Election Financial News

came under the scanner for contributing donations via the now-defunct electoral bonds to national and state parties, as per the data shared by the State Bank of India on the directions of the Supreme Court. However, there is one fledgling political party which is completely backed by a corporate group. Kitex Garments- backed Twenty20 party in Kerala has made a foray into the Lok Sabha polls by fielding two candidates.

minority votes, with the BJP emerging as a strong contender against the Congress-led UDF and the CPM-led LDF. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims and Christians together account for 44.9% of Kerala's population, making their support crucial in the upcoming elections. The intense focus on minority issues in Kerala's political arena is not surprising, given that Muslims and Christians together constitute 44.9% of the state's population, according to the 2011 Census. Political parties believe this figure has only increased in recent years. Significance of Minority Votes

uniform civil code is bound to be implemented in the country and it will not be possible for someone to "marry four women and beget 25 children", and avail the benefits of government schemes. Addressing a press conference here, Dilawar also said that the Congress is the most corrupt party in the world. «After this election, the UCC will be implemented in the country...the day is not far when it will not be possible for a man to marry four women and beget 25 children, and avail the benefits of government schemes claiming to be from the minority community,» the state education minister said. Lashing out at the Congress over corruption, Dilawar alleged that the party during its previous tenure at the Centre would illegally take away around Rs 25 lakh crore of the people every year.

Tripura Minister and BJP leader Ratan Lal Nath announcing Rs 2 lakh reward for the polling stations in five Assembly constituencies which would record the highest percentage of votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Opposition CPI-M and the Congress on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to take appropriate action against Tripura Minister. Opposition leader and CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (Rajiv Kumar) alleged that the minister's announcement of reward is an “open provocation of false voting”. State Congress President Asish Kumar Saha in his letter to the CEC urged to take immediate and decisive action to rectify these alarming developments.

Lok Sabha and a surprise defeat in the November 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly election, BJP MP from Satna Ganesh Singh is in a tough contest yet again. The Congress has fielded Siddarth Kushwaha “Dabbu”, the leader who defeated him in the state polls just four months ago, as its candidate, while a Brahmin candidate from the BSP is also likely to wean away some voters. Singh is among the BJP MPs who were fielded by the party in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election. He lost by 4,041 votes to Kushwaha but has been given the ticket again for the Lok Sabha polls. Both Singh, a Kurmi leader, and Kushwaha are from the backward castes, which have a sizable presence in the constituency. Satna Lok Sabha also has a substantial Brahmin population and the way it votes can prove decisive in this election. While the BJP is hopeful that the Ayodhya Ram temple issue would sway the Brahmin voters to its side, BSP candidate Narayan Tripathi may play the spoiler. In the 2023 assembly election, the BSP fielded Shiv Ratnakar Chaturvedi, making it a triangular fight. Chaturvedi polled 33,567 votes, which ensured Singh’s defeat. Narayan Tripathi is in a similar role in the Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: As the general elections nears its third phase on May 7, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday informed that Gujarat and Maharashtra saw the maximum number of nominations from the 12 states and Union Territories who will vote in Phase 3. A total of 2963 nominations were filed for 95 Parliamentary constituencies across 12 states and UTs going for polls in phase 3 for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Amethi is back in news and buzzing with excitement. Even as the BJP leaders taunt Rahul Gandhi for leaving Amethi constituency for Wayanad in Kerala, videos of massive cleaning and renovation work at his house in the town were shared on social media. This has led to hope among the Uttar Pradesh Congress cadre who were demoralised after signs that Rahul may not fight from Amethi this time. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul contested from Amethi and Wayanad. He lost to BJP's Smriti Irani in Amethi, but won from Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi represented Amethi from 2004 till 2019. The seat is also associated with Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi, who represented the seat between 1981 till his death in 1991. Sonia Gandhi contested elections from here in 1999 and passed it on to Rahul in 2004. The workers engaged at Rahul's bungalow at Amethi were not just cleaning but also seen clearing the garden area, TOI has reported. Tent poles and material for a canopy were also seen lying near the house. The workers said that they were hired by the party. “I am told that Rahul Bhaiya will come soon. Therefore, all the cleaning and renovation work is being done,” said one of them. Asked to comment on renovation work underway at Rahul’s home in Amethi’s Gauriganj area, ex-MLC Deepak Singh said, “This is routine. Whether or not he contests elections from here, he is sure to visit Amethi during the campaign time.”

Amit Shah on Tuesday said the BJP used its majority in Parliament to nullify Article 370, ban instant triple talaq and bring a new citizenship law, and asserted the Modi government will never change the Constitution. Addressing an election rally in Akola in eastern Maharashtra in support of BJP candidate Anup Dhotre, Shah accused the Congress of putting hurdles in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The senior BJP leader noted it was Modi who ensured that a grand and magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Ram was built in Ayodhya. Shah said the Modi government, on returning to office after the Lok Sabha polls, will bring citizens above 70 years under the ambit of the free health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and provide cooking gas cylinders directly to consumers. Shah slammed the INDIA alliance, saying they did not want the Ram temple to come up in Ayodhya.

Lok Sabha polls 2024, rising political tensions coincide with a sweeping heatwave affecting multiple states. The first phase of elections saw a turnout of 65.5%, a drop of 4.4% from 2019. The upcoming second phase, covering 13 states and Union Territories, faces additional challenges with heatwave warnings in parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said there is no Modi wave in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections but there is one in favour of the Congress party's guarantee schemes in the state. Addressing a poll rally here, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to fulfill any of his promises such as bringing back black money from abroad, creating two crore jobs every year and doubling farm income. «There is no Modi wave in the state because of his lies. People have realised his lies. Hence in the entire country, the Modi wave is not there. If there is any wave it's only our Guarantee wave,» Siddaramaiah said, as he referred to the five guarantee schemes launched by his government. He claimed that during his previous stint as chief minister from 2013 to 2018, he managed to fulfill 158 out of 165 promises, and also started 130 new programmes during the period. The BJP, which governed the state from 2019 to 2023, could not keep up any of its promises, the chief minister alleged at the public meeting, which was also addressed by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

KPI Green Energy, have surged 450-500 per cent over the last year. Some others, such as SRM Energy, SJVN, JP Power Ventures and Adani Power have jumped 200-350 per cent in the same period. There are over 15 stocks in the renewable energy space that have jumped more than 100 per cent in the last one year.

Starbucks heads to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a bid to limit a government labor board that has been eager to support union drives, a case that comes as other top companies are mounting aggressive defenses against the agency. In the Biden-era, the National Labor Relations Board has pursued the boldest enforcement agenda in recent memory to bolster worker protections. The board, which referees disputes between employers and workers, has expanded pathways for forming a union and made it easier for employees to challenge workplace practices.

The 2024 federal budget failed to spark a much-needed rebound in the polls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trailing Liberal party, according to new Ipsos polling released Tuesday.

Odisha hovering between 39 and 42 degrees Celsius, political parties are focusing more on evening meetings and small village gatherings while campaigning for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Malkangiri district under Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat recorded the highest temperature of 42 degrees Celsius recently. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heatwaves in the next few days in the state. Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunj B Dhal has suggested that political parties and candidates undertake election campaigning with adequate measures to beat the heat. BJP candidate for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat Balabhadra Majhi said, «I had prepared a chart for my campaigning soon after the declaration of the tickets but altered my campaigning itinerary due to the scorching temperature, focusing more on evening meetings and small village gatherings.»

Trident Realty has raised ₹1,200 crore through sale of assets, including Shipra Mall in Ghaziabad and a land parcel in Gurugram, as part of plans to focus on its residential business and exit non-core assets, said people close to the development.

The lawmaker at the center of South Korea’s “Coin Gate” scandal is set to return to the Democratic Party, the National Assembly’s biggest political party.

Kollam, G Krishnakumar, has landed in an embarrassing situation as a local leader of the saffron party has been found responsible for the eye injury he sustained during a heated poll campaign. Krishnakumar had recently lodged a complaint with Kundara police, alleging that it was suspected to be an attack with a strong weapon by his political opponents.

Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahab kya karenge," is how Smriti Irani again took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra during Lok Sabha elections campaigning in Amethi which was a Congress stronghold until 2019. Amethi will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections but Congress has not yet declared a candidate in Amethi but there have been speculations that Robert Vadra would be contesting in the constituency.

Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the previous Congress government in Rajasthan saying the state ranked number one in crime against women during the grand old party's rule. Addressing a Lok Sabha election campaign in Rajasthan's Tonk, the Prime Minister accused the Congress party of corruption, protecting the serial blast accused, crime against women, and many more incidents. “Congress had committed the sin of protecting the Rajasthan serial blast accused...If Congress was in power, it would have found new ways of corruption for itself...," PM Modi said.

KS Eshwarappa for six years after he decided to contest independently from Shivamogga constituency. KS Eshwarappa is contesting as an independent from Shivamogga. He will fight against BY Raghvendra, son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The party in a statement said that KS Eshwarappa has «embarrassed» the party by going to the polls as an independent candidate.

Nifty option traders were left scratching their heads today after India VIX, Dalal Street's indicator of volatility in the near term, crashed as much as 22% in one of its worst single-day falls in stock market's history. India VIX, calculated using the best bid and ask quotes of out-of-the-money near and mid-month Nifty option contracts, fell below the 10-mark. During the day, Nifty rose up to 0.5% higher to the day's high of 22,447.