Page 5 - Political Parties

Electoral bonds: 100 listed firms across 32 sectors are donors, shows data

The top five sectors accounted for over 60 per cent of the total donations

'Why malign India Inc? Electoral bonds just tip of poll funding iceberg'

While most companies have mentioned about their spending in electoral bonds in some form in their annual reports, very few have been upfront and categorical about their disclosures

Future Gaming and Hotel: The story of the largest electoral bond donor

Future Gaming purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between April 2019 and January 2024, as per the details shared by ECI

SC to examine EC rule on grant of symbols on first come, first served basis

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Election Commission on a plea of Tamil Nadu-based unrecognised political party, Naam Tamilar Katchi, challenging the allotment of free symbols to unrecognised political parties on a first come, first served basis. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also issued a notice to another unrecognised political party which was granted the poll symbol which was earlier with the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). The high court, on March 1, had dismissed the petition of NTK challenging the allotment of free symbols by the poll panel to unrecognised political parties on first come, first served basis. It had rejected the contention of the petitioner, NTK, that the Election Symbols Order to this effect was arbitrary and unconstitutional, saying a contrary view would operate against the very essence of having free symbols. The petitioner was aggrieved by the allotment of free symbol 'ganna kisa

EC declares electoral bond data: Future Gaming & Hotel tops the list

Future Gaming was probed by the Enforcement Directorate recently, It bought electoral bonds worth over Rs 1,368 crore under two different sets of companies

32 parties supported, 15 opposed One Nation, One Election, says report

The high-level committee on 'one nation, one election' approached 62 parties out which 47 responded -- 32 in support of holding elections simultaneously, 15 against it. Fifteen parties did not submit a response, according to the report of the panel submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday. Among the national parties, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National People's Party supported it. "Responses were received from 47 political parties. Barring 15 political parties, the remaining 32 political parties not only favoured the system of simultaneous elections, but also advocated its adoption for saving scarce resources, protecting social harmony, and stimulating economic development," the report said. "Those who opposed simultaneous elections raised apprehensions that its adoption could violate the basic structure of the Constitution, be ...

Plan to install new leadership in Haiti crumbles after parties' rejection

A proposal to install new leadership in Haiti appeared to be crumbling Wednesday as some political parties rejected the plan to create a presidential council that would manage the transition. The panel would be responsible for selecting an interim prime minister and a council of ministers that would attempt to chart a new path for the Caribbean country that has been overrun by gangs. The violence has closed schools and businesses and disrupted daily life across Haiti. Jean Charles Mose, an ex-senator and presidential candidate who has teamed up with former rebel leader Guy Philippe, held a news conference Wednesday to announce his rejection of the proposed council backed by the international community. Mose insisted that a three-person presidential council he recently created with Philippe and a Haitian judge should be implemented. We are not going to negotiate it, he said in a loud voice as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. We have to make them understand." His ally ...

EC begins consultation with parties in J-K to review LS poll preparedness

The Election Commission on Tuesday began consultations with political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to review preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union territory. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials of the poll panel, who arrived here on Monday for a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, held interactions with delegations from the National Conference, PDP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, and the Aam Admi Party, officials said here. National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani, who led his party's delegation, said they impressed upon the Election Commission the need for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with the Lok Sabha polls. "We told the commission that it has been 10 years that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their democratic rights. The commission gave us a patient hearing," Wani said. PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said his party also batted for holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections ...

Electoral bonds: Petition seeks action against SBI for disobeying SC order

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the State Bank of India (SBI) alleging it "wilfully and deliberately" disobeyed the apex court's direction to submit details of contributions made to political parties through electoral bonds to the Election Commission by March 6. The plea, filed by two NGOs, claimed SBI's application seeking extension of time till June 30 to disclose the details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties has been deliberately filed at the last moment to ensure that details of donor and the amount of donations are not disclosed to the public before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday took note of the submissions by advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause, that he wanted initiation of contempt proceedings against the SBI. Bhushan said the SBI's application is likely to be listed on March 11

Time to speak up, women

Ahead of the upcoming elections, political parties have started announcing incentives to benefit women, but what do women truly seek for genuine gender parity?

Why politicians defect

Indian politics wouldn't be a fraction as fascinating if it did not defy any idea that seemed obvious or an answer that began with 'of course'. They would all fail the test of Indian politics

LS elections: Most parties in Tamil Nadu want EC to hold single-phase polls

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said most of the political parties in Tamil Nadu have urged the EC to conduct the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in single phase in the state. At the end of his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu to review poll-preparedness, Kumar said the Election Commission (EC) would come down heavily on those officials who do not ensure level playing field to parties as "in a democracy, officials should be absolutely impartial." Briefing reporters on the issues raised by the political parties, he said, "most of the political parties want single phase polling and demanded steps to curtail use of money power during the elections. They also sought disqualification of candidates who are found distributing cash during the elections or any inducement." "Process wise, they (political parties) have said that the bureaucratic machinery needs to be impartial. They need to provide a level playing field so that every candidate is treated equally," he said. Kumar,

Zero-tolerance policy towards misuse of money in elections: CEC Kumar

Addressing a press conference CEC chief on Saturday asserted that the Election Commission determines to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections

Never accepted any electoral bonds funding; always opposed it: CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday said it has not accepted any funding through electoral bonds and it never opened a designated SBI account as required to accept the bonds. "Reports have appeared in some sections of the media that the CPI(M) has received various amounts as contributions through electoral bonds," the CPI(M) said in a statement. "The party wishes to clarify that these reports are false and baseless. The fact is that the CPI(M) has refused to accept electoral bonds on principle. That is why it did not even open a designated State Bank of India account as required by the law to accept electoral bonds," it said. "The CPI(M) had appealed to the Supreme Court against the electoral bonds scheme because of this basic opposition," it added in the statement. In a landmark verdict just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Supreme Court on Thursday scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional" and .

Regional political parties get lion's share of electoral bond funds

Share of other sources has declined as a proportion of overall income

Tamil Actor Vijay enters politics with 'Tamilaga Vetri Kazham' party

Renowned South Indian actor Vijay has declared that his newly launched party will not be contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and will not extend support to any other party

Rajasthan legislative assembly to commence its first session today

A preparatory meeting held at the BJP headquarters outlined strategies for the upcoming session, attended by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and other BJP legislators

What AAP achieved in 12 years, other parties could not in 75 yrs: Kejriwal

The National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi's CM, Arvind Kejriwal, chaired the party's National Executive and the 12th National Council meeting on Sunday

Parties should set aside differences and unite to crush terror in J-K: Azad

Speaking to ANI, the founder-chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party stressed the need for all political parties to set aside their differences and come together to fight terror

EC asks parties not to use derogatory words for persons with disability

The Election Commission has asked politicians not to use derogatory words for persons with disability in public speeches, saying usage of such semantics in speech by members of any political party and their candidates can be interpreted as an affront to such people. In an advisory issued to parties on Wednesday, the poll panel said the very foundation of democracy lies in representation of all communities in the electoral process. "Accessible and inclusive elections have been a non-negotiable priority for the Election Commission of India in particular to ensure equal participation of PwDs. With a renewed rigour, the Commission is consciously striving to promote the principle of accessibility and inclusivity in the elections," the advisory read.