Electoral Battles

Leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Friday alleged that names of voters leaning towards the opposition parties were being removed from the electoral rolls for the upcoming Maharashtra elections. Addressing a news conference, leaders of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) claimed there is no transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission (ECI), and its officers are working under pressure from the ruling parties. They said the MVA would raise the issue with the ECI. Assembly polls in the state will be held on November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23. The leaders, especially Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, demanded the removal of state Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla to ensure free and fair polls. Patole alleged that the ECI's form no 7, meant to delete names from the voters list for different reasons, is being used to remove the names of voters leaning towards the opposition parties, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and De

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a surprise move Wednesday, announced he will not run in the upcoming party leadership vote in September, paving the way for Japan to have a new prime minister. Kishida was elected president of his governing Liberal Democratic Party in 2021 and his three-year term expires in September. His drop out of the race means a new leader who wins the party vote will succeed him as prime minister because the LDP controls both houses of parliament. Kishida, stung by his party's corruption scandals, has suffered dwindling support ratings that have dipped below 20%. He announced he will not run in the September vote, allowing for a fresh leader in an effort to show that his party is changing for the better. Kishida will support a new leader, he said. Local election losses earlier in the year eroded his clout, and LDP lawmakers have voiced the need for a fresh face ahead of the next general election. Since the corruption scandal broke, Kishida has remov

The federal judge presiding over the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump has rejected a defence effort to dismiss the indictment on claims that he was prosecuted for vindictive and political purposes. The ruling from US District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Saturday is the first substantive order since the case was returned to her Friday following a landmark Supreme Court opinion last month that conferred broad immunity for former presidents and narrowed special counsel Jack Smith's case against Trump. In their motion to dismiss the indictment, defence lawyers argued that Trump was mistreated because he was prosecuted even though others who have challenged election results have avoided criminal charges. Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential race, also suggested that President Joe Biden and the Justice Department launched a prosecution to prevent him from winning reelection. But Chutkan rejected both arguments, saying Trump was not charged simply

Modi govt will need to address massive challenges without the total power it got used to, in the face of relentless electoral challenges, one after another

South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission said it will continue to declare on Sunday afternoon the final results of the country's general and provincial elections despite threats to postpone the process to allow further submissions on alleged irregularities. At a media briefing late on Saturday, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) CEO Mosotho Moepya confirmed that the authority will work through the night to resolve the 579 objections that have been received in order to proceed with the scheduled declaration, at which President Cyril Ramaphosa will speak. Moepya expressed confidence in the transparency of the systems put in place by the IEC to ensure "credible, free and fair elections". Earlier in the evening, former president Jacob Zuma, speaking on behalf of 26 of the smaller parties in the election, called on the IEC to allow them more time to lodge what he said were many more "serious" objections that the parties needed to prepare information on, although he did not sha

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear next week a plea by an NGO seeking cross-verification of the votes cast in EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench headed by Justices Sanjiv Khanna said the plea will be listed next Tuesday or Wednesday after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, said the matter should be heard urgently. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, also appearing in the matter, submitted that the elections are nearing and if the case is not heard, the plea would become infructuous. Justice Khanna, who was sitting in a special bench along with Justice MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi, said the court is aware of the situation and would hear the matter next week. "Mr. Bhushan, after all, how much time this matter will take. You can make submissions in two-hours and we will finish the matter. Ok. Next week," Justice Khanna said. On July 17, last year, the top court has sought the response of the Election Commission of India o

The BJP is intensifying its efforts to break its electoral dry spell in Kerala as the state braces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. With a concerted focus on outreach, particularly towards the minority Christian community, the party aims to secure a foothold in the southern state. Kerala's demographic landscape, with Muslims and Christians constituting a significant portion of the population, presents a formidable challenge for the BJP, perceived as a pro-Hindu party. However, the party is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to appeal to diverse voter segments. In a strategic move, the BJP has welcomed prominent Christian figures like Anil K Antony, son of Congress stalwart A K Antony, and seasoned Kerala politician P C George, into its fold. Additionally, the party is leveraging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent visits to Kerala, emphasising developmental agendas tailored to the state's needs. To bolster its electoral prospects, the BJP has strategically fielded two

The Aam Aadmi Party has moved the Supreme Court against immediate removal of an "encroachment" by it on a land allotted to the Delhi High Court at Rouse Avenue here, saying it will severely prejudice the party as well as the fairness of the electoral process in view of Lok Sabha polls. In an application filed in the pending matter related to judicial infrastructure, the AAP claimed there is no question of it "encroaching" on a space that was duly allotted to it in 2015 and that has been in its possession since then. It said while the party remains ready and willing to vacate the subject premises and requested the top court to direct that such vacation be required only after at least one of the two office spaces that the applicant is entitled to are allotted to it in the New Delhi Municipal area of a nature appropriate to the applicant's status as a National Party. In view of these circumstances, immediate vacation will mean that the applicant will be left with none of the two office

The Congress on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict striking down the electoral bond scheme, and said it will reinforce the power of votes over notes. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, The Supreme Court has held the much-touted Electoral Bonds scheme of the Modi Sarkar as violative of both laws passed by Parliament as well as the Constitution of India. The long-awaited verdict is hugely welcome and will reinforce the power of votes over notes, he said. The Modi Sarkar has been inflicting ANYAY upon ANYAY on the Annadatas while privileging the Chandadatas, Ramesh said. We also hope that the Supreme Court will take note that Election Commission has been consistently refusing to even meet political parties on the issue of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). If everything is transparent in the voting process then why this obstinacy? he said. The Supreme Court struck down the electoral bond scheme, saying it violates the right to information

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described India's present-day youth as the most fortunate generation of the 21st century, poised to take the country to greater heights during Amrit Kaal, and urged them to participate in the electoral process to "reduce" the influence of dynastic politics. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 27th National Youth Festival here, Modi said dynastic politics has caused immense harm to the country and urged the youth to get themselves enrolled as voters as soon as possible. India is the mother of democracy. If youth express their political views by casting their votes, the future of the country will be good," he said. First-time voters can bring new energy and power to India's democracy, he said. Invoking Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda, he said the youth have the calibre to create history in Amrit Kaal because of their commitment and intellect. The National Youth Festival is organised every year from January 12 to 16. Swami ...

"Why is ECI stonewalling opposition meeting with them? How do we trust ECI who refuses to meet Principal Opposition Parties?" Singh said in a post on X

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said nearly 100 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in the Lok Sabha elections next year and asserted that the electronic voting machine has increased transparency and efficiency of the country's electoral system. Addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here, he invited the delegates to visit India again next year to witness the "festival of democracy" (the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2024 summer). He said the large voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls shows the trust people have in the country's parliamentary practices. Over 67 per cent of the 91 crore eligible voters had exercised their franchise in the last parliamentary polls. He said the electoral process of the country has been modernised and now the electronic voting machine (EVM) has been in use for the past 25 years. The EVM has brought transparency and efficiency to the election process he said, adding now election results a

What shapes election outcomes in India? Psephologist Pradeep Gupta's book attempts to answer this question and argues money is not the sole determinant

The final electoral roll of Jammu and Kashmir was published on Friday with the highest-ever addition of more than 7.72 lakh voters, officials said. The final electoral roll has a total of 83,59,771 electors -- 42,91,687 males, 40,67,900 females and 184 third gender -- Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir Anil Salgotra said. The release of the electoral roll paves the way for holding of Assembly polls in the Union Territory, the first since Article 370 provisions were abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into Union territories in 2019. "There has been a net increase of 7,72,872 electors in the final electoral roll, i.e. a 10.19 per cent net increase of the registered electors over the draft roll," he said. The highest number of additions during a special summary revision was less than 2 lakh earlier. The elector-population ratio has increased from 0.52 to 0.58 during this special summary revision (SSR), he said. This was for the first time in the history o

The vice-president of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of the members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Here is a list of Indian VPs so far

Special summary revision of Delhi's electoral roll with January 1, 2022 as the qualifying date is all set to begin from November 1, and run-up, CEO Office has taken a number of initiatives

India must break out of the strategic triangulation between China and Pakistan. Before that, it has to decide if it will allow domestic electoral interests limit its strategic options

These elections are likely to indicate the mood of the nation in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.