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National Political Parties
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
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
After a long wait of nearly four years, firebrand BJP leader Kapil Mishra was on Saturday appointed a vice-president of the party's Delhi unit. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, who appointed Mishra, said his name was on the list of the new office bearers of the party announced earlier this week but it could not be declared due to some reason. Mishra, a former minister in the AAP government here, joined the Delhi BJP in August 2019 after his differences with party supremo Arvind Kejriwal became public. Known for his "fiery" speeches on Hindutva ideology, Mishra was not given any organisational responsibility in the Delhi BJP since his joining. He contested the 2020 Delhi Assembly election from the Model Town constituency on a BJP ticket but lost to the AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. Mishra's name had also surfaced in connection with the northeast Delhi riots in which over 50 people were killed and hundreds injured in 2020.
The Election Commission on Monday came up with an online portal to allow registered political parties file their financial statements, including contribution reports and poll expenditure accounts, a move seen as an effort to bring in more transparency in disclosures made by political entities. The move is part of the poll panel's "3C strategy" comprising clean up, crackdown and compliance to strengthen transparency and accountability in the political funding and expenditure on which it had been working for a year now under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, sources said. Political parties not intending to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not doing so in writing and may continue to file reports in hard copy format along with CDs or pen drive in the prescribed formats. "The Commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online,"
Before it explores legal options against the withdrawal of its national party status, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will file a formal appeal with the Election Commission to review its decision, its leaders said Tuesday. The Election Commission on Monday withdrew the national party status of the TMC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). "We will make a detailed representation to the EC. This is something we will do before exploring legal options. We will make our appeal to the EC soon," a TMC leader said on Tuesday. The TMC, formed by Mamata Banerjee in 1998 after she parted ways with the Congress, became a state party in 2014. The party came to power in West Bengal in 2011 and subsequently expanded to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura. It received the national party tag in 2016, but its dismal show in Goa and some northeastern states has led to withdrawal of the status.
All "anti-national forces" that want to halt the country's progress are against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said here on Tuesday. Describing the AAP's newly-acquired status of a national party in a short span of 10 years as a "miraculous and incredible" achievement, Kejriwal said it brings with it a huge responsibility as well. He urged people to join the AAP in order to make India the number one country in the world. "All anti-national forces that want to stop the progress of the country are against the AAP, but the almighty is with us," the Delhi chief minister said in an address at the party headquarters here. He said the AAP's ideology is based on three pillars -- die-hard honesty, patriotism and humanity -- adding that the aim of the party is to make India the number one country in the world. "It is time to remember the AAP's ideology. There are three pillars of the AAP's ideology -- kattar imandari (die-hard honesty), kattar patriotism an
It is nothing less than a "miracle" for AAP to get the national party status in such a short time, its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said after the Election Commission granted the recognition to it on Monday. Kejriwal credited people for the recognition and sought blessings from God to enable his party fulfil their expectations. Soon after the Election Commission's announcement, he tweeted in Hindi, "National party in such a short time? This is nothing less than a miracle. Many congratulations to all." "Crores of people of the country have brought us here. People expect a lot from us. Today people have given us a huge responsibility, he said and sought blessings from God so the party fulfils this responsibility well. Formed in November 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party has got national party status in just 10 years. The party is currently in power in Delhi and Punjab.
The BJP received Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations made to political parties by Electoral Trusts in 2021-22, while the Congress received less than the TRS, Samajwadi Party, AAP and the YSR Congress, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms. Electoral trust is a non-profit organisation formed in India for orderly receiving of contributions from corporate entities and individuals to political parties. It aims at improving transparency in the usage of funds for election-related expenses. The BJP received nineteen times more donations than the Congress in 2021-22 from electoral trust, the ADR data showed. The total donations to the BJP were over 2.5 times of what went to the other nine parties. The Association for Democratic Reforms, in its analysis of Electoral Trusts, said Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations received by all political partiesin 2021-22 went to the BJP. According to ADR, the Congress received Rs 18.44 crore from .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 98th birth anniversary, and said his contribution to India is indelible. Vajpayee led the BJP to power at the Centre in the 90s and remained India's prime minister for six years. Modi tweeted, "Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. His contribution to India is indelible. His leadership and vision motivate millions of people." He also paid homage to freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary. He said Malaviya, the key figure behind the foundation of the Banaras Hindu University, dedicated his life to empowering education sector and will always be remembered for this. He was a great son of mother India, Modi said.
As the Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' entered Haryana on Wednesday, party leader Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP, saying the fight today is between two ideologies--one which benefits a select few, while the "other is the voice of the people, farmers and labourers". The Yatra crossed over to Haryana from Rajasthan. Addressing a gathering in this Haryana district, Gandhi said the fight between the two ideologies in the country was not a new one and has been going on for thousands of years. On the BJP leaders questioning his cross-country foot march, Gandhi said they ask what is the need to walk from Kanyakumari. "I am opening a shop of love in the market of hate through the Bharat Jodo Yatra. When these people go out to spread hatred in this country, people of our ideology go out to spread love and affection," he said. "This is not a new fight, do not think that this fight is of today or of the 21st century, this fight is thousands of years-old... one ideology which gives benefits to .