Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister <keyword id="6355042" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis" source="Orion">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword> will take decisions on <keyword id="549985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="seat-sharing" source="Orion">seat-sharing</keyword> and <keyword id="22753690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="negotiations-with-allies" source="Orion">negotiations with allies</keyword> for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, a party leader has said. The move aims to prevent undesired delays by streamlining preparations for the assembly elections due in a few months, BJP's Mumbai unit chief <keyword id="6367689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashish-Shelar" source="Orion">Ashish Shelar</keyword> told reporters on Sunday. "The core committee (of the state unit) has met in Mumbai to delegate all decision-making powers concerning seat-sharing and the selection of assembly constituencies to Fadnavis," he said. Party observer and Union minister Bhupender Yadav, BJP national secretary Vinod Tawde, Union minister and Mumbai North MP Piyush Goyal also attended the meeting. Of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, the BJP won 104 in 2019. Shelar confirmed finalisation of the "formula for winning, besides the planning and seat-sharing arrangements with the allies". "Fadnavis has been granted full authority in this regard," he said. The BJP-led Mahayuti, also comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and the NCP headed by Ajit Pawar, won only 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the recent parliamentary polls. The BJP's tally came down to 9 from 23 five years ago. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), bagged 30 seats. Shelar said, "We have decided to save time by streamlining the planning, discussions, and decision-making processes with all the NDA constituents to finalise the candidates. Once this is done, we can begin preparations for the assembly polls. The list of candidates will be released at the appropriate time." After the BJP's Lok Sabha tally came down to 9 in Maharashtra, Fadnavis had offered to quit the deputy CM's post to enable him to focus on party work ahead of assembly elections. Later, after a party meeting where state BJP legislators passed a resolution reposing faith in him, Fadnavis said he would continue to work.

Maharashtra polls: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to decide on seat-sharing, negotiations with allies

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The mammoth exercise to count votes polled for the Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections will begin at 8 am on Tuesday, with trends and results following shortly thereafter. Results of the <keyword id="6372146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assembly-elections" source="Orion">Assembly elections</keyword> in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today. Here're the LIVE results: <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek a third consecutive term in government, while the Congress-led opposition aims to unseat them. Most <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> have predicted a return of PM Modi to power, a development which will make him the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third successive term in power, Meanwhile, a delegation of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders met with the Election Commission of India urging it to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the EVMs is announced. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that a "very robust system" has been put in place. "There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process," he said. The national capital is all set to witness the battle. With tight security arrangements in place, Delhi is well-prepared to watch the results of the 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-Elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword>. Around 70 companies of the security forces will be deployed at all seven counting centres across the national capital as part of the elaborate security arrangements made by the Delhi Police for today. Delhi traffic police issued a fresh advisory ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for Tuesday, listing key roads where traffic restrictions and diversions will start from 5 am onwards to ensure smooth vehicular movement. Prime Minister Modi's hometown, Gujarat, is also preparing for the vote-counting day as security forces rehearse and perform drills for the effortless conduct of D-day. Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP to power. Various exit polls have given the BJP more than 64 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority. Exit polls were predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties. A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of "400 paar" stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. The Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases- on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting trends and results, as per data entered by RO/ARO for AC/PC will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App, both iOS and Android Mobile Apps, according to the ECI. The Voter Helpline App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store. Users can use the available filter to find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or State-wise results from the Voter Helpline App. The local display of the trends and results by the CEOs/ROs/DEOs may also be done through the Digital Display Panels, it said.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 results: Mammoth vote-counting exercise set to begin at 8 am, amid high security

Amaravati, Sons of at least six former Chief Ministers of <keyword id="19896313" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="andhra-pradesh" source="keywords">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> will be in the fray for May 13 simultaneous polls to the Andhra Pradesh <keyword id="19906943" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly" source="keywords">Assembly</keyword> and Lok Sabha while daughters of two former Chief Ministers are also likely to join the race. Leading the list of high-profile candidates is the Chief Minister and <keyword id="20270569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ysr" source="keywords">YSR</keyword> <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> Party (YSRCP) President Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The son of the former Chief Minister of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy will be seeking re-election from the Pulivendula constituency in YSR family's home district Kadapa. Pulivendula has been considered a pocket borough of the YSR family since 1978. Jagan Mohan Reddy will be seeking re-election from here for a third consecutive term. His sister and state Congress Chief Y. S. Sharmila is likely to enter the fray from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency to challenge the sitting MP and cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy. Kadapa has also been the stronghold of the YSR family since 1989. Children of another former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N. T. Rama Rao will also be testing their political fortunes. Interestingly, like YSR, the children of <keyword id="20237138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ntr" source="keywords">NTR</keyword> will also be contesting on tickets of different parties. NTR's son and popular actor N. Balakrishna will be looking for a hat-trick as MLA from the Hindupur constituency. NTR himself was elected from Hindupur in 1985, 1989 and 1994. His elder son N. Harikrishna was also elected from here in the by-poll held in 1996 following the death of the thespian. NTR's daughter D. <keyword id="21049483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="purandeswari" source="keywords">Purandeswari</keyword>, who is president of the state BJP, is also likely to contest for Parliament. A former union minister, Purandeswari had quit Congress to join the BJP in 2014 after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. TDP and BJP are contesting the polls in alliance with the Jana Sena Party of popular actor <keyword id="20009920" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pawan-kalyan" source="keywords">Pawan Kalyan</keyword>. Former Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu's son <keyword id="19925616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nara-lokesh" source="keywords">Nara Lokesh</keyword> will again test his political fortunes from the Mangalagiri Assembly seat. He had unsuccessfully contested the same seat in 2019. Another former Chief Minister <keyword id="21049485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nadendla-bhaskar" source="keywords">Nadendla Bhaskar</keyword> Rao's son <keyword id="21049484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nadendla-manohar" source="keywords">Nadendla Manohar</keyword> is contesting for Assembly from Tenali on a Jana Sena ticket. Chairman of Jana Sena's Political Affairs Committee, Manohar was elected to the Assembly of the united Andhra Pradesh from Tenail in 2004 and 2009 on the Congress ticket. He had served as the last Speaker of the united Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Earlier, Bhaskar Rao was elected from Tenali on Congress ticket in 1989. Former Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy's son Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy will be contesting for Assembly from Dhone constituency. He will take on Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy of YSRCP. Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy was elected from Dhone on Congress ticket in 1994. Jayasurya Prakash Reddy's wife K. Sujatha Reddy was also elected from the constituency on the Congress ticket in 2004. Former Chief Minister N. Janardhan Reddy's son N. Ramkumar Reddy will be testing his political fortunes from Venkatagiri Assembly constituency on YSRCP ticket. He is making his electoral debut. Janardhan Reddy contested on the Congress ticket from Venkatagiri in 1989. His wife N. Rajyalakshmi had also been elected twice from here in 1999 and 2004.

Next-gen enters poll arena: Sons of 6 ex-CMs in fray in Andhra

Amaravati (<keyword id="20058008" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="andhra" source="keywords">Andhra</keyword> Pradesh) [India], March 12 (ANI): In the run-up to the elections for the state assembly and Lok Sabha, the Telugu Desam Party (<keyword id="19910623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tdp" source="keywords">TDP</keyword>), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Jana Sena Party (JSP) sealed a seat-sharing pact in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. TDP chief and former Andhra Chief Minister <keyword id="20138505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="n-chandrababu-naidu" source="keywords">N Chandrababu Naidu</keyword> announced that his party has 'forged a formidable seat-sharing formula' among its alliance partners. "In Amaravati today, the BJP, TDP and JSP forged a formidable seat-sharing formula. With this significant step, the people of Andhra Pradesh now stand on the threshold of reclaiming our state and paving the way for a brighter future. I humbly call upon my people of Andhra Pradesh to shower their blessings upon this alliance, and grant us a historic mandate to serve them," Naidu said in a post on X. "Under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) have decided to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha and <keyword id="20088504" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vidhan-sabha" source="keywords">Vidhan Sabha</keyword> elections in Andhra Pradesh together," a joint statement of the parties said. According to the statement, the BJP will contest from six seats, the TDP from 17 seats, and the JSP from two seats for the parliamentary elections. According to the statement, the BJP will contest from six seats, the TDP from 17 seats and the JSP from two seats for the parliamentary elections. In the assembly elections, the BJP will contest from 10 seats, the TDP from 144 seats and the JSP from 21 seats, as per the statement. The seat-sharing was finalised at a meeting held at Amaravati today following the meeting between the three parties in Delhi, where an alliance was formalised. Union Minister <keyword id="20923739" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gajendra-singh-shekawat" source="keywords">Gajendra Singh Shekawat</keyword>, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda, TDP National President N Chandrababu Naidu and JSP President <keyword id="20009920" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pawan-kalyan" source="keywords">Pawan Kalyan</keyword> participated in the meeting, the statement said. The statement further said that the names of the seats will be announced subsequently by the respective parties. The TDP, which was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance until 2018, expressed interest in reviving the alliance after suffering a crushing defeat in the 2019 elections. The state has 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats. Elections for Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held in April-May. (ANI)

Pawan Kalyan's Janasena, TDP, BJP forge 'seat-sharing formula' for assembly, LS polls

The BJP crossed the halfway mark in Rajasthan with its candidates leading in over 100 seats while the Congress was ahead in 77, according to Election Commission trends available on Sunday for the assembly polls in Rajasthan. The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) is leading on five seats while the CPI (M) and BSP on two each. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) were leading on one seat each. Independent candidates are leading in nine constituencies. Chief Minister <keyword id="49103" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashok-gehlot" source="Orion">Ashok Gehlot</keyword>, ministers Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Tikaram Jully, Shakuntala Rawat, Brijendra Ola, Vishvendra Singh, Mahendra Jeet Singh Malvia are among the Congress candidates who are leading whereas parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal and assembly speaker CP Joshi are trailing. Congress candidate Sachin Pilot is leading on Tonk seat with a margin of 943 votes while BJP leader and former chief minister <keyword id="6361795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vasundhara-raje" source="Orion">Vasundhara Raje</keyword> is leading in Jhalrapatan assembly seat with 7,025 votes. BJP rebels Yoonus Khan (Deedwana), Chandrabhan Singh Aakya (Chittorgarh), Ravindra Singh Bhati (Sheo) are among the nine independent candidates who are leading in initial trends. As the trends poured in, BJP candidate from Kota north Prahlad Gunjal said that the BJP is going to form the government. "Rajasthan has given the mandate and the picture will become clear in sometime," he said. When asked who will be the CM, he said, "This will be decided by the party high command. We have big leaders like Vasundhara Raje and we need not bring from outside." Gunjal is contesting against parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal. Elated over the initial trends, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said people have voted to oust Congress from the government. "People have failed the guarantees of Congress. They have voted to throw corrupt Congress out," Shekhawat told reporters here. He said that the BJP will be forming the state government with a huge mandate. Polling in 199 out of 200 assembly constituencies was held on November 25. The election in Sriganganagar's Karanpur seat was postponed due to the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar. Counting of votes polled in the November 25 assembly elections in Rajasthan got underway at 8 am amid tight security arrangements. A total of 36 counting centres have been set up 199 of the state's 200 assembly constituencies which went to poll. Election to the Sriganganagar's Karanpur seat was postponed due to the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar. As many as 1,862 candidates are in the fray for 199 seats. While 30 election districts have one counting centre, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Nagaur have two centres each. "All District Election Officers, Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been instructed to strictly follow the security protocol at the counting centre," CEO Gupta said. He said that three-tier security arrangements have been ensured at the counting venue and only those with authorised passes would be able to enter. "Separate counting halls have been made for each assembly seat at the counting centre, where as per the instructions of the Commission, tables have been arranged for counting of postal ballots and EVMs," he said. Incumbent Congress and its rival Congress conducted intense poll campaign and are both hopeful of forming a government. While most of pollsters predicted an edge for the BJP, three exit polls in their upper limit forecast a Congress win in the desert state.

Rajasthan assembly polls: BJP surges ahead of Congress to take lead

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Benjamin Chadwick — a dual citizen of France and the UK — voted in two national elections this year.</li><li>He writes that in both nations, there's been a shift away from moderate politics toward extremes.</li></ul>I was born and raised in England, but this June marked 10 years since I moved to Paris.I came to France on a student exchange in 2012 and met my now partner. We moved to Paris together in 2014. When the British people voted to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eu-referendum-reasons-and-analysis-on-a-brexit-vote-2016-6">leave the European Union</a> in 2016, I decided I wanted to live in France long-term.I planned to apply for French citizenship as soon as I could. I didn't know exactly how the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brexit-and-boris-johnson-explained-2019-9">Brexit vote</a> would impact me at the time, but I wanted to secure my right to vote in French elections or perhaps move elsewhere in the EU later in life.It took me another three years to meet the residency requirements for citizenship. In the meantime, I began paying closer attention to politics in France. As I wasn't yet a citizen, I couldn't vote in 2017's presidential election, leaving me feeling powerless. But I was relieved about the result.For much of its history, French politics has been dominated by two parties, representing the left and right. But in 2017, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39130072">neither historic party made it to the second round</a>. Emmanuel Macron <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/03/emmanuel-macron-french-presidential-candidate-grassroots-movement">ran with a centrist campaign</a>, while Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, campaigned on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/04/french-presidential-election-how-the-candidates-compare">anti-immigration and nationalist ideals</a>. Her brand of populism had succeeded in the previous year with Trump's election — but failed in France, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emmanuel-macron-wins-french-presidential-election-in-landslide-marine-le-pen-2017-5">Macron defeated her</a>, becoming France's President.By the time the 2024 elections came around in France and the UK, I was a citizen of both countries and eager to exercise my vote. In the UK, I wanted to remove the unpopular governing party, the Conservatives, from office. In France, I wanted to keep Le Pen's party out.In recent years, I've watched moderate ideals lose out to reactionary politics again and again, from Trump to Brexit to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/mapped-europe-far-right-government-power-politics-eu-italy-finalnd-hungary-parties-elections-polling/">success of hard-right parties in Europe</a> and elsewhere. Britain looked to be moving in the opposite direction with a projected victory for the center-left Labour Party, which made me feel optimistic, but France looked to be heading into reactionary territory.Political disagreements are a normal part of any healthy democracy. But increasingly, these disagreements are about our fundamental values and even the nature of truth itself. With a big election still to come this year in the US, I'm concerned about this move toward the extremes.<h2 id="86ebff10-5fe7-40c0-8b40-c666fa355f56">Politics in France and the UK has been turbulent in recent years</h2>My first national French elections as a voter were in 2022 when the National Rally continued its seemingly unstoppable rise — Le Pen came <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/french-presidential-election-results-2022-macron-wins-rcna25555">closer than ever</a> to the French presidency.Le Pen became leader of France's right-wing populist "National Front" party in 2011 and renamed it "National Rally" in 2018. Despite the rebrand, the party continues to focus on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20240620-how-france-s-far-right-changed-the-debate-on-immigration">drastically reducing migration</a>. France has seen major social unrest in recent years, including protests against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/08/nuit-debout-protesters-occupy-french-cities-in-a-revolutionary-call-for-change">labor</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50971439">pension</a> reforms, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/20191116-a-year-of-insurgency-how-yellow-vests-left-indelible-mark-on-french-politics">rising fuel costs, and the cost of living</a>. Le Pen has capitalized on a mistrust of mainstream politics, gaining popularity in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/21/counryside-marine-le-pen-forgotten-france-presidential-election-2017">rural</a> areas where some of these <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/21/how-hi-vis-yellow-vest-became-symbol-of-protest-beyond-france-gilets-jaunes">protest movements</a> have been popular.Across the Channel, the political landscape was no less chaotic. The Brexit vote was a seismic shock, and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-brexit-deal-startups-limbo-financial-services-data-2020-12">deal with the EU</a> was only reached years later after Boris Johnson, whom Donald Trump rather unflatteringly labeled "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/trump-boris-johnson-britain-trump-uk-prime-minister">Britain Trump</a>," came to power in 2019.Johnson's center-right Conservative party had been in power since 2010 and remained so until the July 2024 election. Revelations of<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/partygate-sue-gray-report-details-2022-5"> lockdown-era parties</a> in Johnson's offices forced his resignation in 2022, and life for many Britons kept getting worse under his successors, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.As in many other countries, wages were failing to keep up with a sharp rise in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-crisis-uk-people-turn-to-tiktok-2022-11">cost of living</a>. Years of budget cuts meant public services were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/30/uk-public-services-policy-institute-for-government-report">crumbling</a>. Yet despite bold promises, I feel the government <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/65647308">failed to address</a> this and seemed more eager to stoke hatred <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/08/stop-the-boats-sunaks-anti-asylum-slogan-echoes-australia-harsh-policy">against migrants</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68229785">other minorities</a>.One of Rishi Sunak's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64164339">often repeated pledges</a>, both while in office and campaigning for the 2024 election, was his mission to "stop the boats," referencing the illegal immigrants arriving in Britain via small-craft vessels.Back in France, Macron still held the presidency. He initially ran on a centrist platform in 2017, aiming to find <a target="_blank" href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/emmanuel-macrons-la-republique-en-marche-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-french-presidents-groundbreaking-new-party-ahead-of-the-elections-a3563256.html">common ground</a> between the left and right blocs. However, during his seven years in office, he's been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/01/12/new-french-cabinet-reflects-macron-s-electorate-shift-to-the-right_6426251_5.html">accused of</a> veering to the right, appointing ministers who deny police <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/14/french-ministers-denial-police-abuses-against-migrants-flies-face-facts">brutality</a> toward migrants, and positioning himself <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-war-on-woke-laboratoire-de-la-republique/">against "wokism."</a>On June 9, a historic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/european-union-parliament-election-far-right-nationalist-parties-2024-6">European Parliament election</a> took place, with Le Pen's far-right National Rally netting a record 31.4% of French votes, more than twice as many as Macron's centrist alliance. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/le-pens-party-trounces-macrons-eu-vote-exit-polls-2024-06-09/">Claiming the country needed "clarification,"</a> Macron called for a national parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7. Even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/06/17/how-macron-threw-his-supporters-into-a-panic-by-calling-snap-elections_6675018_5.html">his own allies</a> didn't understand.In the lead-up to the UK election on July 4, opinion polls <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-election-final-mega-polls-predict-total-tory-annihilation-labour-win/">predicted</a> a huge majority for the center-left Labour Party. In France, I feared the National Rally would capitalize on their European victory and take control of the Assembly. As an immigrant, I didn't want to be ruled by a party that routinely demonizes migrants.<h2 id="59a6f7d6-73eb-4e8f-b47a-503a385d4dc3">The elections have made me concerned about extremism and division in both countries</h2>In the end, Labour did secure a historic majority in the UK, but only with a tiny increase in vote share. Meanwhile, Reform UK, a party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage that campaigned on "freezing" immigration, reneging on net zero climate goals, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-manifesto-you-dont-have-to/">banning "transgender ideology"</a> in schools, netted more than 14% of the vote. This made them the third-largest party in terms of vote share. I was concerned that so many people were willing to vote for such a reactionary party.On top of this, one of Labour's first challenges in power was to deal with widespread <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arrests-violence-riots-uk-far-right-wing-protests-immigration-2024-8">anti-immigration riots</a> targeting people of color. The protests that spread across the UK this summer were brought about by online disinformation about a stabbing where three young girls were killed.In France, the National Rally failed to get the majority many feared. A "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/07/07/french-elections-far-right-s-rise-blocked-by-republican-front_6676995_5.html">republican front</a>", consisting of other parties joining together to counter the far-right threat, worked better than expected, making the National Rally the third-largest group in terms of seats. But they still wound up with a much bigger voice in parliament than before and were by far the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-left-wing-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-rally-jordan-bardella-seats-new-popular-front/">largest party in terms of vote share</a>.I feel that France and the UK are dealing with many of the same problems: political polarization, the scapegoating of migrants, and an increasing focus on culture wars.<h2 id="c3bc22d1-7f74-40d0-a217-dc97700fc623">I'm worried history will repeat itself when the US elections come around</h2>This summer's events on both sides of the Channel have shown that as people grow disillusioned with the status quo, the extremes are becoming increasingly attractive.The National Rally continues to progress. I fear this year's vote has merely delayed their arrival in government, rather than preventing it. In the UK, this summer's far-right riots show that even when progressives win at the ballot box, the extremes are never far away.European eyes are now looking across the Atlantic.Donald Trump has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html">embracing conspiracy theories and referencing an "invasion" of migrants "conquering" the USA</a> in his 2024 campaign. His victory could have serious consequences for Americans, especially <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/trump-harris-abortion/">women</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/10/trump-promises-rollback-on-trans-rights-heres-what-hes-said/?sh=51549ef4dae0">minorities</a>.In Europe, observers like me are worried about what his leadership would mean for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-signal-us-stop-ukraine-election-russia-volodymyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin/">foreign policy</a> in today's turbulent world. Trump's victory would galvanize European politicians like Le Pen and Farage and their supporters. Populist politics may not have won their national elections, but the most powerful nation in the world and its leader are behind them, normalizing their rhetoric.But if he loses, I'm still anxious about what will happen next, given the January 6 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/five-things-we-learned-about-the-insurrection-in-2022-2023-1">capitol riots</a> in 2021.Kamala Harris has reenergized the presidential race and given hope to those who oppose Trump. But even if she wins, the deep divisions in American society won't go away — they haven't in the UK or France.

You Searched For "assembly poll" and got 6 results

Maharashtra polls: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to decide on seat-sharing, negotiations with allies

PTI

Lok Sabha elections 2024 results: Mammoth vote-counting exercise set to begin at 8 am, amid high security

ANI

Next-gen enters poll arena: Sons of 6 ex-CMs in fray in Andhra

IANS

Pawan Kalyan's Janasena, TDP, BJP forge 'seat-sharing formula' for assembly, LS polls

ANI

Rajasthan assembly polls: BJP surges ahead of Congress to take lead

PTI

Voting in the UK and French elections taught me a concerning lesson that Americans should heed when heading to the polls

Benjamin Chadwick

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides