas, nearly 30 km from Kolkata. A huge police contingent was rushed to the spot, which resorted to baton charge to control the situation. Bombs were hurled and several cars were ransacked as supporters of the two parties tried to stop each other from filing nominations. Several activists belonging to the two parties were injured, the police said. ISF MLA from Bhangore, Naushad Siddique, went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the afternoon to brief her about the situation in his constituency. The legislator, however, could not meet Banerjee due to her .

Sri Lanka can't hold election this year due to economic crisis: Cabinet

Sri Lanka is not in the position to hold a snap presidential election this year because of the ongoing economic crisis and the government's focus is on debt restructuring, Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday. No election would be possible this year as the state finances have not improved, Gunawardena said while responding to speculation that the government might opt to hold a snap presidential election. He said the government's focus, for now, is centred on successfully ending the process of debt restructuring. Former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the President of Sri Lanka by the Parliament to serve the remainder of ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term, which was supposed to end in November 2024. The IMF extended a nearly USD 3 billion bailout facility to debt-ridden Sri Lanka to help stabilise the country's economy after it was jolted by a devastating economic crisis last year. Without restructuring our debt it will not be possible to obt

BLOs to visit households to ensure voting in Jharkhand: Electoral Officer

To ensure that no eligible voter is left out from the electoral rolls in Jharkhand, booth level officers (BLOs) would visit each household between July 21 and August 21, state Chief Electoral Officer, K Ravi Kumar, said on Tuesday. The total number of eligible voters in Jharkhand is 2.45 crore, he said. Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said that the summary revision of electoral rolls commenced in the state from June 1. He said of the 2.45 crore voters, the number of men is 1.26 crore and women is 1.19 crore while the number of third gender voters is 368. Many women are yet to be enlisted as voters, Kumar said. Emphasising the importance of the right to exercise franchise for a healthy democracy, he expressed concern over low voter turnout in urban areas of the state during polls. This time the Commission plans to hold enrolment drives for senior citizens, divyang (differently abled), members of particularly vulnerable tribal groups, sex workers and transgenders on speci

West Bengal election panel may extend rural poll nomination date by day

The State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday told the Calcutta High Court that it can extend the last date of filing nominations for panchayat polls in West Bengal by a day to June 16. After hearing petitions of opposition leaders for extension of date for filing nominations and deployment of central forces for the July 8 polls, the court had on June 9 observed that the time given for filing papers is prima facie inadequate. SEC counsel Jayanta Mitra, who submitted a report before the division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam on Monday, said the last date for filing nominations could be extended to June 16, stating that six days were given for the purpose on previous occasions too. The high court had directed the SEC to file a report in the form of an affidavit on the petitions by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari for extension of dates as also for deployment of central forces. Adhikari's counsel S Guru Krishnakumar told the court that

BJP will win in LS polls next year, break all election records: Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the BJP will win the Lok Sabha elections next year with a thumping majority and all previous poll records will be broken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Shiv Sena leader was speaking to a select group of reporters at the Raj Bhavan where he called on Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. "...in the coming elections, all records of the Lok Sabha elections will be broken under the leadership of PM Modi and BJP will win the Lok Sabha polls with a thumping majority under Modi," Shinde said. The Maharashtra CM said developmental projects were being undertaken across the country under Modi's leadership and the economy was growing rapidly. "Getting the G20 presidency is a matter of pride for the people of the country. People from across the world are coming to India, they came to Kashmir as well, Maharashtra as well... It gives us an opportunity to give exposure to our infra projects because the

Waiting for verdict on wrestlers' row, will fight next polls: WFI chief

BJP MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers, Sunday said he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Kaisarganj again and was awaiting the court's verdict to speak on the grapplers' stir. He was replying to queries from media persons after addressing a rally in the district's Balpur area where he skipped any direct reference to the wrestlers' protest for his arrest and chose to target the Congress over the Emergency, Ram temple, the 1984 anti-Sikhs riots and other issues. Asked by the reporters why he was not commenting on the wrestlers' protest and what was he waiting for, the BJP MP said, "Court ke faisle ka (court's verdict)." On whether he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Gonda or Ayodhya, Singh said, "Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat se chunav ladunga, ladunga, ladunga (I will definitely contest from Kaiserganj)." Brij Bhushan Singh has represented the Kaisarganj Lok Sabha constituency thrice -- once as an SP MP .

West Bengal three-tier panchayat polls to be held on July 8: State EC

The three-tier panchayat polls in West Bengal will be held on July 8, State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha said on Thursday. The polls for the village councils will be held in a single day and the last day for filing nominations will be June 15. The panchayat polls will be held on July 8. The last date for filing nominations is June 15. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is June 20, Sinha told a press conference here. Sinha, however, evaded a direct reply on whether the elections would be held under the supervision of central forces as demanded by opposition parties. The panchayat election is considered to be an indicator of which way the state will vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Party leadership will decide 2024 election candidates: BJP West UP chief

BJP's top leadership has analysed each constituency and MP and will decide who gets the ticket to fight the Lok Sabha election in 2024, its western Uttar Pradesh president Satyendra Sisodia said. He said as of now the party has embarked on a major public outreach programme in which they are going to people to showcase the work done by the Narendra Modi-led government in the past nine years. Sisodia on Wednesday accompanied BJP's national president J P Nadda during a special 'Tiffin Meeting' in Noida with party workers joining from across western Uttar Pradesh, as the ruling dispensation accelerated preparations for next year's general polls. The top leadership of the party is monitoring the situation and if they seek any report from us, we will provide it. Party's parliamentary board decides who gets the ticket (to fight Lok Sabha election) or whose ticket is to be changed. We are all workers and whoever is allotted the (BJP) symbol by the party, we will support the candidate in the