Page 10 - Elections

Suspicious packages sent to election officials in at least five US states

Suspicious packages were sent to election officials in at least five states on Monday, but there were no reports that any of the packages contained hazardous material. Powder-containing packages were sent to secretaries of state and state election offices in Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming and Oklahoma, officials in those states confirmed. The FBI and US Postal Service were investigating. It marked the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to election officials in multiple state offices. The latest scare comes as early voting has begun in several states less than two months ahead of the high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and key statehouse offices around the nation, causing disruption in what is already a tense voting season. Several of the states reported a white powder substance found in envelopes sent to election officials. In most cases, the material was found to be harmless. Oklahoma officials said the material sent to the ...

Ball in BJP's court to hold early polls, no decision yet on next CM: AAP

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said it has put the ball in BJP's court by demanding early elections in Delhi in November, and now it is up to the opposition party to decide whether it was prepared to face CM Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal will tender his resignation as chief minister on Tuesday and the process to choose his replacement will start after that, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that there has been no discussion on who the next chief minister will be. "Today is a holiday and tomorrow is the first working day of the week. He will tender his resignation tomorrow to Lt Governor and after the resignation is accepted, a meeting of party MLAs will be held to decide on the new name," he said at a press conference. Bharadwaj said the candidate chosen will then present their claim to the president through the LG. "We have the majority and we will be invited and then the process for oath taking will happen. This should take a week," he added. AAP supremo Kejriwal o

Cong coming to power in Haryana, says Hooda; asks criminals to leave state

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said the Congress will form the next government in Haryana and warned criminals to either give up crime or leave the state before October 8, the day poll results will be out. Addressing an election meeting in Assoda village here, Hooda said the aim of the Congress government will be to make Haryana "developed and safe". "A Congress government is going to be formed in the state on October 8. Before that, either stop your criminal activities or leave Haryana," Hooda said in a warning to the criminals of the state. "The aim of the Congress government will be to make Haryana developed and safe," he said and appealed to the people to vote for Congress candidate Rajendra Joon. Hooda told the gathering that when the Congress returned to power in Haryana in 2005, it eradicated crime, and law and order was maintained for 10 years. "Due to this, the state progressed, and Haryana became the number one state in the country in terms of ...

'I might be from the Mufti family but will have to earn my respect here'

"People now understand that their vote is going to be important; it's only politicians and parties who Are going to solve their problems," Iltija Mufti, PDP candidate in J&K Assembly elections

Trump planning to launch sons' crypto biz on Monday, 50 days before polls

Former President Donald Trump plans to deliver remarks next Monday about cryptocurrency and the launch of the company World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform controlled by the Republican nominee's sons Donald Jr. and Eric. His speech will come 50 days before Election Day, an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign. We're embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind, Trump said in a video posted Thursday to X, the social media site that will also host his address on the subject at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday from his Mar-a-Lago home. As part of his presidential campaign, Trump has pledged to turn the United States into the crypto capital of the planet, raising red flags that he could use the federal government to help support a business tied to hi

Who's vying to be Japan's next prime minister after Kishida's step down

Here are the leading contenders based on public opinion polls

Clans, cousins, next gen dynasts face off in Haryana's game of thrones

Until now, the BJP has announced candidates on 87 of the 90 seats

Haryana, J-K Assembly elections updates: BJP releases second list of 21 candidates for Haryana polls

J-K, Haryana Assembly polls updates: Catch all the latest news developments related to the Assembly polls here

Ex-Dy PM Devi Lal's grandson joins INLD from BJP, gets poll ticket

The 46-year-old leader joined the INLD at a rally of the party in Chautala village in Sirsa district in the presence of the party's senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala

Climate change, natural disasters put voting rights at risk: Nepal PM Oli

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Wednesday emphasised that unpredictable weather patterns and natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, can pose a significant threat to citizens' ability to exercise their right to vote, as he underscored the need for election officials to adapt and ensure the integrity of democratic processes. "Issues like climate change, migration and the rise of social media and the role of artificial intelligence are crucial for our democracies," Oli said at the inauguration of the 12th conference of the Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBOSA) here. "Unpredictable weather patterns and natural disasters due to climate change threaten our ability to ensure that every citizen can exercise their right to vote...Climate change is not only an issue related to the environment, it touches every facet of our society," he said. "The movement of people across borders and within, and within our countries have profound implications for ...

MCD ward committee election commences amid heavy security deployment

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi ward committee polls commenced at the agency headquarters here on Wednesday amid heavy security deployment. The long pending elections are being held for the first time after the unification of the MCD in 2022. Due to the political deadlock between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP, the polls could not take place and the matter became subjudice. Anticipating a face-off between the two parties, the police have beefed up security arrangements in and around the Civic Centre located in Central Delhi. A company of paramilitary personnel along with local police has been deployed at the spot. In this poll, councillors will vote to elect a chairman and deputy chairman for 10 of the 12 zonal-level ward committees, and one member each for the standing committee, MCD's highest decision-making body. Polls for the formation of the ward committees in two zones -- City SP and Keshav Puram -- will not take place as the BJP and the AAP did not make ...

BJP crisis deepens in J&K: Anger, exits, power clashes ahead of polls

The BJP's decision to contest only half the seats in the Valley during the first phase of voting has intensified frustrations, with loyalists feeling sidelined in favour of defectors and new entrants

EC changed vote-counting date in J&K at BJP's behest: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday alleged the Election Commission has changed the date of counting of votes for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls at the behest of the BJP. "They (ECI) do what suits the BJP. When I contested the (Lok Sabha) elections, they unnecessarily changed the date (of polling). Everything is done as per the wishes of the BJP and its proxy parties," she told reporters here. Mufti was talking to mediapersons after several second rung politicians joined the PDP at the party office here. The Election Commission on Saturday announced a change in the day of counting of votes in Jammu and Kashmir from October 4 to October 8. The move came after the poll body changed the polling date in Haryana from October 1 to October 5 in view of a festival in that state. On the transfer of senior police officers during the elections, the PDP chief said she is happy that all the officers are locals and hoped they will help in conducting free, fair and impartial poll ...

ADGP conducts comprehensive review of security in Jammu ahead of elections

During the meeting, ADGP Anand Jain emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and security throughout the electoral process

Azerbaijan holds election expected to retain president party's dominance

Azerbaijan on Sunday is holding a snap parliamentary election that is the first for the country since it regained full control of a former breakaway territory in a lightning offensive last year. Previous elections since independence from the Soviet Union have not been regarded as fully free or fair, and the vote for the Milli Mejlis parliament is not expected to bring significant changes to the body that is dominated by the New Azerbaijan party of President Ilham Aliyev. Under the constitution, the election would have been held in November, but Aliyev decreed it to take place two months early because the capital of Baku will host United Nations climate talks known as COP29 that same month. Aliyev and his late father, Heydar Aliyev, have led Azerbaijan with their heavy-handed rule since 1993, suppressing dissent as the country of almost 10 million people on the shores of the Caspian Sea basked in growing wealth from its huge oil and natural gas reserves. New Azerbaijan holds 69 of t

J&K polls: Senior BJP leader resigns, threatens to contest as independent

In yet another rebellion within the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir over ticket distribution for the assembly elections, senior party leader Chander Mohan Sharma Friday announced his resignation from the party and threatened to contest as an Independent. The BJP is facing resentment over its ticket distribution in the Union territory, with party leaders and workers protesting in several districts of the Jammu region. This has prompted the party to launch a damage control exercise, deploying several top leaders, including Union ministers, to defuse the situation. "There is immense resentment and anger among leaders and workers of the party over the unfair distribution of mandates. They are holding protests to express their discontent. Saddened by this, I, one of the senior-most leaders of the BJP, along with others, have resigned from the party," Sharma, the convenor of the 'Tawi Andolan', told reporters here. Advocate Sharma, who joined the BJP in the early 1970s, criticised the party ...

Cong shakes up Haryana strategy: Sitting MPs won't contest assembly polls

Haryana elections 2024: The decision has been reportedly taken to calm down internal differences between groups of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Lok Sabha MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja

J&K Assembly elections Phase 1: 279 candidates in fray for 24 seats

J&K Assembly polls: The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1 and the counting of votes will take place on October 4

Will set up 768 offices across country, 563 ready: BJP president JP Nadda

The Bharatiya Janata Party planned to set up 768 offices of the party across the country of which 563 are ready, BJP president JP Nadda said on Saturday. Nadda, scheduled to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of Goa BJP's headquarters near Panaji, addressed the function via video message. The foundation stone was laid by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. The headquarters will come up on the outskirts of Panaji near a highway connecting the capital city to Old Goa. The new building would be ready by December 2026, Sawant said. "After forming the government in Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah took various important decisions related to the government and also the party organisation," Nadda said. He said establishing BJP headquarters in every capital city and the party office in each district was one of the key decisions taken by Modi and Shah. "The party decided to construct 768 offices of w

Sri Lanka sets expenditure limits for prez election campaign for first time

For the first time, Sri Lanka's upcoming presidential election on September 21 will be subject to campaign finance regulations, following the introduction of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act in January 2023. According to a gazette notification dated August 16 and published Monday, each candidate is allowed to spend a maximum of Rs 109 per elector for election campaigning activities, totalling Rs 1,868,298,586 (approx USD 5 million) per candidate. The expenditure limit per candidate has been set at 60 per cent of the total amount, while political party secretaries are allowed 40 per cent for their candidate's election campaign activities. The parties must submit expenditure reports to the Elections Commission within 21 days of the election results being declared, the notification stated. A record number of 39 candidates are in the fray for the upcoming presidential election. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and the lea