Page 44 - Elections

SC to decide if electoral bonds need to be referred to bench on April 11

The electoral bond scheme was implemented by the Centre in 2018 as a source of political funding

What could make the BJP lose the 2024 election or even its majority?

Remember that in elections and in cricket, it's never over till it's over. The oddest combinations of factors can make bookmakers look foolish

Mizoram: 42 candidates in fray for Lunglei Municipal Council polls

Altogether 42 candidates are in the fray for the first Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) polls in Mizoram on March 29, officials said Thursday. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded 11 candidates each, while the BJP is contesting in nine wards, they said. More than 40,000 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the municipal elections. Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm, the officials said. Counting of votes will be undertaken on April 3. LMC was created by the MNF government headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga in 2022. It is the second municipal council in the state after the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC). There are 11 seats in the LMC, of which four are reserved for women.

Nagaland to hold 39 urban local bodies election after 2 decades on May 16

The State Election Commission of Nagaland on Thursday announced that it will hold polls to 39 Urban Local Bodies (ULB) after almost two decades on May 16 with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women, one of the contentious issues blamed for the situation. The newly formed Nagaland Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio during its first meeting on Tuesday had deliberated on the conduct of the ULB elections by May this year with 33 per cent women reservation as directed by the Supreme Court. Subsequently, State Election Commissioner (SEC) T Mhabemo Yanthan announced that the elections to constitute three municipal councils and 36 town councils in the state with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women will be held on May 16. Notifying the election programme, he said filing of nominations will start on April 3 and end on April 10. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on April 12 and 13 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 24. Votes will be counted

Sri Lanka to hold election after getting Treasury's guarantee on funds

Sri Lanka's election commission on Monday said that the new date for the cash-strapped country's local election will be announced after receiving a guarantee from the Treasury on the funds required to hold it. The local body polls scheduled for March 9 were postponed due to a plethora of reasons linked to the country's current economic crisis. We have asked to meet the Treasury Secretary, the inspector general of police and the government printer," the chair of the independent Election Commission Nimal Punchihewa said on Monday. The new date will be announced with a guarantee from the Treasury on the money required to hold it. The meeting follows last week's order by the Supreme Court on the Secretary Treasury to release the budgetary allocation made for conducting of the poll for 340 local councils in the 2023 budget. The election to appoint new administrations to 340 local councils for a four-year term has been postponed since March last year due to the ongoing economic crisis.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sounds bugle for elections in Chhattisgarh

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Partynational convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of looting Chhattisgarh for the last 23 years and appealed people to give a chance to his party in the state to rid it of corruption and 'mafia raj'. Sounding the poll bugle for the Assembly elections scheduled in Chhattisgarh this year-end, he also asked people to keep their children's future in mind before casting their votes. He was addressing a rally of AAP workers at Jora ground on the outskirts of the capital Raipur. Kejriwal hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he loves industrialist Gautam Adani like his 'muh-bola' brother and is handing over everything in the country to him. Calling Manish Sisodia, who was recently arrested in Delhi excise policy case, a 'sant' (saint) and 'mahatma' (great soul), he said PM Modi will face the curse of students and poor people in Delhi for putting him in jail. "Chhattisgarh is a mineral-rich ..

Nagaland elects its first-ever women lawmakers 60 years after statehood

History was scripted in Nagaland on Thursday when the state elected its first women legislators in its 60 years of statehood. The two women lawmakers - Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) are greenhorns in politics but defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats respectively. By virtue of the result of her constituency being declared earlier in the day, Jakhalu became the first woman MLA in the Nagaland Assembly. She defeated her nearest rival and sitting MLA Azheto Zhimomi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) by 1,536 votes. The victory is not mine alone, it belongs to my people who trusted me with their hopes and aspirations. I dedicate this victory to God and pledge to serve my constituents with honesty and integrity, Jakhalu tweeted. A lawyer by education and social entrepreneur by profession, she is also the founder and chair of YouthNet Nagaland, an organisation working for the uplift

BJP succeeds in maintaining momentum in its favour in Assembly polls

The maiden alliance of the Left and the Congress in Tripura and the emergence of TIPRA Motha as a dominant force in tribal seats did not prove enough to topple the BJP from power in the state as the ruling party's development plank and ideological resonance surmounted local factors to deliver it another victory. Among the three northeastern states that went to assembly polls, Tripura's verdict was the most keenly watched due to the high stakes for three national parties - the BJP, Congress and the Left - and the results underscored the continuity of momentum in the saffron party's favour despite the occasional setbacks it has suffered in state polls. "If our 2018 victory was an endorsement of our ideological and development agenda, the win now shows its popular acceptance," a BJP leader involved in the Tripura polls said. The party had benefited from popular anger against the Left "misrule" for 25 years in 2018 and it has now received a positive mandate for the Centre and state ...

NPP wins 20 seats, ahead in five; UDP bags 11 constituencies in Meghalaya

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya won 20 seats, and was leading in five other constituencies, the Election Commission said on Thursday as results of 52 of the 59 assembly seats that went to polls on February 27 were declared. The United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged 11 constituencies, while the Congress won five seats. The Voice of the People Party (VPP) and the Trinamool Congress won four seats each, while the Mamata Banerjee-led party was ahead in one constituency. The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), the People's Democratic Front and the BJP won two seats each, while the saffron party was leading in one constituency. Two Independent candidates also emerged victorious. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was leading in the South Tura seat by a margin of 2,830 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong won Pynursla seat by 8,140 votes. Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma of the TMC won Songsak seat by a margin of 507 votes, but lost Tikrikilla constituency

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma wins South Tura seat with 10,090 votes

Sangma expressed satisfaction and thanked people for voting for his National People's Party (NPP)

NPP wins 13 seats, ahead in 12; UDP bags nine in Meghalaya Assembly polls

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya won 13 seats, and was leading in 12 other constituencies, the Election Commission said on Thursday as the counting of votes for the assembly elections was underway. The United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged nine constituencies and was ahead in two seats. The Congress won four seats and was leading in one constituency. The Trinamool Congress won three seats and was ahead in two other constituencies. The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) won two seats each. The VPP was ahead in two constituencies. The BJP was leading in three seats, and the People's Democratic Front in two constituencies. Two Independent candidates emerged victorious, as per the latest trends available. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was leading in the South Tura seat by a margin of 2,830 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong was leading in Pynursla seat by over 8,140 votes. State Congress president and MP Vin

AJSU leads by 21,960 votes after 9th round of counting in Ramgarh bypoll

AJSU party candidate Sunita Choudhary was leading by 21,960 votes over her nearest rival Bajrang Mahto of the Congress after the ninth round of counting in the Ramgarh by-election, an official said on Thursday. The AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll, got 1,04,442 votes while the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, got 82,482 after the completion of the ninth round of counting, the official said. Counting of votes for the Ramgarh assembly by-election began at 8 am at Ramgarh college, some 40 km from the state capital Ranchi, said Ramgarh SDO cum Returning officer Md Javed Hussain. A voter turnout of over 67.96 per cent was recorded in the Ramgarh assembly constituency bypoll on February 27. Though 18 candidates, including 14 Independents, were in the fray, the contest is mainly between the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, and the AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll. The by-election was necessitated after

BJP alliance likely to return in Tripura, Nagaland; trailing in Meghalaya

In neighbouring Meghalaya, the ruling National People's Party (NPP) won 6 seats and was leading in 19, while the BJP was leading in 3 seats

Turkish President Erdogan announces govt's plan to hold elections on May 14

"The time is coming. This nation will do what is necessary on May 14. No credit will be given to those who empty talk," Erdogan told his party members in Parliament

How will the markets read into the state election outcome in 2023?

While markets eye both economic and political issues, in the medium-to-long term, analysts believe election results do not matter much

No method in the madness

A new critique of the V-Dem democracy rankings highlights where the problem lies

EVM Glitches: Bypolls in three Assembly seats held peacefully

Bypolls in three Assembly constituencies in as many states passed off peacefully on Monday with around 63-70 per cent turnout, though some technical glitches in EVMs were reported in Tamil Nadu and the ruling TMC in West Bengal alleged that the CRPF was "influencing" voters. A voter turnout of more than 63 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in the by-election to West Bengal's Sagardighi assembly constituency in Murshidabad district while over 67.96 per cent voting was registered till 5 pm in the Ramgarh assembly constituency bypoll in Jharkhand. Around 70.58 per cent of the voters cast their ballots till 5pm in the bypoll to Tamil Nadu's Erode East by-election, EC officials said. No untoward incident was reported during the voting at the three places, Election Commission officials said. In West Bengal, the ruling TMC accused the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of trying to influence the electors to vote for the BJP. The opposition BJP, however, charged the TMC with trying to crea

Voting in Meghalaya, Nagaland peaceful, no demands for re-poll: EC

Voting for the Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly polls went off peacefully on Monday, the Election Commission (EC) said, adding that there was no demand for a re-poll from the two northeastern states. While both states have 60 Assembly seats, polling was held on 59 seats each, the EC pointed out. Polling for the Sohiong seat in Meghalaya was adjourned due to the death of one of the candidates. Since the Akuluto seat in Nagaland remained uncontested with only one candidate, no election was required there. "Polling across 3,419 polling stations in Meghalaya and 2,291 in Nagaland went off peacefully today.... Advance planning and extensive monitoring by the commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar...ensured smooth conduct of elections in the two states with no re-poll reported in any of the 5,710 polling stations," the EC said. In 2018, 11 re-polls were held in Nagaland and one was held in Meghalaya. Polling was also held in the Erode (East) Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu

Meghalaya assembly polls peaceful; over 75% voters' turnout recorded

More than 75 per cent of the 21.6 lakh electors in Meghalaya cast their votes on Monday till 5 pm and the polling was peaceful, Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor said. The figure is expected to increase as the polling continued for several hours after the scheduled time of conclusion. The ruling National People's Party (NPP) is contesting to retain power while the BJP, Trinamool Congress and other regional parties are attempting to bring about a change in the government in the northeastern state. The Congress and the BJP are contesting in 59 seats, while the NPP has put up nominees in 56 constituencies, the TMC in 57 and the UDP in 46. Though Meghalaya has a 60-member assembly, polling in Sohiong constituency has been adjourned following the death of one of the candidates. "At 5 pm, over 75 per cent turnout was recorded. In 200 odd polling stations in four districts, voting is likely to go on till 9 pm, Kharkongor said. Polling is being held in a free and fair manner. No unto

Over 67% polling for Jharkhand's Ramgarh assembly by-election till 5 pm

A voter turnout of over 67.96 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Monday in the Ramgarh assembly constituency bypoll in Jharkhand, with the polling process being "peaceful", an Election Commission official said. Polling for the by-election began at 7 am amid tight security arrangements and it concluded at 5 pm. However, voters' queue was witnessed in many booths even till 5.30 pm, the official said. Ramgarh deputy commissioner (DC) Madhvi Mishra told PTI that 67.96 per cent of 3.34 lakh electors exercised their franchise in the Ramgarh assembly seat. "Voting passed off peacefully. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the constituency," Mishra said. Though 18 candidates, including 14 Independents, were in the fray, the contest would be mainly between the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, and the AJSU Party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll. The by-election was necessitated after the disqualification of Congress legislator Mamta Devi, follo