Election Financial News

Black, white, Hispanic and Asian adults in the U.S. largely agree that the government should focus on the economy and foreign policy issues in 2024

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is announcing a $291 billion state spending plan with an estimated $37.9 billion deficit

The relationship between India and the Maldives is facing challenges after officials in the tiny island nation made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s posts that promoted the pristine beaches of India’s Lakshadweep archipelago

Supreme Court against the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's ruling in the MLA disqualification case. Narwekar had earlier today ruled that Eknath Shinde is the leader of the Shiv Sena and rejected the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction's attempt to disqualify Shinde and other MLAs. Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the UBT, slammed Narwekar's decision and said that the latter had disregarded the Supreme Court's last year decision. «This is a shameless decision, they have crushed the SC's earlier decision.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday ruled that Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) was the «real» political party while dismissing the Uddhav Thackeray (UBT) camp's petition to disqualify 40 MLAs, including Shinde for violating party discipline. In a 1,200 page verdict on 34 petitions that the two rival parties had moved against each other, Narwekar held that the Shinde faction was the real Shiv Sena. «I hold that the Shinde faction was the real political party when the two rival factions emerged on June 21,2022.

Arvinder Singh Lovely Wednesday said the key discussions on seat-sharing between his party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to fight together from the national capital for the upcoming general election will take place in their next meeting likely to be held on January 12, news agency PTI reported. The Delhi Congress president said no discussion on seat-sharing took place in the first meeting held on January 8. "No discussion on seat-sharing has taken place yet.

judicial custody of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal also allowed Singh to visit the returning officer to receive his election certificate upon his re-election to the Rajya Sabha on January 12.

Mohamed Muizzu is currently on a five-day visit to China, courting investors and trying to deepen bilateral ties. In an address at the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province, he termed China as the island nation's «closest» ally.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a series of photos on social media last week showing him snorkeling, strolling on a white-sand beach and lounging in a chair next to turquoise waters in Lakshadweep, an island chain in the Indian Ocean. It was an “exhilarating experience," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, as he peppered with praise the pristine lesser-known and remote Indian archipelago his government believes has untapped potential for tourism. The images were met with awe by Indians on social media, particularly Modi’s supporters.

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Wednesday justified the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government's order directing the police to open fire on 'karsevaks' in Ayodhya in 1990, saying that it was done to protect the Constitution. Maurya, who has been inviting controversy through his statements in the recent past, was in Kasganj to participate in a Buddhist conference. «The firing on karsevaks (volunteers) in Ayodhya was carried out by the then government to fulfil its duty to protect the Constitution,» the SP leader told reporters.

India Today TV on Wednesday. The BJP is likely to contest on over 400 of the total 543 seats and is looking forward to winning 50 per cent vote share. The India Today report added that the BJP is expected to contest more seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as compared to that in 2019.

Election Commission is committed to conduct transparent and inducement-free polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday said instructions have been issued to officials to deal sternly with all offenders. Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said the commission has emphasised and given clear and firm directions to election machinery and the entire bureaucracy to be impartial, transparent and accessible to all stakeholders. He said the EC team has met several political parties who have made several requests ranging from curbing of cash distribution to influencing votes and strict enforcement for inducement-free elections.

Uddhav Thackeray faction's amendment to the Shiv Sena constitution in 2018 cannot be accepted. «Cannot accept petitioner’s (UBT) contention that the 2018 party constitution should be relied upon,» Narwekar said. Narwekar noted that no organisation elections were held in 2013 and 2018 in the Shiv Sena. «In view of the evidence and records before me, prima facie indicates that no elections were held in the year 2013, as well as in the year 2018.

IPL 2024 Dates and Venue: Despite the upcoming general elections in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 in the country, an ANI report said. As per the report, the much-awaited annual sporting event is likely to start on March 22, the tournament's dates align closely with the announcement of the election schedule. Addressing concerns, a BCCI source told ANI, «There is nothing like that, to shift the tournament outside the country, as the general election will also be at the same time.

INDIA bloc partners should speed up their seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha elections in states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Punjab where their prospects are better, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters here, he said such talks for the seats in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh have not started yet. «We are a part of the INDIA alliance.

Ram Temple inauguration: The Congress party has decided to skip the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony on Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for January 22. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had received an invite to attend the ceremony from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust.

ALSO READ: Manipur govt 'declined' permission to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Imphal, claims Congress “We met Chief Minister N Biren Singh and sought permission for the venue of 'Bharat Joro Nyay Yatra' at Hatta Kangjeibung in Imphal East district from where the rally is scheduled to be flagged off. However, the chief minister has declined to permit the same," Keisham Megachandra said. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May 2023, and a law-and-order situation has been prevailing in the state.

In a world increasingly fraught with risks, leading near-term concerns are shifting to the dangers of technology and related problems like the spread of disinformation, and away from economic worries, according to an annual survey of policymakers, industry leaders and experts on risk conducted by the World Economic Forum. The survey of more than 1,400 experts and leaders, released on Wednesday ahead of the WEF annual meeting in Davos next week, points to a moderately risky global environment through 2026 that deteriorates significantly over the coming decade.

match fixing" raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) faction leader Sanjay Raut ahead of the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the decision to be announced later in the day by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will have to be made on merit. Speaking with reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, ahead of the verdict, CM Shinde said the Election Commission of India had allotted his faction the Shiv Sena name and symbol. «We are official Shiv Sena and we have the majority in the state Assembly… but some are making allegations of match fixing, but they also had a meal with the speaker but we didn't make any such allegations; the speaker is an MLA too and the meeting was official and it's in open light...,» CM Shinde said, responding to Sanjay Raut's allegation of «match fixing.» Earlier, Uddhav faction-led Shiv Sena raised objections to Speaker Narwekar meeting Shinde, ahead of the verdict at his residence on January 7 «Whether it's High Court or Supreme Court, they keep making comments on it… the decision will have to be on merit, as we (the government) are formed on merit,» CM Shinde added. Referring to the 2023 Supreme Court verdict refusing to disqualify the Maharashtra government, CM Shinde said, «They (UBT Shiv Sena) have lost ground as the government is functioning properly and working for the people...» On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court extended till January 10 the time for the Speaker to pronounce a verdict on disqualification petitions against MLAs including Shinde. The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started.

One Nation, One Election' led by former president Ram Nath Kovind has received over 5,000 suggestions from the public on simultaneous polls, sources said on Wednesday. Last week, the high-level committee had invited suggestions from the public «for making appropriate changes in the existing legal administrative framework to enable simultaneous elections in the country». The sources said over 5,000 emails have been received so far.

China stocks dipped again on Wednesday to the lowest since February 2019, while Hong Kong shares logged a seven-day losing streak, as the absence of market catalysts kept investor sentiment low. ** The blue-chip CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.5% each. ** Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.6% and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped 0.5%. ** In Asia, Japanese stocks hit a near 34-year high, while other Asian equities meandered around one-month lows ahead of U.S.