Election Financial News

Infosys, Wipro, as well as well-known start-ups, has been hit by a crippling water outage that has left taps dry across parts of the city just weeks ahead of general elections. The water crisis in Bengaluru presents a daunting challenge exacerbated by rapid urbanisation and population growth, and it is impacting households as also the IT and tech hubs' operations, say city residents who are facing stringent water restrictions. Local residents and industry blame the severe water shortage on rapid urbanisation without proper planning, unequal and improper distribution, poor water management and negligence by local authorities.

Supreme Court seeking disclosure of the details of electoral bonds sold from March 1, 2018, to April 11, 2019, saying voters are entitled to know funding to political parties for the entire period since the start of the scheme. In a landmark verdict last month, the top court scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding calling it «unconstitutional» and ordered the State Bank of India (SBI), the authorised financial institution under the scheme, to submit the details of the bonds purchased from April 12, 2019 to February 15, 2024 to the Election Commission of India (ECI). A new application, filed by Citizen's Rights Trust, has submitted that 9,159 bonds worth Rs 4,002 crore have been sold between March 2018 to April 2019 which should also be disclosed. The petition seeks a direction to the SBI to share the details of electoral bonds sold and redeemed from March 1, 2018, to April 11, 2019, including the alphanumeric number, date of purchase, denomination, names of donors and parties to the ECI.

Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness its first major electoral battle since it was bifurcated and downgraded to the status of union territory months after the general elections in 2019. Jammu and Kashmir has a total of five Lok Sabha seats — three of which are currently with the National Conference and two with the BJP. The Union Territory has been under the central rule since the fall of PDP-BJP government in June 2018. The last assembly polls were held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. A significant development since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 was the delimitation exercise completed in May 2022 as part of J&K Reorganisation Act. It revised the boundaries of 90 assembly and five parliamentary constituencies.

Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal is an evidence that the Election Commission is «a long arm of the government». Sibal also raised questions over the appointment of two election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu recently, saying they were appointed despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment stating that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should also be a member of the committee that recommends the names of appointees. «As far as the seven phases (of the Lok Sabha polls in the country) are concerned, that was expected,» he told PTI Videos. «In fact the way they appointed these two election commissioners despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment saying that the CJI should also be a member of the committee. The way they have discarded the Constitution bench decision despite the challenge pending in the Supreme Court and the way they preponed the appointment, only shows that their intention was to have their own people there,» Sibal alleged.

By Stephanie Kelly

second longest poll season ever, set to run for 44 days. The voter turnout amid the sweltering heat will be in focus, but data shows that Indians have increased their participation in elections over the years. Several states in the south and north-east crossed 70% voter turnout in 2019.

PTI. The election commission yesterday announced that the Lok Sabha elections 2024 polls will take place in seven phases beginning from April 19 and concluding on June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its unwavering efforts in combating corruption while dismissing opposition parties' concerns over the probe agency's remarkable actions. In a resounding affirmation of his government's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, PM Modi praised the ED's stringent measures, stating that every agency is "completely free" to act against graft. "Zero tolerance towards corruption is a key aspect of our governance," he asserted, as quoted by India Today.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi feels Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the biggest liability of the opposition bloc and warned that several opposition parties could risk losing recognition from the Election Commission after defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The former Union minority affairs minister tried to dispel fears revolving around the implementation of CAA by saying, «Not a single Indian citizen, including Muslims, would be affected by the new legislation» and accused the opposition of trying to create communal conflict and confusion across the country. In an interview to PTI, Naqvi predicted a decisive victory for the BJP government for a third consecutive term, citing a widespread loss of faith among the populace in opposition parties, particularly the Congress. He criticised opposition bloc INDIA, saying it lacks coherent leadership and policies, with internal conflicts and ambitions hindering its effectiveness.

₹2,23,660 crore in their market valuation over the past week, as Reliance Industries and Life Insurance Corporation of India bore the brunt amidst a prevailing bearish sentiment in equities. During the same period, the BSE benchmark witnessed a significant decline of 1,475.96 points or 1.99%. Among the firms affected by erosion in market capitalization were Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), and Hindustan Unilever.

Lok Sabha elections is a mammoth exercise that entails the biggest peacetime movement of men and material in the world through waterways, air and land across India to ensure no voter is left behind. The Election Commission, mandated to hold the gigantic democratic exercise starts preparing for the polls at least one-and-a-half years in advance by training officials, poll personnel and ramping up the supply of required EVMs and indelible ink, besides other equipment. The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Nearly 97 crore registered voters across 543 constituencies will cast their ballot at 10.5 lakh polling stations.

diesel prices are the costliest in the country in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala while it is cheapest in smaller states and UTs like Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Delhi and those in the North East, mainly due to differential in local sales tax or VAT rates, oil industry data showed. The three state-owned fuel retailers — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — last week cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre each, ending a nearly two-year hiatus in price revision. That reduction brought relief to fuel users but rates continue to be above Rs 100 a litre mark in some states due to higher Value Added Tax (VAT). Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP-ruled Andhra Pradesh has the costliest petrol at Rs 109.87 a litre, followed by Left Democratic Front (LDF)-ruled Kerala, where a litre of petrol comes for Rs 107.54. Congress-run Telangana is close behind with petrol costing Rs 107.39 a litre.

Shiv Sena and NCP have made the battle for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra more interesting, besides the focus on traditional issues like unemployment and farmer suicides. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18. The undivided NCP had emerged victorious on four seats, the Congress one, while the AIMIM and an Independent accounted for the remaining two. A total of 9.2 crore persons, including more than 50,000 centenarians, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, an increase of 34 lakh from 2019. Here is how the political landscape in various regions of Maharashtra looks like ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

By Mayela Armas

By Lidia Kelly

Haryana is key for parties in what is going to be a multi-corner contest in the Lok Sabha elections. Traditionally a stronghold of the Congress, the state's ruling BJP has been making efforts over the years to weaken the grand old party's grip in the Jat-dominated region that comprises the Rohtak and the Sonipat Lok Sabha constituencies. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won seven Lok Sabha seats it had contested, losing only in Rohtak. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) had won two seats while the Congress won from Rohtak. After failing to break the Congress' grip on Rohtak at that time, the BJP stepped up its activities in the region in a bid to weaken the Hooda family stronghold and the Congress.

Malwa belt in Punjab is always considered the biggest and politically influential region particularly during assembly elections, where if a party secures maximum assembly seats in this belt, it can easily form the government in the state. Punjab can broadly be divided into three regions — Malwa, Majha and Doaba. Beyond the Sutlej river, it is called the Malwa region, the Doaba region falls between the Beas and Sutlej rivers, while Majha falls between the Ravi and the Beas rivers. As far as the parliamentary polls are concerned, eight seats — Ludhiana, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot (SC), Fatehgarh Sahib (SC), Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and Sangrur fall in the Malwa region.

Lok Sabha polls will be held in the state in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged victorious in 11 seats, while its ally AJSU secured one seat. Both the JMM and Congress have one seat each. For the upcoming polls, while the BJP has announced candidates for 11 of the 14 seats, the INDIA bloc is yet to announce its nominees as talks continue among allies, including the JMM and Congress, over seat sharing.

Joe Biden said at a weekend Washington roast, was that two candidates had clinched their party's nomination for president. But one was too old, too mentally unfit for the job, he said. «The other's me,» Bidden quipped.

India, the world’s largest democracy, goes to polls starting April 19, 2024. Campaigning for the elections has been well underway for weeks now, with the Bharatiya Janata Party looking to bag a hat-trick of terms at the Centre while the Congress-led Opposition is trying to break the NDA’s decade-long stronghold. The BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed confidence in coming back to power, this time with a 400+ majority in the Lok Sabha. In 2019, the BJP won the majority as it swept the Hindi heartland and bagged 303 seats in the 543-seat-strong Lower House of the Parliament. The Election Commission formally kicked off the 2024 general election with the announcement of the poll schedule on Saturday. Lok Sabha polls for 543 seats will be held in seven phases starting with voting for 102 seats in the first phase on April 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Stock Market News: After a four-week storm surge, domestic benchmark equity indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, had their worst week in more than four months on Friday's session. With the sole exception of the information technology (IT) sector, all sectoral indices witnessed losses by the end of the week, according to analysts.