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Conservative Party is in for a major drubbing in the general election expected later this year, with even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's seat in North Yorkshire hanging in the balance. The 15,029-person MRP poll conducted by Survation on behalf of Best for Britain puts the Opposition Labour Party on 45 per cent of the vote share with a 19-point lead over the Conservatives, up three points from the group's previous poll at the end of last year. 'The Sunday Times' analysis of the major seat-by-seat survey claims Tory prospects have hit a record low, which means they are on track for their worst election result, winning fewer than 100 seats. Labour could win 468, giving Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer's party a whopping 286-seat majority. «Our MRP forecast shows that, if the election were held tomorrow, Sunak's Conservatives would lose 250 MPs across the country and the Labour Party would win with 468 seats. This would be the worst ever result for the Conservatives at a General Election,» claims the Best for Britain analysis.

poll campaign for forthcoming General Elections from Meerut, addressing the city as the land of revolution and revolutionaries. Taking a swipe at the Opposition and arrested leaders, the Prime Minister said that some people are rattled because his government is taking action against corruption. «In the last 10 years, the country has seen that we have started the fight against corruption, we have ensured that no middleman can steal money from the poor. I am fighting against corruption and because of this, some people are facing problems. Modi's mantra is 'Bhrashtachar hatao' and they say 'Bhrashtacahri bachao'. This election is between NDA, which is fighting against corruption and the other group, which is fighting to save the corrupt,» he further added.

Panasonic Group will form a joint venture with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), the nation's biggest oil firm, to manufacture cylindrical lithium-ion batteries. Panasonic Energy Co Ltd, a group firm of Japan-based multinational electronics company, has signed a binding term sheet and initiated discussions with IOCL «to draw a framework for the formation of a joint venture» to manufacture cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, said a statement on Sunday. «This initiative is driven by the anticipated expansion of demand for batteries for two- and three-wheel vehicles and energy storage systems in the Indian market,» it added. Cylindrical lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in consumer electronics, power tools, and electric vehicles. Panasonic Energy is a maker of automotive lithium-ion batteries.

Mehbooba Mufti, who was at the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, slammed the central government over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that «people are being jailed without any investigation.» Speaking at the Maha Rally, Mufti said, «Today, the country is going through some tough times. People are being jailed without any investigation. This is 'Kalyug ka Amrit Kaal'. I am not talking about Umar Khalid or Mohammad Zubair, I am talking about your elected representatives. It is not surprising to me. Myself, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, all three former CMs are under house arrest. The one who violates the law is a traitor.» Opposition leaders came together in a show of strength at the capital's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday described the RSS-BJP combine as «poison» that has «destroyed» the country, and called on all opposition parties to unite to defeat the ruling party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This election is to save democracy, the country and the Constitution, he said at 'Loktantra Bachao' rally of the opposition INDIA bloc at the Ramlila Maidan here. The rally seeks to highlight the «threat to democracy» after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. The wives of both Kejriwal and Soren were also present at the rally and addressed it. «We need to unite and only then will we be able to fight the BJP. We won't succeed if we keep attacking and fighting each other,» Kharge said.

₹85.34 crore in profits, against a small loss in the same period last year. In an exclusive interview with Mint, Dolf van den Brink, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Heineken, UBL's Dutch parent, said India escaped a major impact from geopolitical issues like raw material cost inflation because of its local sourcing. Van den Brink said the company plans to expand the Heineken brand further nationally.

Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to do "match-fixing" in the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that if the BJP succeeds in its endeavours, the country's Constitution will be changed and people's rights taken away. Addressing the INDIA bloc's 'Save Democracy' rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, the former Congress chief said this is not an ordinary election but one to save the country's democracy and Constitution. «When pressure is put on umpires and captain, players are bought off and the match is won, in cricket, it is called match-fixing. We have Lok Sabha polls before us. Who selected the umpires? Before the match started, two players were arrested… Narendra Modi is trying to do match-fixing in these polls,» Gandhi said. The BJP is raising the slogan of getting 400 seats, but without EVMs, match-fixing, pressure on opposition leaders and buying media, they will not be able to cross even 180 seats, he claimed.

Mayank Yadav now guarantees instant destruction. But growing up with the aspirations and anxieties of ordinary Indians, he had had his fair share of struggles while transforming from a frail 15-year-old to a frighteningly quick fast bowler. His father Prabhu Yadav was always determined to embrace the struggles usually associated with the middle class, in order to see Mayank excel on the cricket field. Life has changed overnight for the Yadav family from West Delhi's Punjabi Bagh with the 24 deliveries that their 21-year-old son bowled for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL game against Punjab Kings on a Saturday evening. Mayank has become the toast of the nation in 15 minutes flat and every Indian cricket fan would pray that he brings glory to the country for the next 15 years.

Modi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday claimed that his guarantee is like Chinese goods and is only meant for polls, as he urged people not to fall for the BJP's «propaganda» in the Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the INDIA bloc rally at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi, Yadav alleged that an «undeclared emergency» was prevailing in the country and asserted that the opposition will not let the RSS agenda to be implemented in the country. Yadav also sang lines from a Govinda-starrer movie with a play on the lyrics «tum toh dhokebaaz ho, vaada karke bhool jaate ho», to allege that Prime Minister Modi did not fulfil his promises made in the last election. The former Bihar deputy CM charged that the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and IT department are cells of the BJP.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, at the INDIA bloc rally here on Sunday, claimed the country was moving towards becoming an «autocracy» as he appealed to people of the country to throw the BJP out of power. Addressing the INDIA bloc's rally at the Ramlila Maidan, he hit out at the BJP and said, «We are not here for an election campaign, we are here to save democracy… you level allegations and send people to jail. What kind of government is this?» he said. «When two of our sisters are fighting, how can the brother stay behind? So we are here for our sisters, Kalpana ji and Sunita ji. Not just us, the whole country is with you,» Thackeray said, referring to former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal. Both Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren have been arrested by federal agencies in different cases of corruption.

Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of violating the Constitution by resorting to «confrontational federalism». The Congress also accused the prime minister of resorting to fiscal centralisation, obstruction of state programs, destabilising state governments, misusing governors and subverting the rights of States. In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said as the INDIA Janbandhan's rally at Ramlila Maidan gets underway, it is necessary to recall how the PM is «violating», in letter and spirit, Article 1 of the Constitution of India that states «India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.» He said the prime minister started off his innings in May 2014 talking big about cooperative federalism.

army's Southern Command, according to Lt General Ajai Kumar Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command. The Southern Command, which celebrates its 130th Raising Day on April 1, is the oldest and the largest command of the Indian Army, covering 41 per cent India's landmass spread over 11 states and four Union Territories. In an interview to PTI, Lt Gen Singh, the 38th GOC-In-C of the Southern Command, also spoke about the Command's commitment to leverage technology as a catalyst for transformative change during the year 2024, being observed by the army as the Year of Technology Absorption. «This theme underscores our commitment to leverage technology as a catalyst for transformative change, as well as to use in-house expertise to innovate solutions to our operational and logistic requirements and give shape to these projects in collaboration with domestic defence industry,» Lt Gen Singh said.

These six guarantees promised by Kejriwal included: 1 . 24-hour electricity throughout the country 2. Free electricity for the poor in the entire country.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on November 20th 2023 to take in the results of Argentina’s presidential election. On November 19th Argentina elected Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist", to be its next president. He defeated Sergio Massa, the economy minister in the current Peronist government. Mr Milei owes his victory to the troubled background against which the election took place.

Lok Sabha election rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday referred to the people of the country as his family members and said his government has given a new flight to their aspirations. The prime minister will hold a rally in Meerut on Sunday where the BJP has fielded actor Arun Govil of TV serial 'Ramayan' fame as its candidate. According to sources, apart from Govil, Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary, who recently joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, will share the dais with the prime minister. In a post on X in Hindi, PM Modi said, «In the last 10 years, our government, through its work, has given a new flight to the aspirations of my family members across the country. To give further speed to this, the countrymen have once again made up their mind to go with the BJP-NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.» «Will get the privilege of receiving blessings from the public around 3.30 pm today in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh,» he said.

Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Sunday read out a message sent by the AAP supremo from lock-up at the INDIA bloc's 'maharally' at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi. As part of his message, Kejriwal said that India is in pain and also announced 6 guarantees if INDIA bloc is voted to power, which include 24/7 power supply and high class education. «Your own Kejriwal has sent a message for you from jail. Before reading this message, I would like to ask you something. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi put my husband in jail, did the Prime Minister do the right thing? Do you believe that Kejriwal Ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that Kejriwal ji is in jail, he should resign. Should he resign? Your Kejriwal is a lion, they will not be able to keep him in jail for long,» she said.

Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently parted ways with the Samajwadi Party, on Sunday said he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kushinagar as a candidate of his Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party. Claiming that he held talks with the INDIA bloc constituents from Uttar Pradesh over seat sharing but got no response, Maurya also announced that S N Chauhan will be his party's candidate from the Deoria Lok Sabha seat. The names of other candidates of the party would be announced soon, he added. Kushinagar and Deoria Lok Sabha seats will vote in the seventh and final phase of the general elections on June 1.

Narendra Modi is poised to launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, commencing from Meerut on Sunday. "In the last 10 years, our government, through its work, has given a new lease of life to the aspirations of my family members across the country. To give further impetus to this, the countrymen have once again decided to go with BJP-NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.

micro and small enterprises (MSEs) as it will impact their businesses. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chiefs of major export promotion councils and federation of Indian export organisations have appealed to waive the export companies from section 43B(h) of the Income Tax law. The new rule, Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act, introduced in the Finance Act 2023, is designed to make sure small businesses get paid on time. It allows companies to get tax breaks if they pay their small business suppliers within the time limits set by the MSMED (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development) Act, 2006. Especially, companies must pay within 45 days if there is an agreement, and within 15 days in the absence of such a pact. If they do not meet these deadlines, they can not deduct these expenses for tax purposes.

elections. Celebrations over the passage of the landmark Bill were no less in Kerala, where over 1.40 crore voters are women and 50 per cent seats are reserved for them in local bodies. Although the Women's Reservation Bill would be implemented only after 2029 Lok Sabha polls, female politicians widely expected that they would get a remarkable representation in the candidates' list of the general elections. On the contrary, they continued to get a raw deal in the southern state from the parties that had waxed eloquent about the passage of the historic Bill. While the major fronts, the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF, have given three and one seat respectively to women, the BJP-led NDA has set aside five seats for their female politicians in the upcoming LS polls.

Luxury car sales in India could cross the milestone of 50,000 units for the first time in a year in 2024 amid growing demand for such models, according to Audi India head Balbir Singh Dhillon. The overall domestic luxury car segment grew by 28 per cent annually last year to record sales volume of around 48,500 units. Luxury car volumes in India currently account for less than 2 per cent of the overall passenger vehicle sales annually and the sector has been more or less at the same level for the past decade. «Even if the sales grow by around 10 per cent and we do not face issues like disruptions like issues with global supply chain, we (industry) could cross the 50,000 volume mark in a year for the first time ever in 2024,» Dhillon told PTI in an interaction.