Page 24 - Election

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 .

State scan: White-knuckle runoff set to go down to the wire in Maharashtra

As 2024 elections draw closer, parties in the state are reviewing their options

Fox News is settled, but Dominion still has many lawsuits from 2020

Dominion Voting Systems Inc. secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News for airing false election-fraud claims, but it still has several similar defamation suits against other companies

Yediyurappa holds roadshow as son Vijayendra set to file nomination

The roadshow comes ahead of his son BY Vijayendra's filing of nomination from the Shikaripura Assembly constituency today

Home Minister Amit Shah to address election rally in South Goa on April 16

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a core committee member, attended the meet. The BJP leader said the ruling party is also gearing up for polls to Sankhalim (North Goa) and Ponda municipal councils in May

Election-seizure touches Rs 100 cr in 10 days of K'taka poll announcement

The election related seizure in Karnataka on Sunday touched close to Rs 100 crore, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said. According to the daily bulletin, the CEO said Rs 99.18 crore worth seizure were made ever since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect in the State from March 29. In just 10 days of MCC coming into effect, Rs 36.8 crore cash, Rs 15.46 crore worth freebies, 5.2 lakh litres of liquor valued at Rs 30 crore, Rs 15 crore worth gold and Rs 2.5 crore worth silver ornaments have been seized, the bulletin said. On Sunday, the Static Surveillance Team seized Rs 34 lakh cash in Yadgir district and 56 televisions worth Rs 21 lakh in Nelamangala constituency in Bengaluru Rural district. The Excise department has seized 54,282 litres of liquor worth Rs 1.62 crore. The elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.

BJP CEC meets to finalise party's candidates for Karnataka assembly poll

The BJP Central Election Committee met here on Sunday to finalise the party's candidates for the Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other members of the CEC were joined by senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, as they deliberated on the names of probable candidates. Senior party leaders have been holding talks for a couple of days to winnow down the list of probables before the CEC takes a final call. The BJP, which aims to come back to power again in the southern state, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats. The party's main rival is the Congress which has also expressed confidence about coming back to power in the state.

Elections in Shimla Municipal Corporation on May 2, results on May 4

Elections in 34 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will be held on May 2 and the results will be declared on May 4, as per the Himachal Pradesh state election commission. According to the schedule released by the commission, filing of nominations will take place on April 13, 17 and 18 between 11 am and 3 pm, and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on April 19. About 87,000 voters will be able to exercise their franchise in the polls, it said. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is April 21 and the symbols would be allotted on the same day. The elections would be held on May 2 and results would be declared on May 4. The Himachal Pradesh government had on Saturday notified reserved wards for women and Scheduled Castes for the 34-ward Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Only 14 wards are unreserved while three are reserved for Scheduled caste. The BJP had wrested the SMC from the Congress after 32 years in 2017 and later, the BJP government increased the

GST rate rationalisation unlikely before 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Centre, states not in favour any major change in GST structure amid inflationary pressure

Iraqi Parliament approves amendments to election law despite objections

The latest amendments to the election law reduced the number of electoral districts from 83 countrywide in the previous 2021 elections to one electoral district for each of Iraq's 18 provinces

MLC poll results indicate anti-incumbency, rebellion: Chandrababu Naidu

The Legislative Council election results are an indication of the people's rebellion and anti-incumbency in Andhra Pradesh, Opposition leader and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu said on Sunday. Thanking voters for taking the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to victory in three graduates' constituencies polls, the former Chief Minister called it a "people's victory", saying the electorate had reposed complete faith and confidence in the party. Election candidates aligned with the TDP won from Uttarandhra (North Andhra), East Rayalaseema and West Rayalaseema constituencies. Jagan Mohan Reddy always believes in money and muscle power and in indulging in atrocities," TDP supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu said. "He transformed all the elections in these four years only into selections." Prophesying that the ruling YSRCP would vanish into oblivion soon and not return to power, he pointed out that the courts had pulled up the ruling dispensation many times. The recent polls covered as