Election Financial News

By Emma Farge

Priyanka Gandhi played a "pivotal" role in saving the Himachal Pradesh government, sources told news agency PTI on Thursday. As the rebellion within the Himachal Congress took centre stage after the Rajya Sabha elections, Gandhi swiftly acted to prevent further damage. ALSO READ: Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra emerges from the shadows She remained in constant touch with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and senior leaders to "foil" the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'Operation Lotus'.

NEW DELHI : Power distribution companies across the country are scrambling to procure more electricity than they usually do for summers, with hotter-than-normal temperatures expected until May this year coinciding with the national election. On Friday, the India Meteorological Department forecast ‘above normal’ maximum temperatures in most parts of the country until May. Plus, the general elections, expected to be held in April-May, could spike demand further as state governments tend to ensure uninterrupted power supply at that time.

Kovind-led panel is aiming at “minimum possible” amendments to the Constitution and various other election-related laws, to enable a switch to simultaneous polls. However, this is bound to be challenging given that assessments so far point to extensive constitutional and legal amendments. Anubhuti Vishnoi takes a look: First Time: Law Commission’s 1999 report called for a two-phase process with some assemblies going to polls midterm of the Lok Sabha and the remaining at the end of Lok Sabha’s tenure with EC notifying polls six months before completion of term. Niti Aayog’s 2015 proposal also pitched for a two-phase process while the EC has suggested that all elections falling in one year be conducted together, and states going to polls in the same year as general elections be clubbed with Lok Sabha polls.

By Michael S. Derby and Dan Burns

Based on the movement in January and February, BofA analysts see the S&P 500 pushing above 5400 this year.

Congress MLAs sold their souls and went against the party ethics to cross-vote in the Rajya Sabha election and they will be made to pay for it by God, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday. «Those who betrayed the party and played with the sentiments of the people of the state won't be spared even by the Almighty,» said Sukhu addressing a public meeting in Dharampur in the Kasauli Assembly constituency of Solan district. He said that six rebel MLAs from Congress abstained themselves from the house during the passing of the budget and when a coup was planned to take place by the rival BJP. Sukhu accused the BJP of being ill-at-ease with his government's performance in curbing corruption and starting welfare schemes.

Lok Sabha elections that the country will undergo soon, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has released an advisory for the political parties, candidates and star campaigners where it warns them of stern action in case of direct or indirect violation of Model Code of Conduct which is expected to come into effect with the announcement of the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls later this month. «The Election Commission will assess any indirect MCC violations as per advisory as a fair basis to rework the notices to be given in terms of time and content in issue in the forthcoming elections. For the general election to the Lok Sabha and four state Legislative assemblies, all phases and geographical areas of the elections shall be the basis for determining „repeat“ offences,» asserted the Commission in its advisory. Based on recent trends, EC has also urged parties to maintain decorum and utmost restraint, raise level of election campaign to issue-based debate.

ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Who is likely to get BJP ticket in first list? State-wise details Among others, the ECI advisory said, "No aspect of the private life, not connected with the public activities, of the leaders or workers of the other parties is to be criticized. Low-level personal attacks to insult the rivals shall not to be made." "No temples/mosques/churches/gurudwaras or any other place of worship are to be used for election propaganda of engineering.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is delaying planned rules for existing natural gas plants that emit harmful air pollutants and contribute to global warming

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to return to the swing state of Wisconsin next week for an event touting worker apprenticeship programs

Atishi is also likely to present the budget for the 2024-25 financial year next week on March 4, according to sources. This will be Atishi’s first budget as Delhi’s Finance Minister after she was inducted into Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet in March last year. The budget session of the Delhi assembly began on February 15 and was expected to run until February 21.

1] GDP of India: “In another pleasant surprise, India's real GDP grew 8.4% YoY in 3QFY24, compared to the market (and our) forecast of 6.5-7%. Further, the last two quarters' growth was also revised up to 8.1% (from 7.7% earlier). FY22 growth was revised up to 9.7% (from 9.1%) and FY23 was revised down to 7% (from 7.2%).

The tech narrative in the last two years has been dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the excitement and disruption generated by it. However, the narrative started to sour a little in the latter half of 2023, as ethical issues got thrown up—like copyright, bias, privacy and deepfakes. Now, with elections looming across most of the democratic world, 2024 promises to be the year when AI will experience its first major ethical test—whether it helps democracy or subverts it.

Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif nominates younger brother Shehbaz for premiership The 16th National Assembly commenced its proceedings earlier in the day, with newly elected MNAs taking their oaths administered by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The session, scheduled for 10 am, commenced after 11 am amid a turbulent atmosphere, with PTI-backed lawmakers aligned with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), encircling the speaker's rostrum.

Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney has died at the age of 84.

Centre on Thursday approved the release of two installments of tax devolution amounting to ₹1.42 lakh crore to 28 states to bolster their ability to fund various social welfare and infrastructure development schemes. This release is in addition to another instalment of Rs 71,061 crore already made on February 12, the finance ministry said in a statement. Uttar Pradesh leads the pack of the beneficiary states. It will receive Rs 25,495 crore from the latest instalments, followed by Bihar (Rs 14,295 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 11,157 crore), West Bengal (Rs 10,692 crore), Maharashtra (Rs 8,978 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 8,564 crore), Odisha (Rs 6,435 crore) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 5,797 crore).

A billionaire-backed proposal to build an eco-friendly California city from scratch is off to a bumpy start to put their idea before voters this November

Bharatiya Janata Party—chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—on Thursday night met at the party headquarters in the national capital to take a call on the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among those who attended the meeting.

Odisha joined the BJP on Thursday itself. Let's take a look Former Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi, who had resigned from the party a day before, joined the BJP on Thursday and vowed to fight against the TMC regime in the state. "Today, we are happy to welcome Kaustav Bagchi in the BJP," party leader Suvendu Adhikari said at a programme here.

Chhindwara (MP), After days of suspense over their political plans, Congress MP Nakul Nath on Thursday categorically said that neither he nor his father, Congress veteran Kamal Nath were going to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Speculation about the Naths' intentions was intensified in the last few days as several Congress workers from Chhindwara, the Lok Sabha constituency of Nakul Nath, crossed over to the ruling party. "Lok Sabha polls are going to be held in the next one or one-and-a-half months. Lot of rumours are being spread by BJP people that Kamal Nath and I are going to the BJP. Let me make it clear that neither Kamal Nath nor Nakul Nath are going to join the BJP," the junior Nath said at a public meeting at Navegaon in Chhindwara district. The BJP had won 28 out of the 29 Lok Sabha Seats in Madhya Pradesh last time while Chhindwara was the only seat retained by the Congress. The ruling party is trying hard to breach the Kamal Nath bastion this time. " Since February 1, a total of 5,000 Congress leaders and workers have joined the BJP as they were unhappy with their party's decision to boycott the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony," said the BJP's Chhindwara district unit president Bunty Sahu.