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In response to requests from multiple political parties, the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> (EC) has decided to postpone upcoming by-elections in <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>, Kerala, and Punjab. Originally scheduled for November 13, the polls will now take place on November 20. This rescheduling aims to accommodate local festivities and boost voter turnout. The EC’s decision follows appeals from parties like the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and <keyword id="19984283" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rashtriya-lok-dal" source="keywords">Rashtriya Lok Dal</keyword> (RLD), which expressed concerns over potential low turnout due to regional celebrations during the original polling date. The Congress highlighted that in Kerala's 56-Palakkad Assembly Constituency, many residents will participate in the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival, a major event set to run from November 13 to 15. Similarly, representatives from the BJP, BSP, and RLD raised concerns in Uttar Pradesh, where people begin travelling several days in advance for <keyword id="22124352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kartik-purnima" source="keywords">Kartik Purnima</keyword>, an important festival observed in the state. In Punjab, the Congress pointed out that celebrations for the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji are scheduled for November 15, with religious observances starting on November 13. These festivals are expected to draw significant portions of the electorate, particularly in rural areas. The EC has previously demonstrated flexibility to prioritise voter participation by adjusting poll dates to avoid clashes with religious or cultural events. In recent years, polling dates were modified for various elections, including the <keyword id="23790298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab-state-elections" source="keywords">Punjab State Elections</keyword> 2022 during the Shri Guru Ravidas Jayanti, and the <keyword id="23790297" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections</keyword> 2012 for <keyword id="23790296" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="barawafat" source="keywords">Barawafat</keyword>. Similar changes were made in Manipur, Mizoram, and Rajasthan to respect community schedules and increase voter convenience. With this adjustment, one assembly constituency in Kerala, four in Punjab, and nine in Uttar Pradesh will now hold their by-polls on November 20, while the dates for vote counting and final poll completion remain set for November 23 and 25, respectively. (With inputs from agencies)

By-polls in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab rescheduled due to clash with religious festivals — check new dates here

The <keyword id="20507886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh-Assembly" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Uttar Pradesh Assembly" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Uttar Pradesh Assembly">Uttar Pradesh Assembly</keyword> on Tuesday passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) <keyword id="19896367" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bill" source="keywords">Bill</keyword>, 2024 that provides for a maximum <keyword id="20028410" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="punishment" source="keywords">punishment</keyword> of life imprisonment, making the law stricter in cases of fraudulent or forced conversion. Earlier the maximum punishment provided for those found guilty of marrying a woman by deceiving her and converting her religion was 10 years with a fine of Rs 50,000. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna introduced the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the House on Monday. It has been proposed that if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it, or trafficks a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category. In such cases, there is a provision of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment. Under the amended provisions, now any person can register an FIR in conversion cases. Earlier, to give information or complaint about the case, the presence of the victim, her parents, or siblings was necessary. It has been proposed that such cases will not be heard by any court below the Sessions Court and along with this, the bail plea will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor. Also, all the crimes under the amended Act have been made non-bailable. Chief Minister <keyword id="19898780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogi-Adityanath" source="keywords">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> had taken this initiative with the intention of curbing '<keyword id="20101303" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="love-jihad" source="keywords">love jihad</keyword>', a term coined by some <keyword id="6368818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindu" source="Orion">Hindu</keyword> outfits for alleged forcible conversion. An ordinance was issued for curbing forced conversion in November 2020 and later, after the bill was passed by both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act-2021 came into force.

UP Assembly passes amendment bill enhancing punishment under Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act

<keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> has strong and established women leaders but, ironically, the majority of this '<keyword id="19911646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nari-Shakti" source="keywords">Nari Shakti</keyword>' does not belong to this state. Barring a few, most of the women leaders have come from other states and after contesting several elections, they have consolidated their position in Uttar Pradesh. Senior Congress leader <keyword id="19935990" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi" source="keywords">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> leads the brigade of political talent imported from outside Uttar Pradesh. A native of Italy who was living in New Delhi with her in-laws, the Gandhi bahu made her political debut from Amethi in 1999 and then contested and won the Rae Bareli seat from 2004 to 2019. Sonia Gandhi began campaigning in Amethi from 1984 when her husband Rajiv Gandhi made his political debut. When Sonia Gandhi finally took a plunge in politics after the former Prime Minister's demise, she chose the family turf, Amethi. The former Congress President was at one time seen as a prime ministerial candidate, though she never claimed the position. Another woman politician who was seen as a prospective prime ministerial candidate is BSP supremo, <keyword id="19897516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mayawati" source="keywords">Mayawati</keyword>. Mayawati was born in Delhi but her political 'karambhoomi' became Uttar Pradesh when the first SP-BSP government came into existence in 1993 in the state. Circumstances propelled Mayawati into the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's chair in 1995 and over the years, she has emerged as a politician who cannot be ignored. Actor-turned-politician, <keyword id="19968072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hema-Malini" source="keywords">Hema Malini</keyword>, who is seeking her third term from Mathura, belongs to Tamil Nadu and has spent most of her life in Mumbai. She contested and won the 2014 and 2019 elections from Mathura. Hema Malini calls herself 'Krishna ki gopi' and claims to have a divine connect with Mathura. Among others in this list is Smriti Irani, who is seeking her second term from Amethi and originally belongs to Delhi. However, after winning Amethi in 2019, she calls herself 'Amethi ki bitiya'. She has even built her home in Gauriganj in Amethi and is well versed with local politics and the local people. Maneka Gandhi, who originally belongs to Delhi, is the senior-most MP among these women, having won her first election in 1989 on a Janata Dal ticket. She later joined the BJP and has always chosen Uttar Pradesh to contest elections - first Pilibhit and then Sultanpur. Jaya Prada, another actor-turned-politician, was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh but chose Uttar Pradesh to kickstart her political career even though she had earlier joined the TDP. Jaya Prada successfully contested the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 and 2009 elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Later, she joined the BJP in 2019. Dimple Yadav, senior SP leader and wife of Akhilesh Yadav, originally belongs to Uttarakhand but made Uttar Pradesh her home after her marriage to Akhilesh. Dimple Yadav began her career by losing a bypoll to Raj Babbar of the Congress from Firozabad in 2009 but won the Kannauj seat in a 2012 bye-election. She won the Kannauj seat in 2014 but lost in 2019. However, Dimple Yadav won the Mainpuri bye-election after the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2022. Among all these women leaders, it is only Union Minister Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (S) who was born and brought up in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Interestingly, even in the past, several women leaders who made a mark in Indian politics were born outside Uttar Pradesh but chose to contest polls from the state. Former Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar, made her debut in politics when she won a bye-election from Bijnor in 1985. Meira Kumar, who is the daughter of late veteran politician Jagjivan Ram, was born in Bihar. Former Delhi Chief Minister, late Sheila Dikshit, won her first election from Kannauj in 1984. She was born in Kapurthala in Punjab. Freedom fighter Sucheta Kripalani, the first woman Chief Minister in India, who headed the Uttar Pradesh government, also belonged to Punjab but won the Assembly polls from Mehdawal in Sant Kabir Nagar. --IANS amita/rad

Uttar Pradesh's political 'Nari Shakti' does not belong to it

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

Four out of five elections in the bag ⁠— the first incumbent party in <keyword id="6357713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="Orion">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> to win the state in 37 years ⁠— is enough for a delirious party (celebration). The Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword>) is not a new party, but it’s the only one that seems to have the strongest organisation among all political parties. But money and power may just be two of the ingredients that make it so effective. The result of the latest election in Uttar Pradesh (UP) has reinforced one fact about the state’s changing politics: identity politics, as we’ve come to know it, is passe. <div type="image" title="UP election results" msid="90135835" hostid="261"></div> The wave of anti-establishment leaders, who emerged in North India in the 1980s, saw India as a mishmash of several identities, based on religion, caste, language and so on, saw an opportunity in becoming individual power centres by representing one or more of these factions promising them clout along with affirmative action. Their fiefdoms seemed to have broken by the Narendra Modi wave in 2014 and haven't recovered since then. It’s not because those identities have suddenly dissolved into a larger national, or even a state level, group. Both caste-based oppression and religious discrimination is alive and well. The <keyword id="6354265" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="samajwadi-party" source="Orion">Samajwadi Party</keyword> gained a lot by tapping into the fear of persecution among Muslims this time and won the best ever-vote share in the party’s history. <div type="image" title="SP won back the vote share in Muslim dominated constituencies" msid="90135994" hostid="261"></div> However, on a larger scale, the issue hasn’t won them the election. It just seems like people don’t expect politicians to resolve these issues. After decades of broken promises, people don’t seem to be looking for anti-dynasty messiahs who, eventually, initiate their own dynasty. People want to hear something new from the challengers. So, parties fell back on the tried and tested issues like unemployment and inflation. But that hasn’t worked in UP either. <div type="image" title="Assembly Elections 2022" msid="90135864" hostid="261"></div> It’s not like there were no chinks in the BJP armour. Even what the government could do on its own, it hasn’t. Over 10 million young people who applied for a Railways recruitment exam have not received the results in over 2 years. A teacher eligibility test to be held by the government became a controversy after it <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/till-when-varun-gandhi-raises-unemployment-issue-in-latest-criticism-aimed-at-centre-up-govt-101638421572885.html">got cancelled just before the elections</a>. But these things have happened in UP even when the BJP was not in power. The fact is even in the Modi or <keyword id="43254" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yogi-adityanath" source="Orion">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> era, UP has seen massive job losses, partly due to the pandemic. But they were able to offer some tangible solutions too: additional work for the unskilled, under the rural employment guarantee scheme (<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/71-mgnrega-wages-not-paid-on-time-14-delayed-beyond-30-days-study-shows-121102901592_1.html">as flawed as it may be</a>), and free food for the poor. The free ration, in the wake of the pandemic, provided by the government has been particularly popular in states like Uttar Pradesh that rank very poorly by level of poverty and contribute a large proportion of India’s migrant workers. <div type="twitter" handle="SVishnuReddy" handlename="Vishnu Vardhan Reddy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1451805156316647433/FRMMeG5I_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3947" retweetcount="1334" status="So @ndtv deleted this video tweet as they didn't want to show the ground reality of Uttar Pradesh to the people of… https://t.co/7OLeqlT3OK" createdat="1645603213000" id="1496394449781665796"></div> Issues like the <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/67-journalists-arrested-detained-questioned-india-2020-their-work-140963">arrest of journalists</a>, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lakhimpur-kheri-case-ashish-mishra-released-on-bail/articleshow/89594633.cms">killing of farmers in Lakhimpur</a>, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/hathras-gangrape-murder-case-top-developments/articleshow/78474943.cms">the rape in Hathras</a>, have not enraged the collective conscience in a way that the <keyword id="6360456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OPPOSITION" source="Orion">opposition</keyword> would have wanted. Essentially, BJP leaders and supporters can say <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1474456355163488268?t=Y7LhxIvK7syYZNglPJEdcQ&amp;s=19">any abhorrent thing</a> against religious minorities ⁠— Modi and other icons can continue to condone or ignore it ⁠— as long as the policies themselves aren’t discriminatory. Simply put, for example, as long as no one is denied free ration because of their religion or caste, the people are able to ignore the rhetoric. Does that mean that the BJP will remain in power forever? No. But the alternative has to be a new face, a new outfit that captures the imagination of the Indian youth in a way that existing leaders don’t. The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) sweeping win in Punjab is proof of exactly that. AAP is a 7-year old political upstart that has become a credible political alternative in Delhi and Punjab, and broken ground in <keyword id="826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goa" source="Orion">Goa</keyword>. What works for it is Kejriwal’s crafty cocktail of welfare politics, anti-establishment posturing with a healthy dose of religious flattery. <div type="image" title="Punjab Election Results" msid="90136060" hostid="261"></div> In fact, it may even seem like what the voter wants isn’t exactly a new idea, but s/he surely doesn’t want to hear it from the same old flock of career/dynastic politicians. Even now, BJP has serious challengers in many states but none of them have any traction beyond their home states. Mamata Banerjee’s attempt to seek votes for Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh hasn’t yielded much. Even the idea of a coalition of regional parties ⁠— from Arvind Kejriwal to MK Stalin, from Mamata Banerjee to Pinarayi Vijayan, from Jagan Reddy to Ashok Gehlot ⁠— taking on Modi seems jaded, if not flimsy. The way people vote for a state election is different from how they vote for the Parliament. This was the best chance for opposition to show some might and they’ve lost it. The opposition needs a new face to change the face of the government.

SIMPLY PUT: Uttar Pradesh is bored of the opposition

Initial counting of votes cast in the <keyword id="4117561" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh-Assembly-elections" source="Orion">Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections</keyword> revealed that Chief Minister <keyword id="43254" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogi-Adityanath" source="Orion">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> is leading from the Gorakhpur Urban constituency, as per <keyword id="40807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="Orion">Election Commission</keyword> sources. The initial trends available at 9.30 a.m. were mostly from postal ballots. This is Yogi Adityanath's first full fledged contest for an Assembly seat from his home turf, from where he had contested and won the Lok Sabha seat for multiple terms. According to the ABP C-Voter <keyword id="609507" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-poll" source="Orion">exit poll</keyword>, the ruling BJP is set to retain power in Uttar Pradesh with a tally of 236 seats. The BJP will, however, return to power with a reduced margin in the 403-member state Assembly, with a loss of 89 seats after winning 325 seats in 2017, it had predicted. <keyword id="12959721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gorakhpur-Urban-seat" source="Orion">Gorakhpur Urban seat</keyword> had witnessed 53.30 per cent voting held on March 3. The Chief Minister's opponents include Chandra Shekhar Aazad of Bhim Army contesting on the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Chetana Pandey of Congress, Shubhawati Shukla of Samajwadi Party and Shamsuddin Khwaja of Bahujan Samaj Party. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/punjab-chief-minister-charanjit-singh-channi-currently-leading-in-chamkaur-sahib-trailing-in-bhadaur/articleshow/90117150.cms">Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi currently leading in Chamkaur Sahib, trailing in Bhadaur</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indices-extend-sharp-gains-sensex-up-over-1300-points/articleshow/90117102.cms">Indices extend sharp gains; Sensex up over 1,300 points</a>

Yogi Adityanath leads from Gorakhpur Urban

<ul><li><keyword id="3518161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="koo" source="Orion">Koo</keyword> spent over ₹1.5 crore across 285 ads on Facebook and Instagram between February 15 and May 15.</li><li>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Uttar Pradesh (UP) was the second highest spender on Facebook ads in the last three months.</li><li>Uttar Pradesh continues to be the biggest source of ad revenue for Facebook, the data shared by Ad Library shows.</li></ul>Homegrown microblogging app Koo has been spending more than the Uttar Pradesh (UP) division of ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Facebook advertisements in the last three months. A quick study of the Facebook Ads Library <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/report/?source=archive-landing-page&amp;country=IN">revealed</a> that Koo spent over ₹1.5 crore across 285 ads on Facebook and Instagram between February 15 and May 15. It was followed by <keyword id="1740093" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp-up" source="Orion">BJP UP</keyword>, which spent ₹1.4 crore across 1,301 ads in the same time frame. But it is to be noted here that while Koo spent the amount on a national campaign, UP BJP spent almost the same amount on a single Indian state. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Uttar Pradesh is the biggest source of ad revenue for Facebook" comment="subhead" text="Uttar Pradesh is the biggest source of ad revenue for Facebook">Uttar Pradesh is the biggest source of ad revenue for Facebook</cmsannotation> BJP UP is the highest spender on Facebook ads in the state. UP went for its assembly elections between February 10 and March 7 leading to BJP’s aggressive spends in the closely contested election. According to a previous report by Business Insider, BJP had spent over<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/news/bjp-up-has-spent-over-3-crore-on-facebook-ads-last-month-congress-spent-6-lakh/articleshow/89750791.cms"> ₹3 crore on Facebook ads</a> in UP between January 21 to February 19. This was nearly half of the total ₹7.5 crore — the highest among all states — spent on Facebook and Instagram ads in the Uttar Pradesh regions in the same time frame. Uttar Pradesh continues to be the biggest source of ad revenue for Facebook, the data shared by Ad Library shows. It is followed by the Punjab region, which accounted to only a third of the amount spent on ads in Uttar Pradesh. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amount spent on Facebook ads between Feb 15-May 15 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Top advertiser </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Uttar Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹6.6 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) UP </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Punjab region </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2.2 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maharashtra </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1.3 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Miracles Academy of Arts &amp; Media </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Gujarat </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹0.65 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koo </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Karnataka </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹0.65 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koo </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Madhya Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹0.63 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koo </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹0.62 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Samajwadi Party </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rajasthan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹0.62 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koo </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Facebook Ads Library While BJP UP focused solely on Uttar Pradesh, Koo has been running nationwide advertising campaigns for quite some time. Koo — the Indian rival of Twitter — has been among the top three advertisers in the top eight states, according to Facebook Ads Library. Apart from Koo and BJP UP, Hindu Publicvibe and Samajwadi Party were the third and the fourth biggest spender of Facebook ads nationally. However, most of these ads were targeted towards people living in Uttar Pradesh. <div type="image" title="Twitter’s rival is spending more than Uttar Pradesh BJP on FB ads - but UP’s ad pie has been growing" msid="91660706" hostid="261"></div> Overall, ₹189 crore has been spent on Facebook and Instagram ads since February 2019, when Facebook started publishing its ads library data publicly. 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The state of Uttar Pradesh and how it’s been feeding Facebook ad revenues

The <keyword id="40807" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword> is confident of holding the five <keyword id="6372725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly-polls">assembly polls</keyword> due early next year, including in <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> and <keyword id="6354953" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab">Punjab</keyword>, on time as the poll panel has gained a lot of experience from the electoral exercise in Bihar, West Bengal and four other assemblies amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has asserted. The terms of the legislative assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are coming to an end in March 2022, while the term of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly is scheduled to end in May. "That is the foremost duty of the Election Commission that we should hold the <keyword id="6355644" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="elections">elections</keyword> and submit the list of the winning candidates (to the governor) before the term of the assembly expires," Chandra told In an interview. He was asked whether the poll panel will be able to hold the assembly polls due in five states on time due to Covid-19 as recently it has deferred some Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls due to the second wave of Covid-19. Some Rajya Sabha bypolls and biennial legislative council elections were also deferred due to the second wave of the pandemic. "As you are aware that the second wave of COVID-19 is also receding and the numbers (of infections) are quite less. We have done elections in Bihar during the pandemic, we have done elections in four states and one UT. We have experience... We have learned various experiences on how to hold polls during the pandemic also," he said. "I am very much sure that with the receding pandemic now, and I wish the pandemic is over soon, we will absolutely be in a position to hold elections next year which are scheduled in five states on time, as per the schedule," Chandra said. While Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur have BJP-led governments, Punjab has a Congress government. Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, has approximately 14.66 crore voters, while Punjab has over 2 crore electors, according to January 1, 2021 data of the Election Commission. Uttarakhand has 78.15 lakh voters while Manipur has 19.58 lakh and Goa has 11.45 lakh electors. The five states together have an estimated 17.84 crore voters. Ahead of the Bihar polls held last year, the EC had taken various steps to ensure a "Covid-free" election such as allowing people above 80 years of age and those suffering from COVID-19 to use postal ballot and reducing the number of voters per polling station from 1500 to 1000 to ensure distancing norms. The number of polling stations had increased by nearly 80,000 in the four states and one Union Territory due to the distancing norms as a lesser number of voters were allowed per polling station. The same principles were adopted in elections to West Bengal, <keyword id="6354915" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam">Assam</keyword>, <keyword id="20154" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, <keyword id="28504" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> and Puducherry. However, after it found that Covid safety norms were being flouted in West Bengal during campaigning, the Election Commission had banned roadshows and vehicle rallies in the state and capped the maximum permissible number of people at public meetings at 500. The decision was taken when the last few phases of polls in West Bengal were still to be held. The EC had said at that time that it was noting "with anguish" that many political parties and candidates were still not adhering to the prescribed safety norms during the public gatherings. The Commission had also banned victory processions during and after counting of votes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-photos-alternatives-are-hardly-any-good/articleshow/83138238.cms">Google Photos alternatives are hardly any good – here’s what made the Google service so good</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/economy/news/indias-gdp-has-contracted-five-times-since-1947-but-never-as-bad-as-7-3/articleshow/83135455.cms">India’s GDP has contracted five times since 1947, but never as bad as 7.3%</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomis-latest-wired-charging-tech-can-fully-charge-a-phone-in-just-8-minutes-and-wirelessly-in-15-minutes/articleshow/83136172.cms">Xiaomi’s latest wired charging tech can fully charge a phone in just 8 minutes and wirelessly in 15 minutes</a>

India's election commission is confident of holding five state polls in 2022 on time, even as the pandemic continues to spread

Concerned over the spike in Covid-19 cases, the <keyword id="541763" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana-Government">Telangana government</keyword> on Tuesday announced that it is temporarily shutting down the schools from Wednesday. Education Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy made the announcement in the <keyword id="6354702" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly">Assembly</keyword>. She said the government decided to shut down the schools in the interest of the health of students and teachers and also keeping in view the requests from the parents. The minister said the decision was taken as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid. The orders will apply to all government and private educational institutions, hostels and <keyword id="1103013" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="residential-schools">residential schools</keyword>. Indra Reddy said the online classes will be conducted for students. She noted that Covid cases are on the rise across the country and there is a surge in cases in <keyword id="68884" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword>'s neighbouring states. Covid cases were detected in some schools in the state. She pointed out that states like <keyword id="413944" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttar">Uttar</keyword> Pradesh, <keyword id="6355554" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword>, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and <keyword id="43945" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword> have already closed the schools. Parents of students in Telangana were also worried over the situation and the government received the requests to shut the schools. More than 200 students, teachers and other staff of various residential schools in Telangana tested positive for Covid over last one week. Schools for classes 6 and above reopened in the last week of February while classes 9 and above reopened on February 1. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-9-pro-oneplus-9-and-oneplus-watch-to-launch-in-india-today-how-to-watch-live-stream-price-features-and-more/articleshow/81644503.cms">OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9 and OnePlus Watch to launch in India today – How to watch live stream, price, features and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-allotment-status-of-suryoday-small-finance-bank-ipo-online/articleshow/81647204.cms">Suryoday Small Finance Bank IPO allotment live – how to check allotment, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/supreme-court-orders-to-pause-all-cases-against-netflix-amazon-prime-and-others-in-high-courts-across-india/articleshow/81647182.cms">Supreme Court orders to pause all cases against Netflix, Amazon Prime and others in High Courts across India</a>

Telangana shuts down schools as COVID-19 cases rise

New Delhi, Poll strategist <keyword id="4300245" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sunil-kanugolu" source="Orion">Sunil Kanugolu</keyword> has yet again proven to be the man with the Midas touch, plotting the Congress' amazing turnaround in Telangana months after being the architect of the grand old party's return to power in Karnataka. Starting with Prashant Kishor's I-PAC, Kanugolu was largely credited for shaping the Congress' win in Karnataka and was later accorded Cabinet rank in the Siddaramaiah government. This time, Kanugolu along with PCC chief A Revanth Reddy formed a formidable pair to chalk out the Congress' strategy to pull down the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS government that was eying a third term in the southern state. The Congress was headed for victory in Telangana while it was staring at crushing defeats in the Hindi heartland states of <keyword id="6355554" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="madhya-pradesh" source="Orion">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Kanugolu had also made forays in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh following a directive from the party's central leadership but regional satraps Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath reportedly were not on the same page as the poll strategist. Ahead of the Rajasthan elections, Kanugolu had made an assessment about the winnability of probable candidates but Gehlot reportedly did not agree to his suggestions and brought in Naresh Arora's Designboxed to construct the Congress government's narrative in the run-up to the assembly polls. Sources say that the success of Kanugolu in Karnataka and Telangana was the result of the free hand given to him and allowing his team to work freely. Kanugolu, who hails from Karnataka and is in his early 40s, has been considered largely as the brain behind the Congress' narrative in Karnataka with the 'PayCM' campaign against the BJP. In the run-up to the polls in Telangana, he highlighted the alleged corruption of the K Chandrashekhar Rao dispensation as part of Congress' campaign that seemed to have struck a chord with the people. The campaigns run by the Congress in Karnataka and Telangana have been very similar as both highlighted the alleged graft of the ruling dispensation and projected welfare guarantees that seemed to have struck an instant connection with the public. Interestingly, Kanugolu has also been involved in several BJP poll campaigns in the past. In 2018, he worked with the BJP in Karnataka and the party managed to become the single largest party with 104 seats. He had also worked on Narendra Modi's campaign in 2014, as well as the party's political campaigns in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Kanugolu, a former consultant with McKinsey, was also associated with DMK chief MK Stalin and oversaw the party's '<keyword id="3576832" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="namakku-naame" source="Orion">Namakku Naame</keyword>' (we are for ourselves) campaign during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2021, he also worked with AIADMK against the DMK and led the party to win 75 seats in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Kanugolu had joined the Congress last year and worked closely with the Karnataka campaign. He is also credited with strategising <keyword id="5268" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rahul-gandhi" source="Orion">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>'s cross-country 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir last year. Having delivered Karnataka and Telangana to the Congress, Kanugolu is likely to be given more responsibilities by the party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

Sunil Kanugolu: The poll strategist behind Congress' win in Telangana

New Delhi, People have reposed their faith in "<keyword id="19699064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="modis-guarantees" source="Orion">Modi's guarantees</keyword>," BJP leaders chimed together on Sunday as the party appeared set on the path of victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh assembly elections. "The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee of delivering on guarantees," BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said here. Joshi, who was BJP's election-in-charge for Rajasthan, took a dig at the Congress and promises it made in the run up to the elections. "People have blessed BJP in three states, endorsed Prime Minister Modi's leadership and rejected Congress' false promises," Joshi said. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh said in Raipur,"People have reposed their trust in Modi's guarantees." Singh said the people have voted in the name of Modi and for his work over the past nine-and-half years. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- who is looking at his fifth term -- gave Modi's aggressive campaign ahead of the assembly election the credit for the party's performance. "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also in the heart of Modi ji. There is immense faith towards him. He held public meetings here and appealed to the people which has touched the people's hearts," Chouhan said in Bhopal. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said it was Modi's belief in taking everyone together that worked for the party. "This victory is of the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vishwas and sabka prayaas' given by Prime Minister Modi. It is the victory of the guarantee given by the Prime Minister. It is also the victory of the strategy given by Amit Shah and the able leadership provided by Nadda ji," she said. "Most importantly, it is a victory for our party workers," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the party's victory as a result of guidance of PM Modi. "Under the leadership and guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, BJP's hattrick of huge majority in terms election results in three of the four states, is a 'guarantee of people's trust' on the 'guarantee of Modi,'" he wrote on X. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the victory was an indicator of what is to come in 2024. "The Ghamandiya alliance's arrogance has been shattered. The INDI alliance has neither leaders, nor policy... For 2024, the indication is clear, the world has faith in India and India's leadership. If India progresses, the world will progress," Thakur said. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP manifesto -- 'Modi ki Guarantee 2023' -- promised cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 to poor families, one lakh government jobs, and a Rs 12,000 annual financial assistance to married women. The BJP had also promised to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal and an annual assistance of Rs 10,000 to land less farm labourers. Free food grain, income assistance for farmers, housing for all, 100 per cent electrification of villages, and tap water to every home, were listed by the party as some of Modi's guarantees. "All promises made to you will be fulfilled. This is my guarantee," Modi had said addressing a rally in MP last month. During several of rallies he took a dig at the Congress for its set of promises. "Those who do not have any guarantee about themselves are offering guarantees to the people," Modi had said at a rally in MP. "Modi's guarantees begin from where hope from others ends. That is why Modi's guarantees are popular," the prime minister had said on the campaign trail. In Jaipur, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a jibe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying people have come out of the spell of the "magician." "The 'magic' has ended and Rajasthan has come out of the spell of the magician. People have voted for the honour of women and for the welfare of the poor," he said. Gehlot was born into a family of magicians and assisted his father during his tours. Congress had unleashed the politics of guarantee during Karnataka assembly elections in May, making five distinct promises to the electorate - monthly cash assistance to women head of families, 200 units of free electricity, unemployment allowance to youth, free food grains, and free travel for women on state transport buses. The party tried to replicate the template in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan. Modi turned on the heat on the Congress by projecting himself as a leader who has delivered on the promises made by him to help the common man meet his aspirations. "Modi Yaani Har Guarantee Poori Hone Ki Guarantee (Modi means the guarantee to fulfill every guarantee)," the prime minister had said in an article last week. "'Modi Ki Guarantee' denotes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to the aspirations of the common man. It echoes the resolution of his government to serve the last man standing. It allows us to witness a political phenomenon, hitherto missing, where promises carry meaning and are executed meaningfully," he had said. Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said, "Today, the Congress headquarters in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are wearing a deserted look. The Congress and National Conference will face the same fate during assembly polls in J-K." The race amongst political parties to offer freebies to the voters triggered a debate on burden on the state exchequer.

Victory of Modi's guarantees, say BJP leaders as party sweeps states states

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Petrol price on Monday was hiked by 30 paise a litre and diesel by 35 paise, taking the total increase in rates in the last one week to Rs 4-4.10 per litre. Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 99.41 per litre as against Rs 99.11 previously while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 90.42 per litre to Rs 90.77, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers. Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation. This is the sixth increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. In the first four four occasions, prices were increased by 80 paise a litre - the steepest single-day rise since the daily price revision was introduced in June 2017. On Sunday, petrol price went up by 50 paise a litre and diesel by 55 paise. In all, petrol prices have gone up by Rs 4 per litre and diesel by Rs 4.10. Prices had been on a freeze since November 4 ahead of the assembly elections in states like <keyword id="6357713" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="Orion">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> and Punjab -- a period during which the cost of raw material (crude oil) soared by about USD 30 per barrel. The rate revision was expected soon after counting of votes on March 10 but it was put off by a couple of weeks. The increase in retail price warranted from crude oil prices rising during the 137 day hiatus from around USD 82 per barrel to USD 120 is huge but state-owned fuel retailers <keyword id="6356834" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indian-oil-corporation" source="Orion">Indian Oil Corporation</keyword> (IOC), <keyword id="155363" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharat-petroleum-corporation-ltd" source="Orion">Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd</keyword> (BPCL) and <keyword id="500127" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="hindustan-petroleum-corporation-ltd" source="Orion">Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd</keyword> (HPCL) are passing on the required increase in stages. Moody's Investors Services last week stated that state retailers together lost around USD 2.25 billion (Rs 19,000 crore) in revenue for keeping petrol and diesel prices on hold during the election period. Oil companies "will need to raise diesel prices by Rs 13.1-24.9 per litre and Rs 10.6-22.3 a litre on gasoline (petrol) at an underlying crude price of USD 100-120 per barrel," according to Kotak Institutional Equities. CRISIL Research said a Rs 9-12 per litre increase in retail price will be required for a full pass-through of an average USD 100 per barrel crude oil and Rs 15-20 a litre hike if the average crude oil price rises to USD 110-120. India is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs and so retail rates adjust accordingly to the global movement. PTI ANZ RUP SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/two-day-bharat-bandh-essential-services-likely-to-be-affected/articleshow/90486188.cms">Two-day Bharat Bandh: Essential services likely to be affected</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/how-this-former-vedantu-cofounder-is-taking-on-instagram-and-snapchat-to-build-social-media-for-teens/articleshow/90443442.cms">How this former Vedantu cofounder is taking on Instagram and Snapchat to build social media for teens</a>

Petrol, diesel prices hiked for the sixth time in two weeks

As the counting of the votes began on Thursday morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party was seen leading in the early trends in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur while the <keyword id="6354944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party" source="Orion">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> made an early headway in Punjab. As per the early trends in Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party was leading on 155 seats while Samajwadi Party was ahead on 97. The <keyword id="6356515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bahujan-Samaj-Party" source="Orion">Bahujan Samaj Party</keyword> didn't seem to woo the voters, as it was leading on only 6 seats. The Congress party continued to show its dismal performance and was leading on only 4 seats. The Assembly polls for 403 seats spread over 75 districts were held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. More than 3.75 lakh voters exercised their franchise using ballot papers. The state's Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that 84 counting centres had been set up across Uttar Pradesh. In Goa, the <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> had tipped a keen contest between the ruling <keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword> and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance, with neither being able to reach the magic figure of 21 in a 40-member state Assembly. However, the trends showed the grand-old party -- Congress -- ahead of its arch-rival BJP while the much-hyped AAP, as per the early trends, didn't seem to impress the electorate at all as it was not leading on any seat. Nearly 79 per cent voters cast ballots in the February 14 polls in Goa. In Punjab, the multi-cornered electoral battle is probably heading for a comfortable victory for the AAP as the early trends gave an edge to the Bhagwant Mann-led party over the ruling Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal was coming as the third party. The exit polls had predicted a landslide victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. The state recorded a voter turnout of 71.95 per cent, the lowest percentage compared to the voting percentage in three previous Assembly polls. In Manipur, as per the early trends, the saffron party is heading for a landslide victory. According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5. This year's voting percentage was higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively. In Uttarakhand, even as the BJP is leading in the early trends, it is still hard to predict the results as the Congress party is not much behind. The new-entrant AAP, like Goa, has failed to make any impact on the voters so far. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uttarakhand-elections-2022-former-cm-harish-rawat-of-congress-leading-in-lal-kuan-seat/articleshow/90116045.cms">Uttarakhand elections 2022: Former CM Harish Rawat of Congress leading in Lal Kuan seat</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/58-percent-of-women-employees-in-india-quit-their-jobs-to-take-on-more-family-responsibilities-in-the-last-two-years/slidelist/90102390.cms">58 percent of women employees in India quit their jobs due to more family responsibilities in last two years</a>

Early Trends: BJP leads in UP, Uttarakhand & Manipur; AAP in Punjab; Cong in Goa

Expelled BJP MLA <keyword id="6413701" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kuldeep-singh-sengar">Kuldeep Singh Sengar</keyword> has been disqualified from the membership of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, following his conviction in the rape case by a Delhi sessions' court in December. In a notification issued by the <keyword id="399958" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UP-Vidhan-Sabha">UP Vidhan Sabha</keyword>, Sengar has been deemed disqualified with effect from December 20, 2019 and his Bangarmau seat in Unnao district has been declared vacant. <keyword id="6418920" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kuldeep-sengar">Kuldeep Sengar</keyword> is a four term MLA who was accused of rape by a girl from his Makhi village. The girl attempted self-immolation outside the chief minister's residence in April 2017 when the police did not take action on her complaint. The rape victim's father, who had been arrested by the police, died in custody two days later, after he was beaten up in the lock-up by Sengar's brother, <keyword id="6432581" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atul-Sengar">Atul Sengar</keyword>. As public outrage erupted, Chief Minister <keyword id="43254" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogi-Adityanath">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> handed over the case to the CBI and Kuldeep Sengar, his brother Atul and others were arrested. In July 2019, the rape victim met with an serious accident in Rae Bareli. Her two female relatives died in the car crash while she and her lawyer were seriously injured. Both were airlifted to Delhi for treatment and the family alleged that Kuldeep Sengar had masterminded the accident. However, the CBI did not find any evidence of Sengar's involvement in the accident. Since the Supreme Court had ordered that all cases related to the rape case be heard in Delhi, where a sessions' court convicted Kuldeep Sengar in the rape case in December and awarded a life sentence.

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