Page 3 - Election

'Sebi did not get specific info on unfair trading on LS poll results day'

Capital markets regulator Sebi has not received any specific information on any 'unfair trading' in the stock market crash on the Lok Sabha poll results day on June 4, which wiped out billions of investors wealth, Parliament was informed on Monday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said stock market movements are a function of investor perceptions along with other factors. He was replying to question whether it is a fact that there is an unprecedented fall of stock prices and points amounting to a loss of Rs 30 lakh crores to investors immediately after the general elections-2024 results. The minister was also asked if it is a fact there was a demand to investigate the matter by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. "Though SEBI has received representations on the above stock market movements, no specific information on any unfair trading has been provided," Chaudhary said in his reply. Benchmark BSE Sensex had shot up 3.4 pe

European Commission President Leyen faces vote for second 5-year term bid

Ursula von der Leyen pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization as she made her final leadership pitch Thursday in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union's executive commission. The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month's election for the European Parliament. I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house, von der Leyen said. If a majority of the lawmakers reject her candidacy, it would leave leaders of the 27-nation bloc scrambling to find a replacement as Europe grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change. In her speech to the parliament,

Allowing Gaikwad to vote in council polls is misuse of power, alleges Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said allowing BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who is in judicial custody in a shooting case, to vote in the Maharashtra legislative council polls would amount to misuse of power. The Congress had also urged the returning officer of the biennial elections not to allow Gaikwad, accused of opening fire at a Shiv Sena leader inside a police station, to cast his vote. Talking to reporters, Raut cited that in the last legislative council polls, the then NCP MLAs Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik were not allowed to vote. "Gaikwad can come out from jail to vote, but Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik were also in jail (during the 2022 council polls) and were not allowed to vote. This is use or misuse of power," he said. He further alleged that the results of the recent Lok Sabha election have shown that people have backed the opposition parties. "Even their (the ruling parties) MLAs can break or take a different stand. No one should be under the impression tha

Hope & scepticism in Iran

A reformist becoming President will test the nation

Le Pen faces investigation for 2022 French election campaign funding

The Paris prosecutor opened the case after it was alerted by the country's campaign-funding watchdog in 2023, an official said in an email

Can BJP, allies overcome caste arithmetic challenge in Maharashtra polls

In the 2024 LS polls, caste played its part with mutating combinations across the state, writes SHREYAS UBGADE

UK election: FTA with India on manifesto agenda for both Tory, Labour

As the UK enters the final phase of campaigning ahead of the general election on Thursday, a free trade agreement (FTA) with India is seen as high on the agenda no matter whether the verdict is in favour of the incumbent Tories or the Opposition Labour. Both sides have been working towards clinching a pact to enhance the GBP 38.1 billion bilateral trading partnership but with India's phased general election followed by Britain's, the negotiations remain stalled in the fourteenth round of negotiations. The FTA talks formally kicked off in January 2022 when Boris Johnson was the British prime minister and have since had to contend with political turmoil that first led to a short-lived Liz Truss premiership followed by Rishi Sunak as Britain's first Prime Minister of Indian heritage. We will finalise a free trade agreement with India, alongside a deeper strategic partnership on technology and defence, reads the Conservative Party manifesto, spelling out the British Indian leader's ...

France election: Macron on the defensive as National Rally gains ground

If no clear majority is established, France could face prolonged political deadlock and weaken the government's ability to implement policies effectively

Election for new president of Mumbai Cricket Association on July 23

Election for a new president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will be held on July 23 after the incumbent Amol Kale died earlier this month, said the association on Monday. Kale, 47, died of a cardiac arrest in New York after attending the T20 World Cup match between arch rivals India and Pakistan on the intervening of June 9 and 10. Kale was elected as the president of the powerful association after defeating former India cricketer Sandeep Patil in October 2022. To fill the vacant post, the MCA on Monday announced the election programme, according to which the period between June 25 and July 2 has been kept for inviting names of representatives from 'member clubs and from former international players'. Nominations can be filed from July 4 to 10 at the electoral officer's office at the MCA Lounge in the Wankhede Stadium in south Mumbai between 11 am and 5 pm, a release from electoral officer JS Saharia stated. A scrutiny of nominations will take place on July 11 which has to

Sparks fly after Elon Musk's EVM post, Chandrasekhar offers 'tutorial'

BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed Musk's post a "sweeping generalisation" and offered to "run a tutorial" for the Tesla chief on how India ensures its indigenously manufactured EVMs are hacking proof

UK economy flatlines in April in blow to Conservatives ahead of elections

The British economy failed to grow in April, official figures showed Wednesday, in a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has made the return of growth and a generally calmer economic backdrop a central pillar of the Conservative Party's election campaign. The Office for National Statistics said wet weather dampened consumer spending and construction during the month. The flat monthly reading came after a 0.6 per cent increase during the first quarter of the year, which Sunak has made much of on the campaign trail following a period of muted growth. Though monthly figures are vulnerable to short-term factors, the flat reading is likely to be used by opponents of the Conservatives in the run-up to the election on July 4. While Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt insisted the economy is turning a corner, his opposite number in the Labour Party Rachel Reeves said the economy has stalled. The latest growth figures come a week before the next round of inflation data and the Bank of England mak

Major fights, issues in the ongoing European Parliament election

Despite a series of recent setbacks, far-right parties are aiming for electoral gains that could bring migration to the top of the political agenda and complicate progress on the EU's climate goals

How did the foreign media react to India’s election results 2024?

Om Birla becomes first Lok Sabha speaker in 20 years to be re-elected as MP

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla won the Kota parliamentary seat by a margin of more than 41,139 votes on Tuesday, thus becoming the first presiding officer in 20 years to be re-elected to the Lower House. The last Lok Sabha speaker to get re-elected to the Lower House was P A Sangma, who was the presiding officer of the 11th Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. Sangma, then a Congress member, was re-elected from Tura in Meghalaya in the 1998 Lok Sabha election. In 1999, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) member from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh G M C Balayogi was elected as the Lok Sabha speaker. Balayogi died in a helicopter crash in 2002. Shiv Sena member Manohar Joshi succeeded Balayogi as the Lok Sabha speaker. However, Joshi lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election from the Mumbai North Central constituency to Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad. In 2004, CPI(M) member Somnath Chatterjee, who won the Bolpur seat, was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker. However, Chatterjee retired from politics before the 2009 Lok

Benchmark bond yield sees biggest daily rise in 8 months on poll results

India's benchmark 10-year yield ended at 7.0382%, following its previous close at 6.9438%. The yield also witnessed its biggest single-session climb since Oct. 6

Ensure postal ballots counted first, guidelines followed: INDIA bloc to EC

Leaders from the INDIA opposition bloc urged the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday to ensure that on June 4, the postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the EVMs is announced, and stressed that the poll panel should issue clear guidelines on the counting process and ensure that those are implemented. A delegation of leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) met the full bench of the EC on Sunday, ahead of Tuesday's counting of the votes polled in the Lok Sabha election. Briefing the media after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said this was the third time that a delegation of opposition leaders visited the poll panel during the general election and, among other things, urged the officials to ensure that the postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the results of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are announced. "This is the third multi-party delegation visiting the EC during this

Over 8,000 candidates compete in LS elections; 47% independent contestants

Over 8,000 candidates are contesting in the Lok Sabha elections of which 16 per cent have been fielded by national parties, six per cent by state parties, while 47 per cent of candidates are independents, a report by PRS Legislative Research said. The 2024 general elections were held in seven phases between April 19 to June 1. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. This is the highest number of candidates since 1996, when a record 13,952 candidates were in the fray. In the 2019 polls, there were 8,039 candidates. According to PRS, 8,360 candidates from 744 parties, including six nationally recognised parties, are contesting elections across 543 constituencies. Overall, 16 per cent of candidates have been fielded by national parties, six per cent by state parties, and 47 per cent of candidates are independents. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), one of the six national parties, has fielded the highest number of candidates -- 488. Among national parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP

LS elections: Under-representation issue spotlit as only 9.6% women in fray

As India eagerly awaits the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, a significant spotlight has been cast on the under-representation of women among the candidates. According to official data, a mere 9.6 per cent of the 8,337 candidates are women. This year marks the first general election since the passage of the women's reservation bill, which aims to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women a bill which, despite being passed, is yet to be implemented. Despite the landmark legislation, the representation of women in this year's election has seen only a marginal increase. Out of the 8,337 candidates, only 797 are women, according to poll rights body Association of Democratic Reforms. The seven phases of the elections consistently reflected this gender disparity. In the first phase, only 135 out of 1,618 candidates were women. Similar trends followed in subsequent phases, with women candidates making up a small fraction. In phase 2,

PM Modi in fray as 57 Lok Sabha constituencies go to polls on Saturday

57 seats across seven states and Chandigarh in the fray in the final phase of Lok Sabha elections

Delhi Lok Sabha elections 2024: What's open, what's closed on May 25

Lok Sabha elections: Delhi is gearing up for the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for Saturday, May 25