Page 24 - Elections

Close ally of PM Fico tops a pro-Western diplomat to become Slovakia's prez

A close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico beat a pro-Western career diplomat to become Slovakia's new president, and succeed Zuzana Caputov, the country's first female head of state. Parliamentary speaker Peter Pellegrini received 53.85 per cent of the vote with the ballots from over 98 per cent polling stations counted by the Statistics Office in Saturday's runoff election, topping former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok who had 46.14 per cent. Korcok conceded the defeat and congratulated the winner. I'm disappointed, he said. Pellegrini becomes Slovakia's sixth president since the country gained independence after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Caputov, a staunch backer of neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, didn't seek a second term in the largely ceremonial post. Pellegrini's victory cemented Fico's grip on power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts. The president of the nation of 5.4 million people picks the prime

EC asks officials to work on increasing voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls

The ECI identified urban-specific hurdles and recommended the development of tailored, region-specific outreach programmes according to the demographics of the constituency

No to NOTA? Fewer takers for last button, trend suggests further dip

'Voters in reserved constituencies, tribal areas exercise NOTA option to a greater extent than the regular constituencies'

From jobs to MSP, what has changed in Congress' manifesto from 2019

Lok Sabha elections 2024: The manifesto pledged to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to assess caste and sub-caste demographics along with their socio-economic status

Oppn spread lies about CAA, it is my guarantee to provide citizenship: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed opposition bloc INDIA for spreading canards about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said it is "Modi ki guarantee to provide citizenship to those who have faith in Maa Bharati (Mother India)". Addressing a mega rally at Rash Mela grounds in West Bengal's Cooch Behar, Modi criticised the opposition parties for trying to save the corrupt and asserted that he will ensure that they are punished. "They (INDIA bloc) never cared for the marginalised communities. Now that we have brought CAA, they are spreading rumours and lies. It is Modi ki guarantee to provide citizenship to those who have faith in Maa Bharati," he said. Hitting out at the opposition alliance INDIA, Modi said the "opposition alliance is busy indulging in politics of lies and deceit." "I am saying remove corruption; the opposition is saying 'save the corrupt.' I will ensure the corrupt are punished, and the poor get justice. In the next five years, more stringent act

LS polls: 22 leaders quit LJP, accuse Chirag Paswan of 'selling tickets'

Citing dissatisfaction over not getting tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the outgoing leaders said they will now support the INDIA bloc

Lok Sabha polls: Union IT Minister declares Rs 680 taxable income for FY22

While filing his nomination, Rajeev Chandrasekhar declared assets valued at Rs 14.4 crore while also acknowledging liabilities of nearly Rs 19.42 crore

'5 power centres in Congress': Sanjay Nirupam blasts party after expulsion

Maharashtra politician says the party announced his expulsion after he had resigned

Gourav Vallabh joins BJP hours after quitting 'directionless' Congress

'I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse wealth creators day in and day out,' Gourav Vallabh wrote in his resignation letter

Congress's Gourav Vallabh quits 'directionless' party ahead of LS polls

In his resignation letter, Congress leader Gourav Vallabh cited the party's caste census promise, the decision to skip the Ram temple ceremony, and other reasons

Sushil Modi says he is battling cancer, won't fight Lok Sabha elections

'I will not be able to do anything' during elections, says veteran Bihar politicians on X

NOTA vote share declines in 2019 LS polls to 1.06% from 1.08% in 2014

A statewise look at the data shows that in 2019, Bihar recorded the highest percentage of NOTA vote share of 2%

Congress seeks action against BJP, Gadkari 'for violating' poll rules

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee says the BJP and the union minister used school students 'in election-related activities'

23 politicians have got reprieve in corruption cases on joining BJP: Report

A newspaper investigation has revealed that with Opposition leaders switching to the ruling party, cases by central agencies have either halted or gone away completely

LS polls: EC launches 'Myth vs Reality Register' to tackle misinformation

In a bid to check the spread of misinformation during the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission on Tuesday launched a "Myth vs Reality Register" that will be updated regularly to include the latest fake news busted. With the proliferation of misinformation and false narratives, this proactive initiative seeks to ensure that voters have access to accurate and verified information throughout the electoral process, the poll panel said. The microsite was launched by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The register will be continuously updated to include the latest busted fake information and fresh frequently-asked questions, the EC said.

Democracy, autocracy, or both?

Most democracies, or autocracies, fall in a category of one. Why then are we trying to judge all of them in the same way?

'Cong threatening nation will be on fire if BJP wins': PM Modi in Rajasthan

'This is the first election in which leaders of the Congress party are not talking about winning elections,' PM Modi said in Rajasthan

Election Commission asks Centre to stop Viksit Bharat WhatsApp campaign

After receiving several complaints from citizens and Opposition parties, the ECI directed MeitY to stop the delivery of 'Viksit Bharat' WhatsApp messages since the Model Code of Conduct is in force

In setback to Erdogan, Turkey's Oppn makes huge gains in local election

Turkiye's main opposition party retained its control over key cities and made huge gains elsewhere in Sunday's local elections, preliminary results showed, in a major upset to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had set his sights on retaking control of those urban areas. With nearly 60 per cent of the ballot boxes counted, incumbent Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, of the Republican People's Party, or CHP, was leading in Istanbul, Turkiye's largest city and economic hub, according to state broadcaster TRT. Mansur Yavas, the mayor of the capital Ankara, retained his seat with a large margin, the results indicated. The CHP was leading in 36 of Turkiye's 81 provinces, according to the results reported by TRT. The vote was seen as a barometer of President Erdogan's popularity as he sought to win back control of key urban areas he lost to the opposition in elections five years ago. The CHP's victory in Ankara and Istanbul in 2019, had shattered Erdogan's aura of invincibility. The main battlegrou

Lok Sabha polls: No Sunny Deol from Punjab as BJP announces eighth list

In the eighth list, the party gave tickets to a number of turncoats like Bhartruhari Mahtab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Kumar Rinku, and Preneet Kaur