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

In the heart of India's southern landscape, a monumental shift unfolded on June 2, marking a pivotal moment in <keyword id="19896313" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh" source="keywords">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>'s history. Hyderabad bid adieu to its role as the administrative nucleus of Andhra as a tangible consequence of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014. Presently, the southern state has no capital, a fate that will likely change after the verdict of the <keyword id="21626076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vidhan-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Vidhan Sabha elections</keyword> is delivered. Now, trends as confirmed by the Election Commission of India suggest that the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party (JSP) coalition is poised to deliver a significant blow to the incumbent <keyword id="19973324" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="YSR-Congress-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="YSR Congress Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="YSR Congress Party">YSR Congress Party</keyword> (YSRCP) in both Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. At the time of writing this article, The <keyword id="19910623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TDP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TDP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="TDP">TDP</keyword>-JSP-BJP alliance has either won or leading in a whopping 158 out of the 175 seats, as per the ECI. And TDP leader <keyword id="20138505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="N-Chandrababu-Naidu" source="keywords">N Chandrababu Naidu</keyword> is all set to take oath in Amaravathi as the Chief Minister on June 9. Similarly, in the Lok Sabha election, the NDA triparty alliance has won (or leads) in 21 out of 25 seats. Compared to their impressive vote share of nearly 50% in the 2019 assembly elections, YSRCP is facing a substantial setback, largely attributed to the compelling appeal of the alliance's promise of effective and progressive governance. In 2013, as a product of decades of political fervour and regional aspirations, <keyword id="19909031" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana" source="keywords">Telangana</keyword> became India's newest state. It necessitated the redefinition of Andhra Pradesh's administrative centre. And former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had set his sights on <keyword id="19926152" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amaravati" source="keywords">Amaravati</keyword> as the new capital, envisioning a modern hub of governance. Amaravati, with its promise of modernity and progress, symbolised Naidu's vision for a dynamic Andhra Pradesh. Yet, with the changing of the political guard came a divergence in vision. The unexpected rise of <keyword id="19936253" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jagan-Mohan-Reddy" source="keywords">Jagan Mohan Reddy</keyword> in 2019 ushered in a completely new and audacious vision of <keyword id="21938308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="three-capitals" source="keywords">three capitals</keyword>! The current CM of Andhra affiliated with the YSR Congress Party revealed his vision of establishing a three-city plan with Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, and Kurnool sharing governance roles. With Visakhapatnam for executive functions, Amaravati for legislative affairs, and Kurnool for judicial matters, this plan reflected a departure from the conventional wisdom of centralised governance. Reddy's vision, born from a desire to uplift all corners of the state, challenged the conventional wisdom that a single capital must bear the burden of governance. It was a bold experiment — one that seeked to rewrite the script of regional development. Yet, amidst the cacophony of political rhetoric and legal battles, the fate of Andhra Pradesh's administrative apparatus hung in a limbo. The High Court's intervention, compelling the state to honour the commitments made by its predecessor, added another layer of complexity to an already convoluted saga. In April 2024, Naidu asserted that should he come to power in Andhra, Amaravati would remain the enduring capital of the state, adding that the city embodied the pride of Telugu people. Speaking at a gathering in Tadikonda, Guntur district, during his Praja Galam public meetings, Naidu stated firmly, "This isn't just Tadikonda; this is Amaravati. I assure you all from this platform that no force can disrupt Amaravati's future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, JSP president Pawan Kalyan, and I are committed to its development." Naidu also accused YSRC president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of commencing his tenure by demolishing the 'Praja Vedika' (Grievance Hall). The 74-year-old legislator pledged to rebuild the Praja Vedika promptly upon regaining power. Meanwhile, the new CM of Andhra already has his work cut out for him. With Hyderabad's departure, a logistical domino effect has ensued — offices, assets, and infrastructure must find new homes. The bureaucratic machinery, once anchored in Hyderabad, now faces the challenge of redefining its locus. The fate of over 55 buildings, prime symbols of administrative authority, lies in the hands of policymakers. The intricate process of bifurcating government corporations, training institutions, and assets demands meticulous planning and foresight. The transition from Hyderabad to a new capital is not just about changing addresses; it's about reimagining governance itself. In the corridors of power, negotiations simmer as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana navigate the delicate dance of asset allocation. The fate of institutions like the Film Development Corporation and the Women's Finance Corporation hangs in the balance, awaiting resolution in the crucible of political negotiation.

Andhra Assembly Election Results 2024: As TDP sweeps AP, dream of Amaravati as the ideal capital gains momentum

In the 2019 parliamentary polls, voters in Bihar's <keyword id="20327545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopalganj" source="keywords">Gopalganj</keyword> had created a record with 51,660 of them, or five per cent, opting for the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="NOTA" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> option, which is placed as the last option on the electronic voting machine. As per the latest trends available on the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword>'s website at 3.15 PM, over 4.62 lakh (0.99 per cent of the total voters opted for NOTA. Out of 61,31,33,300 votes polled in the 2019 polls, 65,14,558 (1.06 per cent) were polled for NOTA. Similarly in 2014 parliamentary elections, out of 55,38,02,946 votes polled, 60,02,942 (1.08 per cent) were polled for NOTA. The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> had received a jolt in the <keyword id="19930878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indore" source="keywords">Indore</keyword> Lok Sabha seat after its candidate <keyword id="21466595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="akshay-kanti-bam" source="keywords">Akshay Kanti Bam</keyword> withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date for the withdrawal of nominations. Bam later joined the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword>, prompting the Congress to appeal to the people to press the NOTA option on EVMs during polling in Indore on May 13. Former Chief Election Commissioner O P <keyword id="19965032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rawat" source="keywords">Rawat</keyword> had recently described NOTA as having a "symbolic" impact and had said if it gets more than 50 per cent votes in a seat, only then making it legally effective on poll results could be considered. Rawat had also told PTI that if 99 out of 100 votes go in favour of NOTA option and someone gets one vote, even then the canidate will emerge victorious. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Indore recorded 69 per cent turnout with 5,045 voters opting for NOTA. Rawat said, "In the present situation, NOTA has only symbolic significance and it cannot have an impact on the election result of any seat." "More than 50 per cent electors will have to once opt for NOTA in a seat to show the political community that they do not consider candidates with criminal background or other undeserving ones worthy of their votes. Only after this, pressure on Parliament and the Election Commission will increase and they will have to think about changing laws to make NOTA effective on the election results," he said.

With 2.18 lakh voters, NOTA creates record in Madhya Pradesh's Indore seat

Descendants of royal families, who are contesting the 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> on <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword> tickets, have performed fairly well with a majority of them leading with a huge margin on their respective seats. <keyword id="29632" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jyotiraditya-scindia" source="Orion">Jyotiraditya Scindia</keyword>, the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior who severed his 18-year-long ties with the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> in 2020 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is leading with over 5 lakh votes from the Guna parliamentary constituency in <keyword id="19898705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh" source="keywords">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>. The Union civil aviation minister is pitted against the Congress' Rao Yadvendra Singh. This is the first time in his political career that Scindia (53) is contesting as a BJP candidate from Guna, which was earlier represented by his late father Madhavrao Scindia and late grandmother Vijayaraje Scindia. The BJP is having a clean sweep in Madhya Pradesh by securing huge vote margins on all 29 seats. Another royal candidate Dushyant Singh, Prince of Dholpur state in <keyword id="19898913" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajasthan" source="keywords">Rajasthan</keyword>, who has been elected four times in the past, is also leading from Jhalawar-Baran with over 3.5 lakh votes against his rival Urmila Jain of the Congress. Mahima Kumari Mewar, the wife of <keyword id="21351143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vishvaraj-singh" source="keywords">Vishvaraj Singh</keyword> Mewar who is a descendant of Maharana Pratap, is also leading from Rajsamand Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan with around 4 lakh votes against her nearest rival Dr Damodar Gurjar of the Congress. In Rajasthan, the BJP has won one seat and is leading on 13 out of 25 parliamentary constituencies. In the south, <keyword id="20932800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yaduveer-krishnadatta-chamaraja-wadiyar" source="keywords">Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar</keyword>, 31-year-old US-educated who was crowned as the titular head of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family in 2015 making him the 27th 'King' of the Wadiyar dynasty, is a BJP candidate for the Mysuru Lok Sabha seat. Yaduveer is leading with over 1.3 lakh votes against Congress' candidates M Lakshmana from this seat. As per the latest trend, the BJP has won one seat and leading on 15 seats out of 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka. The Congress is leading on 10 seats. In Odisha, while contesting as a BJP candidate, Malvika Devi, wife of former MP Arka Keshari Deo, a member of the royal family of Kalahandi district, is leading with about one lakh votes against her nearest rival Lambodar Nial of Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The BJP has put up a significant performance in Odisha as its candidates are leading on 19 out of 21 seats. Among the Northeastern states, Kriti Singh Debbarma, a member of the Tripura's erstwhile royal family, who is a joint candidate of the regional party Tipra Motha and the BJP, is leading with over 5.5 lakh votes on Tripura East seat from her nearest rival Rajendra Reang of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Tripura has two parliamentary constituencies and the BJP is leading on both of them. Among the losing royal challengers of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is Vikramaditya Singh, who is contesting from the Congress from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Singh, the heir of the Rampur royal family and son of the late Virbhadra Singh, a six-time chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, is trailing as his rival, actress-turned-politician Kangna Ranaut of the BJP, is ahead of him with over 70,000 votes. Another royal candidate is Rajmata Amrita Roy from the Krishnanagar seat in West Bengal, who is also trailing by over 50,000 votes against Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Mahua Moitra. Roy, married to the family of Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy, is revered as the "Rani Maa" or Queen Mother by the constituency, carrying a legacy rich in tradition and aristocracy.

Lok Sabha polls: Royal family candidates heading towards a comfortable victory

<keyword id="21033069" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="women-candidates" source="keywords">Women candidates</keyword> like Selja, <keyword id="19941210" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut" source="keywords">Kangana Ranaut</keyword>, <keyword id="19968072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hema-Malini" source="keywords">Hema Malini</keyword>, <keyword id="19960481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dimple-Yadav" source="keywords">Dimple Yadav</keyword> and <keyword id="20377641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Misha-Bharti" source="keywords">Misha Bharti</keyword> are leading by a significant margin in their respective constituencies in the general elections. Amethi's incumbent MP <keyword id="19899683" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smriti-irani" source="keywords">Smriti Irani</keyword> and Sultanpur MP Maneka Gandhi are among MPs trailing by huge margin in their constituencies. Selja, <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> candidate from Sirsa, is also leading from her constituency by over 2.5 lakh votes, as of 3.35 pm. <keyword id="20453436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bansuri-Swaraj" source="keywords">Bansuri Swaraj</keyword>, who has been fielded by the BJP from New Delhi constituency is leading by over 50,000 votes. A total of 797 women contested the Lok Sabha elections. Some of the prominent women candidates who are leading in the contest include Kangana Ranaut, Hema Malini, Dimple Yadav and Misha Bharti. At 3 pm, Ranaut, first time contender from BJP in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, is leading by over 70,000 against Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh. Incumbent MP from Mathura Hema Malini is leading from the constituency with a margin of over 2 lakh votes against Congress candidate Mukesh Dhangar. Dimple Yadav, the incumbent MP from Mainpuri, has also maintained a comfortable lead of over 2 lakh against BJP's Jayveer Singh. Misha Bharti, daughter of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, is also leading against union minister and incumbent MP from Bihar's Pataliputra by a margin over nearly 50,000 votes. <keyword id="19981448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahua-Moitra" source="keywords">Mahua Moitra</keyword>, incumbent MP from West Bengal's Krishnanagar, is also leading in her seat by a margin of over 50,000 votes while Baramati's incumbent MP Supriya Sule also leading by over 20,000 votes. DMK's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, incumbent MP from Thoothukkudi, is also leading from her constituency by over 2.5 lakh votes.

LS polls: Kangana, Hema Malini, Dimple Yadav among women candidates leading with comfortable margin

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday said it has identified 266 <keyword id="20809469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-constituencies" source="keywords">parliamentary constituencies</keyword>, including 215 in rural areas, with <keyword id="21207154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="low-voter-turnout" source="keywords">low voter turnout</keyword> and is planning <keyword id="21207534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="targeted-intervention" source="keywords">targeted intervention</keyword> to enhance <keyword id="19973117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voting-percentage" source="keywords">voting percentage</keyword> in the upcoming <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and Union territories - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand - had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, <keyword id="19998985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Election-Commissioner" source="keywords">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approach will not work and different strategies have to be worked out for different areas and segments. Polling for the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls begins on April 19. Kumar emphasised on a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations, such as queue management, sheltered parking in congested areas; targeted outreach and communication; and involvement of critical stakeholders including RWAs, local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations on voting day. He told officials to prepare a booth-wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. He asked the participants to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences. Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimising queue management at polling stations and facilitating voting in high-rise buildings. Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city-specific interventions were planned. The officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies. The Commission recalled that nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections "underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures". In the last Lok Sabha elections, of the 50 seats with the lowest voter turnout, 17 were in metropolitans or major cities. It said recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.

EC identifies 266 Lok Sabha seats with low voter turnout, mostly in rural areas

In 2020, <keyword id="19915884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Facebook" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> parent <keyword id="19911549" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Meta" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Meta" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Meta">Meta</keyword> faced heavy criticism for allowing the "Stop the Steal" movement to spread like wildfire on its platform. This far-right movement falsely claimed that electoral fraud had deprived Donald Trump of victory in the 2020 United States presidential election, leading to widespread violence in the country. Now, Meta has come under fire again for a similar role in promoting political polarisation during <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s ongoing <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> <keyword id="19900767" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elections" source="keywords">elections</keyword>. A recent research report by the corporate accountability group Ekō, in collaboration with India Civil Watch International, has revealed alarming shortcomings in Meta's ability to detect and block <keyword id="21749265" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-generated-ads" source="keywords">AI-generated ads</keyword> that promote <keyword id="20028741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hate-speech" source="keywords">hate speech</keyword>, election disinformation, and incitement to violence. These findings are particularly concerning given the critical election period in India, which several experts have termed as the most important Lok Sabha elections in recent times. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Infiltrating election silence periods" comment="subhead" text="Infiltrating election silence periods">Infiltrating election silence periods</cmsannotation> The investigation, spanning the third and fourth phases of India's seven-phase election, targeted 189 contentious constituencies during the election's 48-hour "silence period." This period mandates a halt on all election-related advertising, in order to grant citizens some breathing room to make a considered voting decision. However, researchers found that Meta failed to enforce these restrictions, allowing the dissemination of harmful political advertising, mainly by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword>). <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Type of ads approved by Meta" comment="subhead" text="Type of ads approved by Meta">Type of ads approved by Meta</cmsannotation> Between May 8-13, the study organisations received publishing approvals for 14 self-submitted highly inflammatory advertisements, meaning that Meta’s auto-check systems were unable to pick up on the posts’ disturbing content. These ads contained violent rhetoric anywhere from targeting Muslim minorities, spreading disinformation by exploiting communal conspiracy theories, and inciting violence through Hindu supremacist narratives. One ad even mimicked a recent AI-doctored video of Home Minister Amit Shah, which had recently gained enough notoriety to sanction arrests of some opposition party members. The approved ads were placed in English, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati and Kannada, and mimicked or exaggerated existing Hindu-supremacist propaganda, such as: <ul><li>Ads targeting BJP opposition parties with accusations of Muslim favouritism</li><li>Dog whistles about Muslim “invaders” and calls for violence against <keyword id="20024988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Muslims" source="keywords">Muslims</keyword></li><li>Narratives claiming electronic voting machine tampering, calling for uprisings</li><li>Hindu supremacist language and calls for burning Muslims</li><li>A call for executing a lawmaker accused of Pakistani allegiance</li><li>Disinformation about affirmative action policies</li></ul>Each ad featured manipulated images created using common AI tools such as Stable Diffusion, <keyword id="20004545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="midjourney" source="keywords">Midjourney</keyword>, and Dall-e, highlighting how easily AI can amplify harmful content. This news comes despite Meta’s earlier announcements to detect and label AI-generated content to protect the electoral process. Of the total 22 provocative ads that had been submitted to the platform, 14 were reportedly approved within 24 hours, despite them all breaching Meta’s own policies on hate speech, misinformation, and violence. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Exploiting Meta's weaknesses" comment="subhead" text="Exploiting Meta's weaknesses">Exploiting Meta's weaknesses</cmsannotation> The research also highlighted vulnerabilities in Meta’s automated ad review system. When faced with regional roadblocks, researchers managed to simply set up dummy Facebook accounts from outside India to circumvent Meta's security measures and post these ads — including during the silence period. Even in the rare chance that these ads were flagged by the platform, slightly adjusting the content was enough to bypass Meta’s scrutiny, the researchers found. This reveals how easily bad actors can exploit Meta’s platform to spread disinformation and incite violence. Civil society groups, both in India and internationally, have called on Meta to enforce stricter measures during elections, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability. As India continues its electoral process, the need for robust action from social media giants like Meta is more critical than ever to protect democratic integrity and public safety. A comprehensive report of the investigation can be accessed <a href="https://aks3.eko.org/pdf/Meta_AI_ads_investigation.pdf" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.

Facebook parent Meta’s systems fail to block anti-Muslim propaganda advertisements amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections, claims report

Bhopal, The <keyword id="21082883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scindias" source="keywords">Scindias</keyword>, the influential members of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, have moved effortlessly between different political parties when it comes to fighting electoral battles on their home turf and Union minister Jyotiraditya <keyword id="19905342" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scindia" source="keywords">Scindia</keyword> will carry forward this tradition when he files his nomination as the BJP candidate from the Guna <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> seat in Madhya Pradesh. Five years after losing unexpectedly from Guna as the Congress candidate, Jyotiraditya Scindia, representing the current generation of the family in MP's politics, is back in the fray in his backyard, but this time as the nominee of his erstwhile political rival and with a different election symbol against his name on the EVM. The 53-year-old politician is the grandson of one of the BJP founders, Vijaya Raje Scindia, and son of former Union minister the late Madhavrao Scindia. The Guna Lok Sabha seat, part of the Scindias' home turf which also includes Gwalior, is spread across eight assembly seats in Guna, Shivpuri and Ashok Nagar districts. The Congress, looking to settle scores with Jyotiraditya Scindia in the poll fray after it lost its government in Madhya Pradesh following his exit exactly four years ago, is yet to name its candidate from Guna. It was a rare electoral shock for former Gwalior royals when the Union Minister for Civil Aviation faced defeat in 2019 at the hands of the BJP candidate and his old loyalist, KP Yadav, by a margin of around 1.26 Lakh votes. In 2024, Scindia is again testing electoral waters, but under the banner of a different party - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - the political home to his parental aunts - former Rajasthan Chief Minister <keyword id="21082885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vasundhara-raje-scindia" source="keywords">Vasundhara Raje Scindia</keyword> and ex-MP minister <keyword id="21082884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yashodhara-raje" source="keywords">Yashodhara Raje</keyword>. But the Guna Lok Sabha constituency's history suggested the Scindias have never fought their first and last elections from the same party. The Union minister's grandmother, <keyword id="21082886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajmata-vijaya-raje-scindia" source="keywords">Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia</keyword>, contested her first election from the seat in 1957 on a Congress ticket and won. She contested as the Swatantra Party nominee in 1967 then from the BJP in 1989. His father Madhavrao Scindia contested his first election from Guna on a Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) ticket in 1971 and fought his last poll in 1999 as the Congress nominee before his death in a plane crash near New Delhi in 2001. The BJS is considered the forerunner of the BJP. Senior journalist, author and political analyst <keyword id="20445085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rasheed-kidwai" source="keywords">Rasheed Kidwai</keyword> says the Scindias' political leanings seem to be settling down now. "After decades of consciously choosing divergent political parties, the house of Scindias is finally settling down as per their past and ideological leanings. The Sangh, Hindutva and right-wing has always been Scindia flavour in the monarchical era," Kidwai noted. The Guna parliamentary seat was represented by Rajmata Scindia for 6 times, while her son Madhavrao Scindia won it on four occasions. Besides Guna, Rajmata Scindia represented the Gwalior Lok Sabha seat, part of the family turf, once. Madhavrao Scindia was elected five times from Gwalior, once as the candidate of the Madhya Pradesh Vikas Congress, an outfit floated by him. Rajmata Scindia's daughter Yashodhara Raje also represented the Gwalior seat in the Lok Sabha twice for the BJP. Jyotiraditya Scindia has represented the Guna seat four times between 2002 and 2014, including after winning in a bypoll. A year after his defeat, he joined the BJP in March 2020 along with 22 Congress MLAs, leading to the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh. The defeat of Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2019 was the second setback for the Scindias in the Lok Sabha elections. In 1984, the Union minister's aunt and former Rajasthan CM <keyword id="20004780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vasundhara-raje" source="keywords">Vasundhara Raje</keyword> had faced defeat as the BJP candidate from the Bhind Lok Sabha seat. She was defeated by Congress candidate <keyword id="21082887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="krishna-singh-judeo" source="keywords">Krishna Singh Judeo</keyword>, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Datia. The Guna Lok Sabha constituency has more than 18.80 lakh voters and it will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.

The Scindias: Moving seamlessly between parties in different elections on their home turf

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

New Delhi, From appealing people not to vote for them to flaunting the unsuccessful tag, changing name in each election to losing huge sums of money in security deposits -- some tenacious <keyword id="20022603" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="independent" source="keywords">Independent</keyword> candidates have tried these all but losing elections became a habit for them. Tamil Nadu's K Padmarajan, who proudly calls himself the "Election King", might be the only candidate in the election fray who urges people not to vote for him, so he can retain his tag of being "most unsuccessful candidate", a feat also registered in the Limca Book of records. The 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner also finds pride in his entry in the <keyword id="19981515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="guinness-book-of-world-records" source="keywords">Guinness Book of World Records</keyword> for candidate with most contested elections. He claims to have lost Rs 80 lakh so far in security deposits which gets forfeited every time he loses an election besides expenses for filing nomination amid fanfare. Gearing up for his 239th attempt, Padmarajan has filed his nomination for the 18th <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections from Thrissur in Kerala and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. "I began fighting elections in 1988 from my home town of Mettur, located in Tamil Nadu. I have contested 238 elections so far including against former prime ministers <keyword id="20374221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atal-bihar-vajpayee" source="keywords">Atal Bihar Vajpayee</keyword>, P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. This will be my 239th attempt. I pick a unique battle every time," he told PTI. Asked about his campaign plans, Padmarajan said, "I ask people not vote for me, I don't want the votes but I want to continue to hold the tag of most unsuccessful candidate. I don't campaign but when I go for filing nomination, I do that in a grand way." From former chief ministers like Jayalalitha, M Karunanidhi, YSR Reddy and AK Antony to filmstars Hema Malini and Vijayakanth -- the list of bigwigs against whom Padmarajan has contested is long. Indore's Parmanand <keyword id="21190647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tolani" source="keywords">Tolani</keyword> is taking forward his father's legacy who fought elections as independent candidate for three decades. "My father passed away in 1988 and I am taking forward his legacy. I have contested 18 elections so far including eight Lok Sabha and eight Vidhan Sabha. I will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls too," 65-year-old Tolani told PTI. "My father's wish was that we do not have to stop the trend till someone from the family gets elected. If I am not able to do it in my lifetime, my two daughters will carry forward the baton," said Tolani, who is a property broker. <keyword id="21190648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-prakash-kodekar" source="keywords">Vijay Prakash Kodekar</keyword> from <keyword id="19897309" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pune" source="keywords">Pune</keyword>, a retired staffer from state electricity board, has a different agenda behind contesting elections as independent candidate -- advocating zero budget poll campaigns. He can be seen pushing a steel cart on wheels in streets of Latur, where he is planning to contest the Lok Sabha polls. A flex board on the cart says "Main bhi Pradhanmantri". "The message why cannot any poor individual be the Prime Minister of the country. Why this exorbitant expenditure by parties on election campaigns? Polls can be fought on zero budget and the money can be utilised for public welfare," said 78-year-old Kodekar, who campaigns wearing a white dhoti. Having contested 24 elections so far, Kodekar uses a different name for different elections. "Some elections I have contested using the name Vijay, some with 'Rashtrapati' and some with the name 'Znyosho' -- as I am a disciple of Osho. I complete the name change formalities and then I contest the polls using the new name," he said. Hyderabad techie Ravinder Uppula, uses different campaign strategies for each Lok Sabha election he fights. In 2014 -- it was anti-corruption march and in 2019 it was a liquid only fast. "I promise during my campaign that if I get elected, I will get a lie detector test done every 100 days so public who votes for me doesn't feel cheated. That is how our politicians should do as well to weed out corruption," he said. Uppula, however, is disappointed with the poll campaign expenses. "It should not be an expensive deal to canvass in this country, an agenda and the right promise should be enough rather than the poll fray leaving the voters with no choice except voting for a smaller thief or a bigger thief," he added. The strange obsession of the independent candidates has also been featured in the book "The Power of The Ballot: Travail and Triumph in the Elections". Sharing the saga of some of the independent candidates' stint at the elections, the book decodes "why do some people contest every time knowing they will lose?" Kaka Joginder Singh, also known as "Dhartipakad", was a textile-shop owner who contested and lost over 300 elections. He died in 1998. In elections, he always contested independently, and always lost his security deposits. He earned the nickname Dhartipakad after several unsuccessful runs for the post of the President of India. The year with the greatest yield for him was during the tenth presidential elections in 1992 in which he earned fourth place in the polling with 1,135 votes, losing to Shankar Dayal Sharma; it was his best performance. He also contested elections from 14 states of India in the 1990s, mostly for state assemblies. Singh died in 1998. Long before <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> chose Varanasi as an election destination, the city had Narendra Nath Dubey "Adig". Often referred to as Kashi's Dhartipakad, he has been fighting every election as an independent candidate since 1984, losing his security deposit each time. He passed away in 2022.

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (<keyword id="21936" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ani" source="Orion">ANI</keyword>): After <keyword id="6366108" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ajit-pawar" source="Orion">Ajit Pawar</keyword> took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, party workers on Sunday celebrated outside the NCP office in Jalgaon bursting crackers. They also raised slogans like 'Ajit Pawar, you go ahead, we are with you'. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in the State Legislative Assembly and more than 6 MLCs in the Legislative Council. "Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in <keyword id="58135" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vidhan-sabha" source="Orion">Vidhan Sabha</keyword> and more than 6 MLCs in <keyword id="93125" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vidhan-parishad" source="Orion">Vidhan Parishad</keyword>," party sources said. Newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers. There will be a discussion on the portfolios later. Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development." "The country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi. He is also popular in other countries. Everyone supports him and appreciates his leadership. We will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with them (BJP) and that is why we have taken this decision," Pawar added. Earlier today Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s senior leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state. In a dramatic turn of events, Pawar, along with nine MLAs, reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Ramesh Bais. A total of nine NCP leaders took oath as Maharashtra ministers after Ajit Pawar and other party leaders joined the NDA government in Maharashtra. (ANI) Pawar was later administered oath as the second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Chief Minister <keyword id="193503" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="eknath-shinde" source="Orion">Eknath Shinde</keyword> was also present on the occasion. On the occasion, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that the double-engine government has now become triple-engine. "Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become triple engine. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar's experience will help strengthen Maharashtra," Maharashtra CM Shinde said. (ANI)

You Searched For "Bihar election 2020 vidhan sabha election" and got 10 results

Andhra Assembly Election Results 2024: As TDP sweeps AP, dream of Amaravati as the ideal capital gains momentum

Ashmita Gupta

With 2.18 lakh voters, NOTA creates record in Madhya Pradesh's Indore seat

PTI

Lok Sabha polls: Royal family candidates heading towards a comfortable victory

PTI

LS polls: Kangana, Hema Malini, Dimple Yadav among women candidates leading with comfortable margin

PTI

EC identifies 266 Lok Sabha seats with low voter turnout, mostly in rural areas

PTI

Facebook parent Meta’s systems fail to block anti-Muslim propaganda advertisements amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections, claims report

Ankush Banerjee

The Scindias: Moving seamlessly between parties in different elections on their home turf

PTI

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

ANI

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

PTI

NCP workers in Jalgaon celebrate after Ajit Pawar takes oath as deputy CM

ANI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides