Election Financial News

Congress on Wednesday questioned the Election Commission's move to get a post on electoral bonds scheme deleted from social media platform X and said that the issue raised in the post makes the government «extremely uncomfortable». The opposition party's remarks came after the social media platform X said that the Election Commission ordered it to take down select posts of YSR Congress, AAP, N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for violation of the model code of conduct. The orders were issued on April 2 and April 3 and a follow-up email was sent by the poll panel on April 10 in which it cited a violation of the «voluntary code of ethics» if 'X' fails to remove the four posts reported to it. Congress spokesperson and party's social media department head Supriya Shrinate said the Election Commission had asked platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to delete some posts, one of which was about electoral bonds.

admit cards for the CA May 2024 exams soon on the official eServices portal. The CA exams are scheduled from May 2 to 17, 2024 in offline mode. Applicants Candidates for the intermediate and final level exams are advised to keep a close eye on the ICAI website and eServices portal for the official notification and download link.

Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The IEDs, planted inside steel containers of five-kg, 10-kg and 20-kg capacity, were found hidden inside a cave hideout during a joint search operation by the police, CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles in the forest area of Sanai-Gursai in the Mendhar sub-division, the officials said. They said the bomb disposal squad later destroyed all the three IEDs in a controlled explosion, scuttling terrorists' plan to carry out blasts in the Union Territory.

Rajnath Singh on Wednesday questioned the intention behind the CPI(M)'s poll manifesto promise to dismantle nuclear weapons in the country and demanded to know the stand of the Congress on this issue. Singh alleged talk of dismantling India's nuclear weapons amounted to playing with national security and that there was a «deep-rooted conspiracy to weaken the country». He accused the Left and the Congress, both allies in the anti-BJP INDIA bloc, of apparently trying to weaken the country. Speaking at a public meeting in Kasaragod Lok Sabha seat seeking votes for BJP candidate M L Ashwini, Singh demanded that the Congress should clarify its stand on the CPI(M)'s promise in the manifesto to dismantle nuclear weapons as it was the Indira Gandhi government which kicked off the country's nuclear programme in 1974.

Azam Khan, a Samajwadi Party leader who has been removed from the fray because of his imprisonment. After almost five decades, Lok Sabha elections are going to be held in the complete absence of Rampur's 'Khan,' who held the sway over its voters all these years. Famous for its cultural and historical heritage, Rampur was the political stronghold of the Nawabs in the early decades after Independence. After that, the political rise of Azam Khan in the 80s eclipsed all his rivals ever since. Khan, who had a stronghold on the politics of Rampur from 1978 to 2022, is currently serving seven years of imprisonment in the case of a fake birth certificate of his son Abdullah Azam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took a potshot at Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, comparing them with the 'Amul Babies'. He expressed that the people in Assam would rather see different animals than attend election campaign events organized by the Gandhi siblings. During an interaction with reporters, the Assam CM stated, «Why would people of Assam come to see the 'Amul Babies' of the Gandhi family? It would be better if he roams around in the forest and enjoys seeing different animals there.» The Chief Minister's comments were made following Priyanka Gandhi's roadshow in support of Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi in the Jorhat constituency on Tuesday. «What's the benefit of seeing the Gandhi family? They look fit for the Amul campaign, so they are Amul babies. It's more beneficial to watch rhinos at Kaziranga than catching a glimpse of Amul babies,» he remarked. «I heard around 2,000-3,000 people gathered at Priyanka Vadra's roadshow in Jorhat. Who will come to see Priyanka Gandhi? People will rather visit Kaziranga and watch tigers and rhinos,» the CM further added. Earlier on April 16, expressing her sentiments, Priyanka Gandhi conveyed on X, «Today I will meet my sisters and my brothers in Jorhat, Assam and Tripura West. The states of the Northeast have their own unique culture and historical heritage. The BJP government has imposed its own rules on this heritage. On top of this, inflation and unemployment have made the lives of the people difficult.»

Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituencies for allegedly neglecting the community while distributing party tickets, a leader said on Wednesday. The 'mahapanchayat' was called on Tuesday in the Kheda area by Thakur Pooran Singh, the national president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and a prominent Rajput leader in the area. It was attended by the Chaubisa Rajput Community spread across Muzaffarnagar constituency and other Rajput communities from nearby districts. «The boycott is being done as a sign of protest for insulting the Rajput Community by neglecting it in ticket distribution which has been done by the Bharatiya Janata Party,» Singh said. «People of the Rajput community in these areas will not vote for the BJP candidate but will opt for another strong contender from other parties in his place,» he said.

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: From the chaos of bullets to the serenity of ballots, a remarkable transformation is unfolding in Maharashtra's Maoist heartland. Vikas Kumre, a resident of Gardewara village, dodging splinters from multiple IED explosions during the 2019 LS polls. Now, in 2024, he stands witness to a vibrant electoral process just 6km away from the Maoist stronghold of Abujmarh. Polling Stations in «liberated» corridor In a historic move, helicopters buzz overhead, dropping off poll officials and C-60 commandos to secure the area. These actions mark the inauguration of 11 polling stations in a Maoist «liberated» corridor after 77 years of silence. This corridor stretches across the Dandakaranya forests, spanning 100 km along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also contest from Kantabanji assembly constituency in Bolangir district of Western Odisha along with his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district. This was announced by Patnaik himself on Wednesday while releasing the 5th list of nine candidates for the Assembly elections in the state. Patnaik in 2019 assembly elections had also contested from two seats. He won from both Hinjili and Bijepur assembly segment in Bargarh district of western Odisha. However, Patnaik later resigned from Bijepur and retained the Hinjili seat. The nine BJD candidates announced by Patnaik included six women and four turncoats. The party has dropped four sitting MLAs — Purna Chandra Baka (Chitrakonda), Kishore Chandra Naik (Kuchinda), Rajnikant Singh (Angul) and Samir Ranjan Dash (Nimapara)…

Tamil Nadu: Tiruvallur, Chennai North, Chennai South, Chennai Central, Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram, Arakkonam, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Viluppuram, Kallakurichi, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Pollachi, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Sivaganga, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukkudi, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari Assam: Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Andaman and Nicobar Islands Rajasthan: Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa, Nagaur Madhya Pradesh: Chhindwara, Balaghat, Jabalpur, Mandla, Sidhi, Shahdol Arunachal Pradesh: Arunachal Pradesh West, Arunachal Pradesh East Uttar Pradesh: Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur, Pilibhit Maharashtra: Chandrapur, Bhandara–Gondiya, Ramtek, Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur Bihar: Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui, Nawada Jammu and Kashmir: Udhampur Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora, Nainital West Bengal: Coochbehar, Alipurduars, Jalpaiguri Manipur: Inner Manipur, Outer Manipur Chhattisgarh: Bastar Lakshadweep: Lakshadweep Meghalaya: Shillong, Tura Mizoram: Mizoram Nagaland: Nagaland Puducherry: Puducherry Sikkim: Sikkim Tripura: Tripura WestMilestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections with more than 400 seats. Speaking at a public campaign rally in Assam's Nalbari, Modi termed it as a "guarantee". "I congratulate people on Bihu.

Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim during the first phase on April 19. As many as 21 states and Union Territories would be voting in phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections. In Phase 1, states and UTs including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry will be voting on April 19.

Lok Sabha elections. The party's decision, announced recently, draws parallels with its tactics in 2004 when it prioritized alliances over individual contests, leading to the removal of the BJP-led NDA from power. With hopes pinned on history repeating itself after 20 years, Congress is gearing up for a calculated electoral maneuver. In the upcoming 2024 elections, Congress is expected to contest approximately 330 seats, a notable decline from its 2004 tally of 417 seats, marking its lowest count to date. The party's spokesperson, Jairam Ramesh, attributed this reduction to the accommodation of partners within the INDIA bloc, particularly in states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. These alliances have prompted Congress to scale back its presence in these states compared to previous elections, aligning with the NCP-Shiv Sena, Left, and Samajwadi Party. «The situation in 2004 mirrors that of 2024. We deliberately opted for fewer seats in these crucial states to forge strong alliances. Congress and the INDIA bloc anticipate a decisive mandate in these elections, without the need for additional parties or wavering allies from the NDA,» Ramesh said. He further suggested that this strategy could influence regional parties in the North-East to align with Congress, shifting away from the BJP.

As per past trends, ICAI usually releases admit cards nearly 15 days before the exam commences. The CA May 2024 exams are scheduled to be held in offline mode from May 2 to 17, 2024. Applicants appearing for the intermediate and final level exams are advised to keep a close eye on the ICAI website and eServices portal for the official notification and download link.

Lok Sabha polls, defections from major political parties in Maharashtra have caused significant upheaval in the state's political landscape. Among the notable defectors, Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, a BJP functionary, leads the list of candidates who have secured nominations for the elections. Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, a former BJP member, is among those who parted ways with the party. Defections from the Shiv Sena have also been observed. Interestingly, both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have relied heavily on turncoats for a substantial portion of their allocated seats. In a surprising turn of events, 50% of the seats allotted to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the NCP have been given to defectors. Out of the ten seats designated for this faction, five have been awarded to individuals who switched camps. Similarly, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, contesting four seats, has allocated two seats to defectors.

Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (previously Twitter) to remove certain posts in India containing political speeches from elected politicians, political parties, and candidates. The ECI stated that these posts violated the model code of conduct and must be taken down. According to a TOI report, X complied with the ECI's orders and restricted access to the posts in question in India. The platform expressed disagreement with the ECI's actions, advocating for expanded freedom of expression for political speech. X has notified affected users and published the takedown orders on its platform for transparency. “The Election Commission of India has issued takedown orders requiring X to act on posts containing political speech shared from elected politicians, political parties and candidates for office. In compliance with the orders, we have withheld these posts for the remainder of the election period; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts and political speech in general,” X stated.

Kerala, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, where heavyweight politicians Shashi Tharoor (Congress) and Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP) are vying for victory in the Lok Sabha elections. The Kerala Congress has raised questions about Chandrasekhar's ability to implement an infrastructure development plan for Thiruvananthapuram, highlighting that a 7 lm drive on Airport Road from Hebbal to MG Road takes between 45 mins to 1 hour. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee brought attention to the contentious steel bridge project on the social media platform X. Proposed by the Siddaramaiah government in 2016 at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore, the nearly 6.7-kilometer steel bridge project sparked widespread protests and became a focal point of contention. Chandrasekhar's candidacy in Thiruvananthapuram has reignited debates surrounding the shelved steel bridge project.

Lakshadweep's 10 inhabited islands, set for polls on April 19. Candidates and Past Results Sitting MP Mohammed Faizal PP is seeking re-election but this time he doesn’t have the clock symbol that got him elected for the past two terms. In 2019, 46,909 voters cast their votes and Muhammed Hamdullah Sayeed of Congress lost by a mere 823 votes. In 2014, Faizal beat Sayeed by a margin of 1,535 votes. Sayeed is contesting again for Congress. With NCP splitting, Yousuf TP has been fielded by the official faction while Faizal is contesting as a candidate of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Chhindwara Lok Sabha Election 2024: In the political battleground of Madhya Pradesh, Chhindwara emerges as a critical contest, where the Nath family's stronghold faces a formidable challenge. For over seven decades, this constituency in southern Madhya Pradesh has remained a Congress fortress, synonymous with the enduring legacy of the Naths – Kamal Nath, Alka Nath, and their son Nakul. The never-say-die Congress fort

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that BJP will be wiped out from Uttar Pradesh. «BJP is going to be wiped out in UP from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur. Everything said by BJP turned out to be false,» said Akhilesh Yadav. Continuing his attack on BJP, the SP Chief commented, ' people who came in 2014 will be gone in 2024.'

As party manifestos go, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for the upcoming general elections is fairly standard, with promises about its plans if re-elected. However, what stands out in this year's BJP manifesto is its significant emphasis on the civil aviation sector, which is mentioned 11 times in the 76-page document.