Election Financial News

Enforcement Directorate has arrested Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly «managed» AAP funds for the Goa assembly elections, in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, official sources said Monday. He was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. This is the 17th arrest in the case by the ED. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last month and he is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody. Chanpreet Singh was earlier arrested by the CBI too in the same case. The money laundering case stems from the Central Bureau of Investigation FIR.

Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader Pralhad Joshi and actor Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha Shivarajkumar were among the prominent persons who filed their nominations on Monday for the May 7 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. Bommai filed his papers as the BJP candidate from Haveri and was accompanied by former Minister B C Patil and other party leaders. He earlier paid respects to his parents' memorial. Bommai is the son of veteran Janata Party leader and former Chief Minister late S R Bommai. Bommai's opponent from Congress, Anandswamy Gaddadevarmath, too filed his papers on Monday. Joshi who is the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, formally entered the fray from Dharwad. Veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar were among the leaders who were with him. Prior to filing his nomination, Joshi held a road show accompanied by the leaders. Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers and New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba filed his nomination papers from Bidar.

NEW DELHI : Vodafone Idea expects its ₹18,000-crore follow-on public offer to have maximum subscription with the share of anchor investors being fully subscribed, even as India’s No. 3 telecom carrier began its roadshow for individual investors. “We’ve had an extensive roadshow with all international and domestic institutional investors.

Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking voting facilities for around 18,000 people displaced internally due to the ethnic strife in Manipur for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The polling for the two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said interference of this court, particularly at this belated stage, would cause substantial impediments in the conduct of the ensuing general elections of the Lok Sabha for Manipur. «You have come at the last minute. At this stage, what can be virtually done? We cannot interfere at this stage,» the bench said.

Arun Govil, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Meerut, discussing potential changes to the Constitution, has stirred controversy. Responding to allegations that the Modi government plans to alter the Constitution, Govil emphasized the evolution of the Constitution over time and the need for consensus for any changes. A video has gone viral on social media in which he can be seen talking about the Constitution. Answering a question by a reporter on the opposition's allegation that the Modi government will change the Constitution after coming to power again at the Centre, Arun Govil said, «The Constitution has witnessed changes over a period of time. Change is a sign of development. It's not a bad thing. Situations were different at that time; the current situation is different, so if changes are to be made… The Constitution doesn't change with one person's intention. It can be changed with everybody's consensus. If anything happens...» he can be heard saying in the viral video. This statement has prompted reactions from various political figures, including AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who accused the BJP of intending to undermine the Constitution.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday questioned the source of income of the charity organisation controlled by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son and MP Shrikant Shinde, saying the funds could have been misused for political gains. The Shiv Sena led by Shinde dismissed the allegations, saying the Foundation has undertaken numerous developmental works and provided financial assistance to the needy. Raut said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the foundation. «We will try to file a case through ED or CBI,» he added. He also claimed the information on the source of funds and expenses of the organisation sought under the RTI query was not disclosed by the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner's office, apparently due to political pressure.

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Delhi's North East Lok Sabha constituency is gearing up for a high-profile contest as the Congress announced young leader Kanhaiya Kumar as its candidate to fight against BJP's sitting MP Manoj Tiwari. The singer-turned-politician is the only BJP candidate to be repeated from the national capital as the saffron party has changed its face on all other 6 constituencies in Delhi.

Dr Ravi Singh, SVP - Retail Research, Religare Broking, sees Sensex breaching the 1 lakh mark in the next 5 years. In an interview, the expert believes that now is the time to book some profits considering the volatility we will be seeing in the coming time due to corporate results and Lok Sabha elections. He advised investors to allocate 40 percent of their portfolio to large-cap stocks for stability and 30 percent each to small and midcaps for alpha generation over a longer time horizon.

Donald Trump, the main opponent of US President Joe Biden in the upcoming elections due later this year. The slogans grew louder at Schnecksville in Pennsylvania amid the escalation in West Asia conflict after Iranian drones and missiles were launched on Israel. Trump, while addressing the public, said, “They are not wrong.

Lok Sabha seat, a blend of urban and rural areas, includes Yelahanka, Kempegowda International Airport, and the Foxconn campus, alongside industrial areas like Bashettihalli, Nandagudi, and Dabaspet. Persistent Water Woes Voters in Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural regions are disillusioned with their representatives, past and present, for failing to address the longstanding water issues. The lack of a permanent solution has been a major concern for the residents.

Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of DIG of Murshidabad in West Bengal following violence, and for the officer's «lack of supervision» to immediately prevent more incidents, sources said. They said two violent incidents were reported there in which weapons and explosives were used.

Supreme Court seeking review of its February 15 verdict, which had scrapped the Modi government's electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding. The review plea filed by advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara submitted that this Court entertained the petition (against the scheme) and struck down the law and the scheme without noticing that in doing so it is acting as an appellate authority over Parliament, substituting its wisdom on a matter which falls in the exclusive province of legislative and executive policy. «The court failed to notice that even assuming the issue is justiciable, the petitioners therein having not claimed any specific legal injury exclusive to them, their petition could not have been decided as if a private litigation for the enforcement of rights which are specific and exclusive to them,» Nedumpara submitted in his plea. He said the Court failed to notice that the public opinion could be sharply divided and the majority of the people of this country could probably be in support of the scheme, brought into existence by their elected representatives and that they too have a right to be heard, as much as the PIL/writ petitioners.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the BJP poll manifesto does not have anything for the poor but talks about bidding for the 2036 Olympics. The BJP was keen on pushing its agenda of «One nation, one election,» he said accusing the ruling dispensation at the Centre, during his brief visit to Nilgiris district. «What are the BJP's policies for the poor?» Gandhi asked during his interaction with college students at Thaloor here before proceeding to Wayanad in Kerala. The Congress manifesto has policies for all sections of the people including the youth and women. «But the BJP election manifesto talks about holding Olympics in 2036. This is the difference between the Congress and the BJP,» he said.

Amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a former Taiwanese president who supports unification that the countries “belong” together.

Revanth Reddy has made predictions regarding the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, suggesting that Prime Minister Modi's party may not achieve the landslide victory it seeks. Despite the bold slogan «Ab Ki Baar, 400 Paar,» Reddy anticipates a more modest outcome for the ruling party. In an interview on Rajat Sharma's show «Aap Ki Adalat,» Reddy said, «There are 129 LS seats in the South. In Karnataka, they can win at most 10 to 12 seats and in Telangana they can win only two seats this time, compared to four in 2019.» Reddy further elaborated, «Even if they score 100 per cent, they can win only up to 300. ...The remaining 100 seats they can win only in Pakistan, not in Hindustan.»

Rupala, the BJP's nominee from Gujarat's Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, is facing agitation by Kshatriya community members, political analysts and voters believe the Union minister will emerge victorious. While the analysts claim Rajkot is an «unbreachable fortress» of the BJP, voters laud the development works done by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Rupala recently claimed the erstwhile 'maharajas' succumbed to the persecution of foreign rulers, including the Britishers. Despite Rupala's apology, the Kshatriyas, also called Rajputs, see his remarks as an insult to them and have asked the BJP to withdraw his candidature or face defeat in Rajkot, a Patidar-dominated seat considered as BJP's stronghold.

Kshatriya community in Gujarat has renewed its demand for the removal of Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat. The community, also known as Rajputs, expressed its resolve to escalate protests in the coming days. Protest and Demands A public meeting held in Ratanpur village in Gujarat's Rajkot district saw community members demanding Rupala's withdrawal as the BJP's candidate. Ramjubha Jadeja, a core committee member, stated, «We are firm on our demand for withdrawal of Rupala’s candidature.» The community has objected to Rupala's candidacy following remarks they found derogatory towards their heritage and women.

LiveMint to track live updates on Lok Sabha elections. Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today address a public rally at Agasthiarpatti near Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The PM will arrive at Thoothukudi airport by a special flight from where he would reach the Cambridge Matriculation Higher Secondary School grounds to address public.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Bishnu Pada Ray, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Andaman and Nicobar Islands has claimed that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, "gifted" the Coco Islands, a part of northern Andaman Islands to Myanmar. Ray, who is the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from the region also criticised the Congress for its allegedly "historical anti-India stance", in an interview with ANI on April 14. Ray claimed that Nehru had reportedly given the Coco Islands to Myanmar as a gift, the publication reported.

Election Commission of India (ECI) Order, granting a paid holiday to employees on the day of polling in the NCT of Delhi under Section 135B of the RP Act 1951. The polling day in the NCT of Delhi is scheduled for May 25. As per the order, all eligible employees, be they public or private, who are voters in the NCT of Delhi are entitled to a paid holiday to exercise their democratic right to vote on the polling day. Besides, it is to state that voters of neighbouring cities Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan working in Delhi will also be given a paid holiday on the day of voting and vice versa for voters of Delhi working in neighbouring cities as per their polling dates, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer informed through a press release.

Sankalp Patra', its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, on Sunday said it is aimed at the 'destruction' of the erstwhile state. Speaking on Sunday, the former CM said, «I have been busy campaigning since morning. I have not read their manifesto as yet. But from what I have gathered, their manifesto has nothing for Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP's manifestoes have always brought destruction to Jammu and Kashmir.» He claimed that the INDIA bloc will win all five Lok Sabha constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir and one in Ladakh.