Election Financial News

“The market valuation of NIFTY is priced to perfection. The NIFTY is trading at 20.75x FY 25E (P/E) and 22x on a trailing basis,” says Deepak Ramaraju, Senior Fund Manager, Shriram AMC. In an interview with ETMarkets, Ramaraju said: “However, any surprise in the election outcome like a non-decisive mandate can be negative to the markets,”. Edited excerpts:

Lok Sabha polls in the state from Meerut, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an election meeting at Saharanpur on Saturday followed by a roadshow in Ghaziabad, party sources informed. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive at Saharanpur at 11.30 am. After headlining the meeting at Saharanpur, he will leave for Ajmer in neighbouring Rajasthan where he is scheduled to address a public meeting.

Lok Sabha election programs with Haryanvi and abusive language in the written reply. Haryana unit AAP chief Sushil Gupta, who is contesting from the Kurukshetra constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled in seven phases, said the party had sought permission for poll campaigns on April 7 and abuses were mentioned in the reasons' column.

Mint Explainer: What the controversy over Katchatheevu Island is about Stalin has expressed confidence that DMK will achieve a landslide victory in Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. He also asserted that the INDIA bloc would come to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "This time it will be 40 to 40 (seats).

Gold and silver rates today: Despite the rise in the US dollar rates, gold and silver prices continue flirting with record highs throughout the week on US Fed rate cut buzz. Gold futures contract on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) for June 2024 expiry climbed to a new peak of ₹70,699 per 10 gm on Friday. Silver rates too climbed to a new peak of ₹81,030 per kg on the last session of the week gone by.

Government of India had tried to use its proxy agency in Canada in 2021, according to an unclassified summary written by the CSIS. Similarly, the Government of Pakistan had also attempted to “clandestinely influence" the Canadian politics in 2019, Canada's foreign intelligence agency wrote as quoted by cbc.ca. The documents submitted as part of the federal commission inquiry into foreign influence contain stark assessments — potential interference in Canada's elections by India, China, Russia, and other countries.

Smriti Irani had some words of advice for women voters ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, ANI reported. Speaking at a rally in Bengaluru, Irani, who is Minister for Women and Child Development, asked women to "pay attention to important political issues". "I request all the women that if we want everyone to take women seriously in politics, then we have to pay attention to important political issues.

Election Commission of India (ECI) has stepped up scrutiny of SMS and voice call campaigns by political parties, said people with knowledge of the matter. The poll panel is also in discussions with telcos to trace the trail of spending on these campaigns through telemarketers, aggregators and other participants in the value chain as it seeks to ensure that election expenditure limits aren't breached. Phone companies may need help to obtain all the information that's required. «We are trying to figure out how this could be implemented,» said one of the executives involved in the discussions. «The audit trail of all commercial messaging and calls can be tracked up to the last mile, thanks to the blockchain-based system that telecom companies have deployed for enterprise messaging. But for us to seek sensitive financial details of such deals from other participants, an official directive must come from ECI.» The telcos are conducting careful know-your-customer (KYC) verification of those who want to disseminate election-related information or advertisements.

Lok Sabha polls, Chinese cyber and influence operatives, along with North Korean cyber agents may divert their efforts with these electoral processes, ToI reported quoting a Microsoft analysis. Starting from April 19 to June 1, India will cast their vote to choose 543 members of the Lower House of the Parliament.. The general election polls will be held in seven phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, with Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh conducting voting across all seven stages. The results will be announced on June 4, 2024. «China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content that benefits their positions in these high-profile elections. While the impact of such content in swaying audiences remains low, China’s increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will continue—and may prove effective down the line,» the Microsoft analysis claimed.

As South Koreans prepare to vote for a new 300-member parliament next week, many are choosing their livelihoods and other domestic topics as their most important election issues

Canadians are mostly looking for help paying their bills in the 2024 federal budget, not investments in the military or clean energy transitions, according to polling released Friday.

Budaun Shivpal Yadav has gone viral on social media in which he can be heard saying «we will seek everyone's vote. If you vote for us, it is all right, otherwise, the matter will be settled later». In the video, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Sahaswan Brajesh Yadav and Shivpal's son are also seen on the stage along with Shivpal Yadav. The place where Shivpal made the remarks is not clear in the video. The date when he made the remarks is also not clear. However, SP MLA Brajesh Yadav, who is seen sharing the stage with Shivpal Yadav, on Friday told PTI, «The video has been presented after twisting its content. This video is of March 15, and it was when Shivpal Yadav was going towards Gunnaur. He made the statement in the Bilsi assembly constituency of Budaun.»

₹10.68 crore from the Ministry of Finance for sale and redemption of the electoral bonds, a report said on Friday. According to a report by The Indian Express, based on a Right to Information (RTI) application, the bank raised vouchers for commission for its bank charges and transaction fees, along with 18 per cent goods and services tax (GST), for the electoral bonds. The electoral bonds were sold and redeemed in 30 phases before they were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Masih, the returning officer for the Chandigarh mayoral election whose result was overturned by the Supreme Court in February, on Friday tendered an unconditional apology to the apex court for his conduct. He had faced the wrath of the Supreme Court which ordered his criminal prosecution for allegedly making a false statement before it and his «misdemeanour» during the counting of votes. Masih said he would withdraw the earlier affidavit which stated that he was reeling under depression and anxiety and wherein he denied allegations of tampering with ballots. «A purported video recording of the election process was leaked online on January 31. Thereafter, the respondent (Masih) was subjected to incessant criticism, name-calling and ad hominems by members of political parties as well as social media. This put the respondent, including his family members, under immense mental trauma and stress,» he had said in the affidavit.

Sunita Kejriwal (wife of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal) came in which a photo of Arvind Kejriwal was put on the wall along with Bhagat Singh and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. I felt awful after watching this. An attempt was made to compare him with the legends, I would ask the Aam Aadmi Party to refrain from such activities," he said.

Lok Sabha elections. Navrattan Group founder Himansh Verma, recognizing the crucial role of democracy in shaping the nation's future, appealed to voters to actively engage in the electoral process. Verma emphasized the significance of electoral participation in bolstering India's democratic framework. He stressed the role of elected representatives in formulating policies that drive economic growth, foster innovation, and tackle societal issues. Moreover, he highlighted the importance of voters critically assessing the agendas and commitments presented by political parties and candidates. Verma encouraged voters to prioritize concerns such as job creation, economic stability, social equity, and environmental preservation when making their electoral decisions.

Lok Sabha elections, it appears that the country's youngest eligible voters are displaying a concerning lack of interest in participating in the democratic process. Recent data reveals that fewer than 40% of 18- and 19-year-olds across the nation have registered to vote, with certain states like Bihar, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh recording enrollment rates of less than a quarter, a TOI report stated. According to statistics released by the Election Commission after the announcement of poll dates, only a little over 1.8 crore new voters in the 18- and 19-year-old bracket have been included in the electoral rolls. This figure is considerably lower than the projected population size of this demographic, which stands at just under 4.9 crore. In essence, merely 38% of these first-time voters have successfully registered. Although there is a possibility of this number increasing as various stakeholders intensify their efforts to encourage registration, the current scenario raises questions about the extent to which such initiatives can effectively address the issue. Telangana emerges as a notable exception, with over 8 lakh 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled to vote, constituting approximately 66.7% of its projected population within this age group. Conversely, Bihar, known for its youthful population, reports dismal figures, with only 9.3 lakh enrolled out of a potential 54 lakh (17%). Similar trends are observed in other states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where enrollment rates remain notably low.

Maldives, the government said on Friday, even as ties between Male and New Delhi remained tense amid rising Chinese influence. India, a leading exporter of rice, sugar and onions, has imposed various curbs on exports of these food commodities to keep a lid on local prices ahead of general election. Shipments of these commodities in the 2024/25 finiancial year which started on April 1 to Maldives «will be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition on export,» the government said in a notification.

Kirandul police station limits when District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were out on an anti-Naxal operation, the official said. «The operation was launched on Thursday based on inputs about the presence of Maoists in Purangel, Badepalli, Doditumnar and Gampur areas. After the exchange of fire ended, the body of a male Naxalite and a weapon were recovered from the spot. Further details are awaited as the operation is still underway,» he said. With this incident, the number of Naxalites killed in separate encounters in the seven districts in Bastar region this year has reached 47, the official said. On Tuesday, 13 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district in the region.

While Kangana Ranaut's factually incorrect remarks have ignited a flurry of memes on social media, they have also shed light on a lesser-known historical event: when Bose declared India's independence and proclaimed himself head of state. The freedom fighter, popularly known as Netaji, established a government of Azad Hind (Free India) in Singapore on October 21, 1943. Subhas Chandra Bose declared himself as the Prime Minister, the Head of State, and the Minister of War, announcing World War II.

Kumaraswamy has said he is sincerely working for NDA's better prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the continuation of alliance with BJP, after the parliamentary elections, will depend on how his party and its leaders are treated. The former Chief Minister further said that given an opportunity and if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confidence in him, he wants to be the agriculture minister, in the event of NDA coming back to power at the Centre. In an exclusive interview to PTI Videos, after filing his nomination from Mandya on Thursday, the state JD(S) President said: «We being part of the NDA depends on how our party leaders are treated in the future. We are sincerely working and we want a long-standing relationship with BJP. But ultimately we will take a decision depending on how we are treated and how much respect we get from the BJP.» JD(S) headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year.