Page 2 - Political Parties

SC defers hearing on PILs seeking to bring political parties under RTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the final hearing on two PILs seeking to bring major political parties under the ambit of the Right to Information Act to ensure accountability and restrict the use of black money during polls. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was to hear the PILs filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, and lawyer Ashwini Updhyay on the issue. The CJI, who is demitting office on May 13, said these pleas will not be taken up for hearing now, adding that they will remain on board and may be heard on May 15. On February 14, the top court asked the Centre, the Election Commission and six political parties to respond to the PILs seeking to bring them under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. "We will take it up on a non-miscellaneous day for the final hearing. In the meanwhile, the pleadings have to be complete, the CJI had said. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing ADR, said his plea wa

Mayawati announces return of Akash Anand to BSP minutes after he apologised

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has extended an olive branch to her nephew Akash Anand, offering him another chance to serve the party just hours after he issued a heartfelt public apology

BJP received highest donation among national parties in FY24, shows data

The Congress received a total of ₹190.32 crore via 102 donations from corporate/business sectors and ₹90.89 crore through 1,882 individual donors

BNP leader Babul Mia beaten to death in front of wife in Bangladesh

A BNP leader was beaten to death in front of his wife by his rivals in Dhaka, police said. Mohammad Babul Mia, the former vice-president of BNP's Kulla union unit, was killed when he and her wife were harvesting mustard near Akshirnagar Housing of Dhamrai upazila on Friday afternoon, Daily Star Bangladesh reported. Babul's wife Yasmin Begum said villagers had a long-standing dispute over Akshirnagar Housing, a real estate business. "Although my husband was not involved in the matter, local criminals Afsar, Arshad, and Monir had been threatening both of us for days," she alleged. "They beat him with sticks and SS pipes, seriously injuring him. They even gouged out both his eyes. When I and some locals tried to intervene and take him to a hospital, they stopped us. Only after he became unconscious did they leave the place," she said. Babul was later taken to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Dhamrai Police Statio

Punjab CEO asks political parties to appoint booth level agents by Feb 28

Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Thursday said that he has written a letter to all recognised political parties of the state to appoint their booth level agents by February 28. The chief electoral officer (CEO) said the booth level agents appointed by all recognised political parties will work closely with the booth level officers of the respective polling stations and help eligible citizens to file applications for inclusion, removal, modification and transfer in the electoral roll. Every recognised political party should send a list of 23 district representatives (or more), who are authorised to appoint booth level agents in respective districts, to the office of the chief electoral officer by February 28, the CEO said in a statement here. He urged all recognised political parties to take necessary action to the instructions issued by the Election Commission of India with an aim to maximise transparency in the process of preparation and revision of electoral roll and al

HC refuses urgent hearing to plea against 'freebies' by political parties

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant urgent hearing to a plea alleging violation of election laws by political parties ahead of assembly polls in the national capital. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the matter would be heard in the normal course whenever it was listed The petitioner's counsel sought urgent listing of the case at 2 pm. "Why 2 pm? You are challenging action of political parties in announcing freebies. Tomorrow is the last day for electioneering or maybe today. Whatever impact the freebies were to have has already happened," the court remarked. "It will be listed as per the standing order. We are not saying anything on merit," it further said. The petitioner's counsel objected to the announcement of "freebies" by the political parties and said the entire election process was being conducted in violation of the law laid by the Supreme Court. Delhi goes to polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on ..

Avoid fake narratives, disruptive campaign: CEC asks political parties

CEC Rajiv Kumar on Saturday requested political parties to avoid "disruptive campaigning" and "fake narratives", saying it might cause disillusionment among youngsters regarding the electoral process. He was addressing the 15th National Voters' Day event here in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and representatives of political parties. At the same time, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kumar assured political parties that the Election Commission (EC) would respond in writing to concerns flagged by them on the electoral process and the suggestions made by them to improve the system. His remarks came on a day the opposition Congress hit out at the EC, saying its "self-congratulation" on the occasion would not obscure the fact that the poll panel's functioning had made a "mockery" of the Constitution and insulted the voters. Kumar also flagged the "dangerous trend" all over the world of misinformation and fake narratives, calling them the

ECI urges political parties for responsible use of AI in campaigning

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has consistently cautioned against the potential of AI and deep fakes

Trudeau's Liberal Party to announce Canada's next prime minister on March 9

Justin Trudeau to step down following leadership vote; Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland emerge as front runners

Difficult to define a freebie, our 'hands tied': CEC Rajiv Kumar

Delhi elections on Feb 5, counting on Feb 8

6 national parties bag over 63% of vote share in 2024 LS polls: EC report

The six national parties bagged over 63 per cent share of the total valid votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections held this year. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and National People's Party (NPP) are the six national parties. Besides the six recognised national parties, 47 recognised state parties and 690 registered, unrecognised political parties contested the parliamentary polls, according to statistical data issued by the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday. According to the data, 3,921 independent candidates contested but only seven of them were elected. Besides, 3,905 independent candidates forfeited the deposits. Their vote share stood at 2.79 per cent of the total valid votes. Out of the 3,921 independent candidates, 279 were women, the EC noted. The none of the above (NOTA) option got 63,71,839 or 0.99 per cent votes in 2024 compared to 1.06 per cent in 2019. Over 9

Political parties disregard court's orders: Bombay HC on illegal hoardings

The Bombay High Court pulled up political parties for ignoring its orders on illegal hoardings, directing municipal authorities and police to take strict action against violations in Maharashtra

Lawyers, activists call for extending POSH Act to political parties

Legal experts and activists have voiced the urgent need to bring political parties under the ambit of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, known as the POSH Act, citing the need for gender equality and accountability. The reaction comes after the Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a plea seeking direction to political parties to follow the procedure for the protection of women in the workplace under the 2013 POSH Act. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Manmohan asked the petitioner to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) with a representation for the application of the POSH Act. Sonal Mattoo, a lawyer and director of NGO Helping Hands, called for a shift in perspective, urging political parties to focus on the spirit of the law rather than its technical definition. "The problem is they're looking at the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. If you look at the letter of the law, yes, you will struggle w

Smaller parties look to make big dent in Jharkhand and Maharashtra

In Jharkhand, smaller players, such as Jairam Kumar Mahato's JKLM and in Maharashtra, Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA, Raj Thackeray's MNS, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, are key players in several seats

How the humble onion retains its political hegemony when it acts pricey

The onion can sometimes unpeel the political careers of even the most battle-hardened leaders

Sri Lanka set for parliamentary polls on Nov 14, all arrangements in place

Sri Lanka is set to hold its parliamentary election on Thursday with all arrangements in place to ensure a fair and transparent process, a top election commission official has said. Voting will take place at over 13,314 polling stations across the country, from 7 am to 4 pm local time on Thursday. Director General of the Elections Commission Saman Sri Ratnayaka on Tuesday said that all ballot boxes and other equipment needed at the polling stations would be dispatched on Wednesday. The polling station officials will carry out rehearsals from 7 am on Wednesday," Ratnayaka said. Over 17 million voters from the island's 21 million population are eligible to vote. 225 members would be elected from voting based on proportional representation. The western province district of Gampaha would elect the highest number of Members of Parliament 19 with the capital district of Colombo from the same province having 18 MPs elected. The eastern province district of Trincomalee will elect the lo

Arrogance towards regional parties is a recipe for disaster: TMC MP

In an apparent jibe at the Congress after its poll rout, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Wednesday said the attitude of not accommodating regional parties in places where they felt they were winning is leading to its electoral losses. In a post on X, Gohakle, without naming any party, said arrogance, entitlement and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster. "This attitude leads to electoral losses- if we feel we're winning, we will not accommodate any regional party... But in states where we're down, regional parties must accommodate us," the TMC MP said. "Arrogance, entitlement, and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster," he said. The remarks came a day after the BJP clinched a stunning hat-trick win in Haryana overcoming anti-incumbency and dashing Congress' hopes of a comeback. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had also questioned the Congress poll strategy. The chairperson of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), which was keen on hav

When do political parties split? Answer lies in diverging voter interests

When voter interests diverge, parties split. If space allows, both survive. If not, only one remains

Haryana polls: 13% 'criminal' candidates, 52% crorepatis in fray; details

A total of 1,031 candidates are vying for seats in the Haryana Assembly, comprising representatives from national parties, state parties, registered unrecognised parties, and independents

B'desh's Hindu minority seeks political representation, considers new party

Hindu community leaders in Bangladesh are advocating for the formation of a dedicated political party, reflecting an urgent call for political representation to protect their rights and ensure their safety in an environment marked by instability and fear. Hindu leaders from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCOP) and other groups have been at the forefront of discussions about establishing a separate political party or demanding reserved parliamentary seats. There are currently three opinions that are being discussed in detail: first, going back to the separate electorate system from 1954; second, establishing a separate political party for Hindus; and third, reserving seats in Parliament for minorities, BHBCOP presidium member Kajal Debnath told PTI. In the wake of unprecedented violence and political upheaval in Bangladesh, the Hindu community -- the largest minority community in Bangladesh -- stands at a pivotal crossroads. The turmoil began after the ...