Page 4 - Elections

Anurag Thakur backs 'one nation, one election', calls it win-win situation

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the implementation of the 'one nation, one election' formula would be a win-win situation for the country as it would not just cut the expenses incurred in conducting various polls but also save a lot of time. "Elections were held in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls (last year). Then elections were held in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. So, there are at least five assembly elections in a year. "If all the polls are held simultaneously, it will reduce the expenditure, save time and increase the voting percentage as well," Thakur told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a party event on 'one nation, one election' (ONOE). The former Union minister said conducting simultaneous polls would reduce the expenditure of the candidates, political parties, and help the country save money. "Around Rs 1.5 lakh crore was spent in the (2024) Lok Sabha elections -- by political parties, candidates, other instituti

Australians begin voting in polls as Pope's death overshadows campaigning

Australians began voting Tuesday at general elections as campaigning was overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis. Polling stations opened to voters who for a variety of reasons will be unable to vote on May 3. Around half the votes are expected to be cast before the election date. Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton cancelled campaign events planned for Tuesday out of respect for the late pontiff. Flags were flown at half staff from government buildings across the country where a 2021 census found 20% of the population were Catholics. Albanese was raised as a Catholic but chose to be sworn in as prime minister when he was elected in 2022 by making a secular affirmation rather than by taking an oath on a Bible. Albanese attended a Mass in honour of the pope in Melbourne's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Tuesday morning. I try not to talk about my faith in public, Albanese told reporters. At times like this, I think what people do is they draw on w

High stakes for Indian diaspora in Canada and Australia elections

With the US administration's crackdown on immigration and questions being asked about the issue of migration in Canada and Australia as well

Singapore dissolves parliament, paving way for general elections

Singapore's parliament was dissolved Tuesday, paving the way for general elections in which the city-state's long-ruling People's Action Party will seek to strengthen its dominance under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The Elections Department is expected to set a date for the polls later in the afternoon. Victory is virtually assured for the PAP, which has led Singapore since its independence in 1965. But Wong, who was sworn in as Singapore's fourth leader in May last year, wants to clinch a stronger win after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls over voters' rising discontent with the government. Wong succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down after two decades at the helm. Lee's departure marked the end of a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first leader who built the colonial trading outpost into one of the world's richest nations during 31 years in office. In the 2020 polls held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAP maintained its supermajority

South Korea to hold snap elections on June 3 after ousting president

Leader of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung is the front-runner in the elections. Lee lost to Yoon with a margin of less than 1% votes in 2022

South Korea to hold election on June 3 to replace ousted President Yoon

South Korea will hold a snap presidential election June 3 to replace recently ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country's acting leader Han Duck-soo announced Tuesday. The announcement came days after the Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his ill-fated imposition of martial law in December. Deep political polarisation will likely shape the June 3 election, expected to be a two-way showdown between the two major political parties: Yoon's conservative People Power Party and its chief liberal rival, the Democratic Party. The focus of attention is on whether conservatives can regroup and field a strong candidate to compete against the likely Democratic candidate, Lee Jae-myung. It will be an uphill battle for the governing People's Power Party to hold on to power it struggles to restore public confidence and heal a severe internal division triggered by Yoon's martial law stunt.

India, China could interfere in elections, claims Canadian spy agency

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director at CSIS, also warned that China could use tools enabled by artificial intelligence

Bangladesh's Information Adviser urges all to prepare for polls by December

Bangladesh's Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Friday said the elections will be held in December as scheduled and urged all parties to prepare for it, according to a media report. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that the election will be held on time. It is scheduled for the end of this year, in December. A timeline has already been set, and the election will take place within that timeframe. Everyone should start preparing for it, Mahfuj said. Mahfuj hoped that the election would be held in right time if the political parties act responsibly, stop sabotage and the state organs properly cooperate, The Daily Star newspaper reported. Yunus recently said the government would hold elections in December if the political parties agreed to fewer reforms, adding that it may be postponed by a few months if political parties wanted a bigger number of reforms.

Japan PM Ishiba faces criticism over gifts to lawmakers after election loss

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is being criticised for distributing gift certificates to 15 first-year lawmakers in his party in a scandal shaking his already weak grip on power. Ishiba has denied breaking political funding laws and said he won't resign. But opposition lawmakers and rivals in his own party have said the gifts were excessive and showed Ishiba was out of touch, especially after the governing Liberal Democratic Party had a disastrous election loss last year due to its earlier political funding irregularities. Japanese media reported earlier this week that Ishiba's aide delivered gift certificates worth 100,000 yen ($670) to the offices of the 15 lawmakers prior to their private dinner with the prime minister. Ishiba is leading a minority government after his LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito lost the October election in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber parliament. LDP remains the largest party, but its steep losses made it le

SC to hear plea on Mar 18 to bar poll candidates with serious offences

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on March 18 a plea seeking to debar from polls, candidates charged with serious offences. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh would likely hear the matter. The apex court in September 2022 sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Aside from seeking to debar persons against whom charges were framed in criminal cases, the plea also sought directions to the Centre and the ECI to restrain such candidates put on trial for serious offences. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, alleged that despite recommendations of the Law Commission of India and court's previous directions, the Centre and the ECI did not act. The plea said of the 539 winners of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, about 233 or 43 per cent, declared facing criminal cases. Referring to data from a report of NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, the petition said ther

Center-right party wins most votes in Greenland polls as Trump eyes control

The center-right Demokraatit Party won the most votes in Greenland's parliamentary elections, a surprise result as the territory went to the polls in the shadow of President Donald Trump's stated goal of taking control of the island one way or another. Both Demokraatit the Democrats and the second place party, Naleraq Point of Orientation favor independence from Denmark, but they have differences on the pace of change. Demokraatit's upset victory over parties that have governed the territory for years indicates that many in Greenland care just as much about healthcare, education, cultural heritage and other social policies. The unanticipated results came after huge crowds streamed into the polling station in the capital, Nuuk, throughout the day, warmed by sunny skies. Exhausted voting officials closed the polls well after the planned 8 pm local time on Tuesday to make sure everyone in line got a chance to cast their ballot. Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede in February called .

Simultaneous polls will undermine country's federal structure: NPF

The Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) on Saturday strongly opposed the proposal of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, asserting that it would undermine India's federal structure and lead to a "one-party rule". Raising the issue of 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) during the Zero Hour of the Nagaland assembly, NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon said it is detrimental to India, which is known for its unity in diversity. He claimed ONOE would undermine India's federal structure and the autonomy of individual states, especially Nagaland, which was born out of a political agreement, with special privileges inserted under Article 371(A) of the Constitution. He argued that synchronising elections would diminish the role of regional parties, which play a crucial part in advocating for local issues. Kikon said ONOE could overshadow regional issues with national political narratives, especially from financially dominant national parties. This shift, he said, would jeopardise the democr

Elections will happen in Myanmar within 10 months, says junta leader

Four years after seizing power from the elected administration, the head of the military government declared Myanmar will hold a general election within 10 months, state-run media reported Saturday. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said Friday the election will take place either in December or January 2026 at the latest, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. He announced the dates in a press conference while on an official visit to Belarus, one of the few allies of Myanmar's military government, saying that 53 political parties have already submitted their lists to participate in the election. However, Min Aung did not mention exact election dates. The announcement comes as Myanmar is roiled by a civil war in which the army has been forced onto the defensive against pro-democracy militants as well as ethnic militias seeking autonomy in much of the country. The army takeover from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021 has been met with widespread popula

Pollsters continue missing the mark: Why election forecasts go wrong

Surprisingly, even many exit polls have been off the mark in recent years. Opinion polls conducted before balloting suffer from the problem of surveying people who may not vote on polling day

Out of your scope: Law ministry to Parl panel on reverting to ballot papers

The question of holding elections using ballot papers does not fall under the ambit of the joint committee of Parliament examining the two bills on simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, the Union law ministry is learnt to have said. Reverting to the ballot paper system was a "suggestion" made by some of the members of the joint committee and the law ministry was to respond to it in writing. While the ministry's Legislative Department gave elaborate responses to a variety of questions posed to it by the committee, it did not give a direct reply on the suggestion on the ballot paper system. The ministry is learnt to have said that the suggestion on the use of the ballot paper system was "out of scope" of the parliamentary panel. Sources explained that the committee is mandated to examine the bills on simultaneous polls -- the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill -- and give its report on whether they are .

Germany's options: A tough leadership test awaits the new chancellor

Much of Mr Merz's leadership of Europe, however, depends on how fast he can revive Germany's economy

IUML asks ally Cong to resolve leadership issues in latter's Kerala unit

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal on Sunday called on the Congress to address any internal leadership disputes in its Kerala unit. His remarks came in response to a political debate ignited by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's recent interview with an English daily. In the interview, Tharoor highlighted the "absence of a leader" in the party's Kerala unit, subtly positioning himself as a viable option by citing his appeal among non-traditional voters. His comments come amid criticism from within the party for his recent praise of the ruling LDF government in Kerala. This is not just about Tharoor's issue. If there are any leadership issues, Congress should address them and move forward, Thangal told reporters. He stated that this view is shared by all constituents of the Congress-led UDF. "With elections approaching, Congress should resolve the issues as it is to lead the front," he added. IUML is a major partner of the grand o

Kharge tells his top party leaders they will be accountable for results

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday told top party leaders that they would be held accountable for election results in the future and warned them against turncoats, remarks that came in the backdrop of the party's Delhi poll debacle. Addressing the new office-bearers at a meeting held at the party's headquarters at Indira Bhawan, he urged party leaders to work at the grassroots level and strengthen the party from the booth level and promote such people who are ideologically committed to the organisation. Kharge also hinted at some more changes in the organisation, saying some changes have already taken place and some more are in the offing. "I want to talk to you about the most important thing of accountability. You all will be held accountable for revamping the organisations in states and for all future election results," he told the office-bearers. The party recently brought in new office bearers in the revamped organisation. Among those who attended the meeting

New CEC Gyanesh Kumar to oversee 22 state polls before 2029 retirement

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court (SC) said it would take up the pleas against the appointment of the CEC and election commissioners under the 2023 law on February 19 as a "priority"

SC slams freebies, says they discourage people from willing to work

The Supreme Court on Wednesday deprecated the practice of announcing freebies prior to elections, and said people were not willing to work as they were getting free ration and money. The observations came from a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih which was hearing a matter concerning the right to shelter of homeless persons in urban areas. "Unfortunately, because of these freebies... the people are not willing to work. They are getting free rations. They are getting amount without doing any work," Justice Gavai observed. "We quite appreciate your concern for them but would it not be better to make them a part of the mainstream of society and permit them to contribute to the development of the nation," the bench said. Attorney General R Venkataramani told the bench that the Centre was in the process of finalising the urban poverty alleviation mission, which would address various issues, including the provision of shelter for the urban homeless. The bench asked t