Indian Elections

Cooperative Election Authority tasked with ensuring transparent polls: Govt

The Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) is responsible for conducting elections in cooperatives transparently and weed out vested interest and opacity in the electoral process, Union Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani on Tuesday said. He was addressing the First Foundation Year of the CEA here. CEA Chairman Devendra Kumar Singh, Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies Rabindra Kumar Agrawal, Vice Chairman of CEA R K Gupta, and senior officers of Ministry of Cooperation and heads and representatives of Multi-State Cooperative Societies attended the event, according to an official statement. In his address, Bhutani said things are definitely moving in the right direction in the cooperative sector. The CEA was formed after the passage of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act 2023 by Parliament, he added. Bhutani said it was a very comprehensive amendment to the Act by the Centre and its process for amendment spanned for over 12 years. The secretary said t

Cong dubs Trump's USAID claim 'nonsensical', asks govt for white paper

Amid a row over alleged funding by USAID for raising voter turnout in India, the Congress on Thursday demanded that the Indian government should bring out a white paper on the US agency's support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades. The Congress also dubbed US President Donald Trump's claims related to USAID as "nonsensical". The opposition party's assertion comes after President Donald Trump questioned the purpose of providing USD 21 million to India for "voter turnout". "Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected...," Trump has said. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "USAID is very much in the news these days. It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least." "Even so, the Government of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest

DOGE nixes $21 million US grant to increase India's 'voter turnout'

The project in India was one of several across the world, including in Nepal and Bangladesh, funded by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening

Best of BS Opinion: A lighter touch makes things easier all around

From the sight of chained and cuffed Indians to electoral campaign, to the regulatory space, our articles today argue that a light touch, firmly enforced, can go a long way

Cong vs AAP: Rahul attacks Kejriwal over liquor scam, bungalow controversy

Rahul Gandhi criticises Kejriwal over the Delhi liquor scam and his official bungalow, while the AAP chief questions why no Congress leader has been arrested in the National Herald case

Meta's Zuckerberg to face Parliamentary summons over India elections remark

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused CEO Mark Zuckerberg of spreading misinformation through his earlier comments on the 2024 Indian general election

28% of Lok Sabha seats had no woman candidate in 2024, shows ECI report

The highlight of the 2024 LS election was again the better turnout of woman electors in percentage terms than men

ECI releases world's largest electoral dataset for 2024 LS & Assembly polls

As per the data, Lok Sabha Elections created world record with 646.4 mn voters exercising their franchise

Impacting growth, liquidity management: Shifting sands of fiscal policy

There is a very high chance that the actual fiscal deficit target will undershoot even 4.9 per cent of GDP as there was a decline in government expenditure during the general elections

US and Indian Elections: A comparison of electoral systems between the two

Moreover, the Electoral College tampers with the principle of 'one person, one vote, one value' in two significant ways

Will Omar Abdullah return as CM of J-K? Yes, says NC chief Farooq Abdullah

J-K Assembly elections: The National Conference and Congress alliance is expected to secure 47 to 52 seats in 90-seat Assembly, well over the 46-majority mark

J-K Assembly elections: BJP's Rana leads Nagrota, but Raina trails Noushera

Early trends in Jammu and Kashmir election results show BJP's Ravinder Raina trails behind NC's Surinder Kumar Choudhary

J-K Assembly elections: Ex-CM Omar Abdullah leads in Budgam and Ganderbal

Early trends in Jammu and Kashmir election results show Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, trailing NC's Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri in Srigufwara-Bijbehara

At 10 am, BJP reverses trend in Haryana, NC leads in 50 seats in J-K

BJP leads 49 seats in Haryana Assembly elections, Congress in 36; NC and Congress 49 seats in J-K Assembly elections, BJP leads in 23 at 10 am

Jammu & Kashmir Assembly polls records 56.01% voters turnout till 3 pm

The fate of 415 candidates contesting in Assembly election of the valley state Jammu & Kashmir is set to be sealed where voting continues for the 40 Assembly seats across seven district of the state

BSP eyes lost space in upcoming polls, gives spotlight to Akash Anand

Following a series of electoral setbacks, the BSP is now looking at the forthcoming Haryana assembly elections and the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh to reclaim its lost political space, and the party's young national coordinator Akash Anand is expected to play a crucial role in it. Akash Anand, the nephew of Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, has seen a string of ups and down in the past 10 months. Mayawati named him as her political successor in December 2023, later removed him from the post calling him "immature" and subsequently reinstated him after the party's crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Now, Akash Anand, 29, has been named in the party's list of star campaigners for the Haryana assembly polls released on Friday. In the list, his name features just after Mayawati and his father Anand Kumar. Akash Anand's recent speeches, however, have been more measured as compared to his rallies in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, sources said. BSP's UP unit president Vishwana

J-K polls: Congress names nine candidates in first list after NC alliance

Congress and the National Conference (NC) reached a seat-sharing agreement in which Congress will contest 32 of the 90 Assembly seats

Haryana Assembly elections 2024: Voting on Oct 1, counting Oct 4

The Election Commission of India announced key dates for state Assembly polls in Haryana. Check details here

J-K Assembly elections 2024: Voting from Sept 18-Oct 1; check details here

Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Counting of votes will be on October 4, says Election Commission of India

65.79% voter turnout recorded in 2024 elections, postal ballot pending

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reported that 642 million voters exercised their franchise between April 19 to June 1