Page 23 - Election

Karnataka BJP holds meeting to introspect on Assembly election defeat

Karnataka BJP party is holding a series of day-long meetings on Thursday to introspect the humiliating defeat in the recently concluded Assembly polls

Shiv Sena minister bats for 2019 LS seat-sharing formula with BJP

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Tanaji Sawant on Monday said his party would contest 23 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2024 polls, the assertion coming a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shinde had said the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, both part of the ruling coalition in the state, will contest all polls henceforth together. Speaking to reporters in Osmanabad (Dharashiv), Sawant said, "The (undivided) Shiv Sena had contested 23 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 general elections, winning 18. In the next Lok Sabha polls, which is less than a year away, we will do the same. Shiv Sena will contest 23 seats." Sawant's comments came a day after local BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsingh had claimed BJP will win Osmanabad Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 polls. Osmanabad was allotted to the Shiv Sena in the 2019 general elections and was won by Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, who is now with Uddhav Thackeray-le

Basavaraj Bommai takes responsibility for BJP's drubbing in Karnataka polls

Speaking to reporters after the meeting of BJP leaders in Belagavi, he said that they had introspected the party's defeat in the assembly elections

DPAP will fight for restoration of J-K's statehood, land rights: Azad

DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said he would fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and the job and land rights of its people if the party wins the Assembly elections. He said a progressive Jammu and Kashmir is possible only if people stand united and defeat the politics of hate as he called for unity and harmony among all communities. "The people of J&K must rise above personal beliefs and find a common path to usher a new dawn of peace and prosperity as the Union Territory is lagging far behind due to divisive and petty politics by successive regimes, Azad said addressing a party function in Akhnoor sector here. Aam Aadmi Party leader Rattan Lal joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) along with his supporters on the occasion. Welcoming the new entrants, Azad said a lot more needs to be done for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. "When I was the chief minister, relief was provided to people and the speed of developmental work was ...

Govt to bring bill to link birth, death data with electoral rolls: Shah

The government is planning to bring a bill in Parliament to link data related to birth and death with electoral rolls and the overall development process, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Inaugurating the 'Janganana Bhawan', the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Shah said census is a process that may form the basis of development agenda. Digital, complete and accurate census figures will have multi-dimensional benefits, he said, adding planning based on the census data ensures development reaches the poorest of the poor. Shah also said if the birth and death certificate data are preserved in a special way, development works can be planned properly. "A bill to link death and birth register with electoral rolls will be introduced in parliament. Under this process, when a person turns 18, his or her name will be automatically included in the electoral rolls. Similarly, when a person dies, that information automatically will go to the Electi

Union Minister Puri rules out alliance with SAD for 2024 Lok Sabha election

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has ruled out the possibility of the BJP reviving its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the Lok Sabha polls next year. The BJP remained in alliance with SAD for 25 years earlier but the SAD failed to come up to the expectations of the people of Punjab, Puri told reporters here on Tuesday. The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas said the SAD has lost its credibility among voters in Punjab as shown in the recent Jalandhar by-election poll results and rejected the possibility of any alliance with the party. Puri, however, said that if "some good leaders from SAD or those who had in recent times left the Akali Dal want to join the BJP and fight on the saffron party symbol then that is a different thing". The Shiromani Akai Dal, which has faced an electoral decline since 2014, broke ties with the BJP in 2020 over the now-repealed cental farm laws. Recently, BJP's Punjab affairs incharge Vijay Rupani

All you need to know about Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's rival in Turkey

Known as Turkey's Gandhi, Kemal Kilicdaroglu is the first real challenger to President Erdogan's two-decade-long presidency in Turkey

IAMAI announces elections amid allegations of pushing pro-Big tech interest

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Monday announced that 83 members will be contesting the election to its 24-member governing council. The moves comes at a time when the industry body has been hit by infighting and a spate of allegations that it was pushing the views and interests of Big Tech companies. In a statement, IAMAI said the results of the election will be declared at the end of May and the new Governing Council will take over after the Annual General Meeting in June. "Eighty-three members of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) would be contesting the election to the 24-member IAMAI Governing Council. "The nominees of the top three firms, in terms of votes received in this election, would become the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer of the association, and form its Executive Council," IAMAI said. Elections are conducted every two years at IAMAI. The tenure of both the Governing Council and the Executive Council is two ...

With Turkiye's presidential election going to a runoff, what comes next?

Close, but not close enough. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the most votes in a weekend presidential election but could not claim victory because he failed to get the majority support required for an outright win. Preliminary results showed the longtime leader had 49.5 per cent of the vote. His main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, garnered 45 per cent, according to Turkish election authorities. A third candidate, nationalist politician Sinan Ogan, received 5.2 per cent. The election is being followed internationally to see the future direction of Turkiye. The strategically located NATO member has cultivated warm relations with Russia, become less secular and tilted toward authoritarianism under Erdogan. Kilicdaroglu has promised to reorient the country as a democracy and is expected to adopt a more pro-Western stance. The Supreme Electoral board said Monday the results mean Erdogan, 69, and Kilicdaroglu, 74, will compete in a runoff election on Ma

'Will implement all five promises': Kharge after Cong victory in Karnataka

After Cong registered a thumping victory in K'taka election, Cong president Kharge assured that grand old party will fulfil all five promises in party's manifesto after formation of cabinet

Thailand's opposition takes early lead in vote count in general election

Vote counting was underway on Sunday in Thailand's general election, touted as a pivotal chance for change nine years after incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha first came to power in a 2014 coup. He is now running against the daughter of the politician who is the military's top nemesis. The polls closed at 5 pm and some results were expected in early evening, with a fuller picture coming later Sunday night. Thai elections use paper ballots that are counted publicly at polling stations. The opposition Pheu Thai Party, headed by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is widely predicted to win at least a healthy plurality of the seats in the 500-member lower House. After casting her ballot, Paetongtarn said every vote is important for effecting change in Thailand and that she has high hopes for the final result. But who heads the next government won't by decided by Sunday's vote alone. The prime minister will be selected in July in a joint session of the House and the 250-seat Senate. The

Amid poll defeat in Karnataka, BJP retains its hold in coastal districts

Even as the ruling BJP was defeated in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the party retained its traditional stronghold in the coastal region by securing victories in 11 of the 13 constituencies in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The Congress crossed the 113-seat mark in the election, the majority required to form the government, in the 224-member Assembly for which counting of votes took place on Saturday. According to the Election Commission website, the party was leading or winning in 136 seats. While Congress leader and former minister U T Khader won from Mangaluru constituency for the fifth time, BJP lost the Puttur seat to the Congress with the presence of rebel candidate Arun Kumar Puthila, who came second in the constituency, eating up into its votes. Puthila gained leads till the 12th round of counting after which Congress candidate Ashok Kumar Rai went ahead of him in the final rounds, registering a margin of over 4,000 votes over the rebel candidate scori

CM, BJP leaders meet at Yediyurappa's residence, says will get majority

A day ahead of counting of votes in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday expressed confidence about the BJP crossing the "magic figure" with a clear majority, and said the question of coalition talks with other political parties does not arise now. Bommai today met BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa along with other party leaders, including ministers Murugesh Nirani, Byrathi Basavaraj, party MP Lehar Singh Siroya and A T Ramaswamy, at the former chief minister's residence. The state recorded its highest-ever voting (73.19 per cent) in Wednesday's polling to the 224-member Assembly. Most exit polls have predicted a tight contest between the Congress and BJP in the Assembly polls. A majority of them have also given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly. "My stand has been the same and consistent that we will get absolute majority. We have got our ground report from all constituencie

Votes are in: It's win-win for the rich in Karnataka assembly elections

The wealth disparity between those who get elected and the rest is widening

49.33% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in UP urban local body polls

A voter turnout of 49.33 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Thursday in the final phase of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party alleging that supporters of the ruling BJP were indulging in election malpractices, especially in Kannauj. The polling began at 7 am in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Ayodhya. Polling was going on smoothly with 57.60 per cent turnout in Ayodhya, 46.20 per cent in Aligarh, 50.93 per cent in Etawah, 60.87 per cent in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 41.92 per cent in Ghaziabad, 46.40 per cent in Kanpur and 46.75 per cent in Bareilly till 5 pm, the election office said. Officials also said that voters, who have lined up at the polling centres till 6.00 pm, will be allowed to cast their votes. In a series of tweets, the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) accused members of the ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj. It also alleged that BJP MP Subrat Pathak a

Won't need Operation Lotus as BJP will win 120-125 seats: Shobha Karandlaje

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday ruled out the possibility of an 'Operation Lotus', saying the BJP would get 120 to 125 seats in the Assembly election and return to power. The term 'Operation Lotus' was coined several years ago by the opposition Congress and the JD(S) in the state, referring to alleged attempts by the BJP earlier to "poach opposition MLAs" when it failed to get a majority on its own. Stating that the party would prove the exit polls wrong, most of which have given the Congress an edge over the BJP, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare said that the "primary reports" obtained post elections on Wednesday suggested that her party was getting an absolute majority. Asked whether the BJP would need to resort to Operation Lotus', she said, "Absolutely not. Have faith. No situation will arise for any sort of 'Operation Lotus'. This time the people of the state will vote for the development of the state and will give a majority ...

K'taka polls: 52% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm, highest in Ramanagaram

A voter turnout of 52.18 per cent was recorded in the ongoing Karnataka Assembly polls till 3 pm, the Election Commission informed on Wednesday

77 elected unopposed in 2nd phase of ongoing urban local body polls in UP

Candidates for a total of 77 posts, including one Nagar Panchayat president, have been elected unopposed in the second phase of the ongoing urban local body elections in Uttar Pradesh, the State Election Commission said. The election of Rabupura Nagar Panchayat president of Gautam Buddha Nagar district has been held unopposed. Apart from this, five councilors from Aligarh, three from Meerut, one councilor from Ghaziabad have been elected unopposed. Similarly, out of 36 unopposed members in Nagar Panchayats, 16 have been elected from Gautam Buddha Nagar, three from Etah, two each from Azamgarh, Banda, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, Aligarh and Hathras and one each from Bulandshahr, Barabanki, Siddharthnagar, Pilibhit and Hamirpur, according to a press statement issued by the election commission on Saturday. State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar said in the statement that 31 members of municipal councils have been elected unopposed in different districts. He said seven municipal council ...

K'taka polls crucial to save nation's democratic fabric: Cong leader Chavan

Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said the country is now experiencing an undeclared emergency. Addressing reporters here, Chavan, who is here for the party's election campaign, said the constitutional bodies are not being allowed to function in a free manner in the country, creating an atmosphere of undeclared emergency. The assembly elections in Karnataka is crucial not only for the State but also the first step to save the democratic fabric of the nation, he said. Karnataka goes to polls on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be a decisive election that will decide the fate of the democracy in this country, he said. Chavan alleged that a corrupt double engine government is functioning in the state where one Chief Minister "resigned over corruption charges", while another is facing "40 percent commission charges" on every project. Even BJP MLAs are alleging that a rate of Rs 2,500 crore

Union Home Minister Shah holds massive roadshow in poll-bound Karnataka

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a massive roadshow here, waving at a large enthusiastic crowd along the route, as he sought people's support, ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka. Shah, standing on a specially designed vehicle accompanied by Tumakur Member of Parliament G S Basavaraj and other leaders, was greeted by people gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings. A large number of party workers walked along with Shah's vehicle holding BJP flags and shouting slogans praising BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid drum sounds. At the end of the road shadow here in Tumakuru district, the Home Minister urged people to vote for the BJP candidate, and to ensure that a "double engine government" under the leadership of Modi comes to power. Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have done a lot of work for Karnataka, he said, adding that the BJP government has ended four per cent Muslim reservation and has .