Page 41 - Elections

Does NDA expansion indicate vulnerability?

The BJP has realised that in some states, like Bihar and Maharashtra, more than the Modi factor, it needs social alliances for 2024

As elections approach, a spate of welfare schemes in poll-bound states

Govts in Telangana, MP and Rajasthan are not leaving any stone unturned to temper anti-incumbency as they get closer to polls

Spain polls tipped to put far right back in office, first time since Franco

Voters in Spain go to the polls Sunday in an election that could make the country the latest European Union member to swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Here's what you need to know about the vote. WHAT IS AT STAKE? Opinion polls indicate the political right has the edge going into the election, and that raises the possibility a neo-fascist party will be part of Spain's next government. The extreme right has not been in power in Spain since the transition to democracy following the death of former dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. With no party expected to win an absolute majority, the choice for voters is basically between another leftist governing coalition or one between the right and the far right. The right-of-centre Popular Party, the front-runner in the polls, and the extreme right Vox party are on one side. They portray the vote as a chance to end Sanchismo a term the PP uses to sum

Wrestling Federation of India elections will be held on August 12: Report

Former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar was appointed as the returning officer for the Wrestling Federation of India elections by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)

PM Modi faces election threat ahead of LS polls in Oppn's INDIA coalition

Consequently, India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is objectively much more vulnerable than it was last week. While Modi himself maintains one of the highest approval ratings of any world leader

WFI elections likely on August 7 after series of postponements: Report

The much-awaited Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)elections are likely to be held on August 7 following a series of postponements, sources in the IOA ad-hoc panel said on Wednesday. The WFI elections were earlier scheduled to be conducted on July 11 but the Gauhati High Court had stayed the polls, following Assam Wrestling Association's (AWA) plea seeking right to participate in the poll process. The roadblock was cleared after the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Gauhati High Court order. The Assam association had claimed that it was entitled to be an affiliated member of the WFI with voting rights but it was denied recognition by the national federation despite its Executive Committee recommending the same on November 15, 2014. "The discussions happened today. The issue of five disputed state bodies is still being discussed. Unless that issue resolved, a final list of electoral college can't be prepared. But in all likelihood, the elections will be held on August 7," said a

WFI elections now to be held on August 7 following series of postponements

The much-awaited Wrestling Federation of India elections will be held on August 7 following a series of postponements, according to sources in the parent body. The WFI elections were earlier scheduled to be conducted on July 11 but the Gauhati High Court had stayed the polls, following Assam Wrestling Association's (AWA) plea seeking right to participate in the poll process. The state association had claimed that it was entitled to be an affiliated member of the WFI with voting rights but it was denied recognition by the national federation despite its Executive Committee recommending the same on November 15, 2014. The Gauhati High Court had stayed the polls on June 25, the last date to submit names for the electoral college. The roadblock was cleared on Tuesday after the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an order of the Gauhati High Court. The WFI, before being suspended by the sports ministry, had set May 7 as the election date. The sports ministry had ordered the WFI to suspend

NDA vs INDIA: Who said what after two mega meets by political parties

The Opposition resolved to fight what they claimed was the systemic conspiracy by the BJP to "target, persecute, and suppress our fellow Indians"

Oppn renames UPA as Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)

The alliance served between 2004 to 2014 before losing its power to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)

Opposition, NDA expected to set tone for 2024 Lok Sabha elections today

The meetings by the Opposition and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) come as a show of strength from each side ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024

Congress holds Lok Sabha elections strategy meet for northeastern states

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday met party leaders from six northeastern states and deliberated on the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. During the meeting, the leaders from the states of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim also expressed concern over the "deteriorating" situation in Manipur, party sources said. Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes, especially between Kuki and Meitei communities, since early May. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, AICC in-charge of Sikkim, Tripura and Nagaland Ajoy Kumar and former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh were among those present at the meeting held at the AICC headquarters here. Kharge has been holding key strategy meetings with leaders of various states, including some that are due to go to polls later this year. He has already held separate meetings with leaders of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

Bengal panchayat polls: Compilation taking time, results likely on July 17

The final results of the West Bengal panchayat elections are likely to be declared on July 17, as the compilation process is taking a lot of time, a senior official said on Friday. Results of a number of seats in the three tiers of the panchayat polls held on July 8 were out, but the final tally has not yet been released by the State Election Commission (SEC). The counting process which began on July 11 is over, but the compilation is still underway, the official told PTI. "There are a total of 71,000 seats, so one can understand the mammoth task of compiling the results. Besides, the process has become slow because of some technical issues. We are hoping to release the results on Monday," he said. The state poll panel has countermanded the panchayat polls in 20 booths in three districts because of various malpractices during the counting process. Fresh voting will be held in those booths at a later date to be notified in due course. According to the results declared so far, the .

133 Bengal people in Assam due poll violence: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said over 100 people from West Bengal have taken shelter in the state, fearing for their lives because of the panchayat election violence back home. Stating that the people have been provided shelter in a relief camp, the chief minister assured them of any humanitarian aid during times of crisis. While West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari thanked Sarma for providing relief to the tormented opposition party karyakartas of WB, cabinet minister of the neighbouring state Shashi Panja hinted that the Assam CM was raising a false alarm and creating a sense of panic. Yesterday, 133 individuals who feared for their lives due to violence in the panchayat election in West Bengal sought refuge in Dhubri district of Assam. We have provided them with shelter in a relief camp, as well as food and medical assistance, Sarma wrote on Twitter. Expressing gratitude to Sarma, Adhikari, who is the leader of opposition of West Bengal, wrote: I would

Services affected in Kolkata as migrants return to villages for rural polls

Services were affected in Kolkata as migrants employed in sectors ranging from domestic work to hospitality and transport went to their homes in villages to cast their vote in the West Bengal panchayat elections, and many are yet to rejoin work. Kolkata, being a fully urban area, is the lone district in the state which did not go to the rural polls. Commuters also faced a harrowing time as many buses and other vehicles were requisitioned for election duty. Restaurants and street food joints were also affected due to the exercise. Shiladitya Choudhury, owner of a chain of restaurants in the city, said, "On the polling day on Saturday (July 8), we barely managed with only around 40 per cent of the staffers. We had kept our menu short on that day." Owner of a roadside eatery in Salt Lake Sector V, the IT hub of the city, said pressure had mounted on his stall not only because some of his workers had left but also because other nearby shacks were shut. "The number of items had to be

Bengal SEC orders repolling on July 10 in booths where voting declared void

The West Bengal State Election Commission announced that repolling will be held on Monday in all booths where voting for the rural elections has been declared void. The SEC, which held a meeting on Sunday evening, went through reports of vote-tampering and violence which affected polling in many places, and passed the order, an official said. Among districts where repolling was announced, Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 112. Violence-hit Nadia will see repolling in 89 booths, while North and South 24 Parganas districts will witness repolling in 46 and 36 booths respectively.

11 people killed as rural West Bengal votes in panchayat polls: Official

At least nine people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, officials said. Among those killed were five TMC members, and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, and the supporter of an Independent candidate, they said. Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, they added. The polling began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. Till 9 am, 10.26 per cent voter turnout was recorded. Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence and interacted with voters. BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, they said. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stop

BJP leaders from eastern states to meet ahead of 2024 LS elections

The eastern region includes the states of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Assam, apart from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha

'Collation of corrupts': Piyush Goyal's jibe at Oppn unity in Rajasthan

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the union minister said that the leaders of the opposition parties cannot influence a single vote outside their respective states

Rajasthan polls: AIMIM chief Owaisi to hold public meeting in Jaipur today

Party chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi is going to hold a public meeting at Ramlila Maidan in Jaipur late this evening and will launch the party's election campaign in Rajasthan

Never spoke about rotational CM post, buzz created by media: TS Singh Deo

A day after the Congress's move to appoint T S Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, the state minister said he had never spoken of an "agreement" over rotation of the chief ministerial post and claimed it was a buzz created by the media. After arriving at the Raipur airport from New Delhi on Thursday morning, Singh Deo expressed gratitude to the party for the announcement of his elevation and said "der aaye durust aaye" (better late than never). A Congress statement on Wednesday said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh. The decision to appoint him as the deputy CM came just a few months ahead of state Assembly elections due this year-end, but Singh Deo said the responsibility given even for a day is crucial. He was accorded a warm welcome on Thursday by a huge crowd of supporters at the airport who raised slogans of "TS Baba zindabad" . Asked about the two-and-