Elections

Burnham wins special UK election, emerging as potential rival to Starmer

Labour's Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Burnham won the seat of Makerfield in northwest England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK. The victory announced Friday cements the status of Burnham as the leading contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country. Burnham has pledged that "if people put their trust in me, I will change politics" - a big promise for a politician who is just one of 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons. He said he would take the fight for change "as high as I can possibly take it." Starmer's popularity has cratered since he led the centre-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, ...

After promise of freebies, new state governments must face fiscal reality

Elections in India have become fertile ground for the proliferation of freebies

Cash-transfer promises rise, but can states afford the welfare bill?

As cash-transfer politics becomes embedded in elections, the bigger challenge for states may lie not in announcing welfare promises, but in sustaining them fiscally

Assam election results 2026: BJP takes decisive lead; Gaurav Gogoi loses

From Himanta Biswa Sarma to Gaurav Gogoi, here is how top leaders are faring as counting of votes continues for the Assam Assembly election

Datanomics: Exit polls struggle to gain credibility in Assembly elections

A decade-long review of exit polls highlights systemic inaccuracies in key states, with non-response bias emerging as a major challenge for pollsters

Exit polls predict tight finish in WB; mixed signals from TN outcome

The current round of Assembly polls in four states -- Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal -- and the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded on Wednesday evening

Entire Union cabinet, 19 CMs won't help BJP win Bengal polls: Mamata

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the BJP has deployed its entire machinery to defeat the regional party in the West Bengal assembly elections as almost the entire Union cabinet and CMs of NDA-ruled states are camping in the poll-bound state. Addressing an election rally at Uttarpara in Hooghly district, Banerjee accused the BJP of giving false promises to migrant workers from West Bengal employed outside the state. "The BJP is desperate, with 50 helicopters flying into West Bengal as almost the entire Union cabinet, from the PM to home, railway and defence ministers, as well as CMs of 19 NDA-ruled states camping in a single state West Bengal," the chief minister said. Compare this with only three helicopters being used by the TMC to campaign across the state. But all this hype and sound and fury will end in a whimper on May 4, she said. "On top of this, we are seeing central forces wherever we are going. They are bringing in armoured vehicles which are not put to

How polling calendars dictate Indian political parties' Google ad spends

Digital campaign budgets surge and recede in lockstep with state and national election cycles

Bulgarians head to polls to elect Parliament for eighth time in 5 years

Bulgarians are heading to the polls on Sunday for the eighth time in five years, hoping to finally elect a parliament able to resolve the longtime political impasse that has gripped this Balkan country. The snap vote follows the resignation of a conservative-led government amid nationwide protests last December that drew hundreds of thousands, mainly young people, to the streets. The protesters called for an independent judiciary to tackle widespread corruption. Since 2021, the nation of 6.5 million has struggled with fragmented parliaments that produced weak governments, none of which managed to survive more than a year before being brought down by street protests or backroom deals in parliament. The revolving door of governments has fostered widespread public mistrust, voter apathy and a shrinking turnout in elections. Still, Sunday's vote is significant as it could bring to power a left-leaning, pro-Russian former president - just days after Hungarian voters rejected the ...

Odisha Janata Congress launched as new regional alternative to BJP

Former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim launches Odisha Janata Congress, positioning it as a youth-focused regional alternative amid criticism of BJP, BJD, and Congress

This Hungarian town explains why Viktor Orban lost power after 16 years

Lake Balaton was beloved as a vacation spot. Now, luxury real estate projects serve many friends of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and the locals are fed up

Who is Peter Magyar, former Orban party insider who toppled Hungarian PM

Two years of grueling criss-crossing of the country on the campaign trail designed to bypass state-controlled media has made Peter Magyar one of Hungary's most recognizable faces

European leaders celebrate Peter Magyar's victory in Hungarian election

European leaders heaped praise on Peter Magyar after his stunning election victory in Hungary, not just for what the vibrant campaigner and the country's next premier might do but who he is not - long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who many saw as a direct threat to the continent's peace and prosperity. The outpouring reflected a deep frustration with Orban across the 27-nation European Union and its institutions. "Today Europe wins and European values win," said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X on Sunday night. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: "Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!" Orban's 16-year grip on power has tested the EU system of governance meant to ensure peace through economic and political integration after the ravages of the world wars. Claiming he sought to advance Hungarian's national interests over strategy forged in Brussels, Orban time and again vetoed collective action such as support for Ukraine ...

Hungarian PM Orban loses poll to Peter Magyar after 16 years in power

Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favour of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions. Election victor Peter Magyar, a former Orban loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary's relationships with the European Union and NATO - ties that frayed under Orban. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar. It's not yet clear whether Magyar's Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament to govern without a coalition. With 77% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 38% for Orban's governing Fidesz party. It's a stunning blow for Orban, a close ally of both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban conceded defeat after what he called a "painful" electi

Assam assembly polls record nearly 76% turnout till 3pm as voting continues

A voter turnout of nearly 76 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Thursday in the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is looking to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago. Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 75.91 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters had exercised their right till 3 pm, defying overcast skies and rains in many parts of the state. The polling will continue till 5 pm. In the 2021 assembly elections, held in three phases, voter turnout of around 82 per cent was recorded. A total of 722 candidates are in the fray in this single-phase election, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress. Chamaria in Kamrup recorded the highest turnout of 84.43 per cent till 3 pm, while New Guwahati witnessed the lowest at 60.57 per cent, officials said. This is the first assembly poll in the state after

Tamil Nadu polls: A contest shaped by welfare politics, shifting alliances

As Tamil Nadu heads to polls on April 23, the Assembly election will test Dravidian politics, alliance cohesion, and the enduring impact of welfare-driven governance across regions

Poll neutrality at risk if EC relies on contestants: Justice Nagarathna

Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna, while highlighting that the Election Commission is the primary institution entrusted with maintaining the integrity of polls, has said if those who conduct elections are dependent on those who contest them, the neutrality of the process cannot be assured. The apex court judge raised a critical concern regarding the structural independence of those tasked with overseeing the ballot while delivering the Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture at the Chanakya Law University in Patna on Saturday. Citing a 1995 verdict where the Supreme Court recognised the Election Commission as a constitutional authority of high significance, entrusted with ensuring the integrity of elections, she said, "The concern, once again, was structural: if those who conduct elections are dependent on those who contest them, the neutrality of the process cannot be assured." Justice Nagarathna said elections are not merely periodic events but a mechanism through which politica

SC expresses concern over intimidation of judicial officers in West Bengal

Supreme Court orders central forces and probe after judicial officers were allegedly confined during electoral roll revision in West Bengal, raising concerns over rule of law

Infra push meets fiscal reality in Assam ahead of Assembly elections

Development, fiscal stress and identity issues dominate Assam polls, as parties battle over growth claims and governance ahead of elections

Kharge announces Congress' 'five guarantees' for poll-bound Assam

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday announced his party's "five guarantees" for poll-bound Assam, with a focus on women's welfare, healthcare for all, land rights and justice in the Zubeen Garg death case. He also took a swipe at the BJP-led government in the state, accusing it of indulging in rampant corruption and working "to fill the coffers" of its leaders and their families. Addressing a rally at Naoboicha in Lakhimpur district, Kharge listed the party's 'five guarantees', which include a monthly cash transfer to women, along with an additional Rs 50,000 assistance to women willing to set up or expand a business. "Our transfer will be unconditional. It will not be like what the BJP government is doing, where women are asked to be members of their party," he said. The Congress, which is looking to wrest power from the BJP, pledged Rs 25 lakh cashless health insurance for all families, permanent land pattas for 10 lakh indigenous people and Rs 1,250 per month for sen