'No Indian political party functions in a democratic way.'
Lead players in the poll-bound state are understood to be re-working their strategies on how to manage the campaign with less money with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes becoming illegal tender in one stroke.
Jagdish Chhokar, founder-member of the Association for Democratic Reforms says there should be a law to regulate the functioning of political parties.
'The most fundamental flaw with the electoral bond scheme is that it is designed to make anonymous donations.' 'It makes it easy for black money holders as well as corrupt corporates to donate money to the ruling party and ask for a quid pro quo without anybody getting any idea about it.'
Regional political parties received a total of Rs 91.37 crore in donations in 2016-17.
Cash collections accounted for a whopping 63 per cent of total funds or over Rs 2,100 crore garnered by various political parties during all state assembly polls between 2004 and 2015, a study showed on Monday.
The BJP has 17 out of 53 candidates (32 per cent) with criminal cases. The Congress has 11 out of 39 (28 per cent) candidates with criminal cases.
Around 62 per cent newly-elected legislators have criminal cases against them in Kerala, while 32 per cent in West Bengal face serious charges including murder and crime against women, a report said on Friday.
Polling in Phase II of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections consists of 67 constituencies spread across 11 districts.
Of the 294 candidates declared with serious criminal cases, 76 were from the TMC, 52 from the BJP, 47 from the CPI-M and 31 from the Congress.
A report by Indian civil society group Association for Democratic Reforms states that Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje spent the most while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent the least during their election campaign.
Additionally, the Lower House will have 442 candidates, who have assets running into the crores. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
BJP received chunk of the funds at Rs 437.04 crore, while Congress got Rs 26.65 crore.
Should NOTA ever get the maximum number of votes (which makes it the 'winner'), then a re-election should be held and all the candidates should be disqualified.'
India has helped the world discover the true potential of democracy and the keyword for the country today is compassion for the downtrodden, needy and those on the margins, President Droupadi Murmu said on Sunday.
While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has given tickets to 76 'crorepati' candidates, the opposition Congress has fielded 60 such nominees. They are followed by seven from the Nationalist Congress Party, six from the Aam Aadmi Party and two from the Bahujan Samaj Party.
'There should be total transparency in the system.'
'Votes-for-notes no longer only means cash and goodies for fence-sitting voters,' points out Sunil Sethi.
'Secrecy allowed in the electoral bonds scheme legalises anonymity'
The Association for Democratic Reforms in its report has stated that Maharashtra's Beed district tops the list of red alert constituencies with 9 tainted candidates contesting the elections.
The saffron party received Rs 460.78 crore while the Congress got Rs 186.04 crore.
The BJP, which has been taking potshots at the Akhilesh Yadav government over lawlessness in the state finds itself in no position to take a high moral ground.
In the newly elected Rajasthan Legislative assembly, 145 out of the 199 members of Legislative Assembly are crorepatis. In a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms, it is stated that the crorepati percentage in the Rajasthan Assembly is 73 per cent.
'By manipulating India's electoral laws, the aim of the Modi government is to weaken democracy to such an extent that it ultimately crumbles.'
The five-nation grouping BRICS on Tuesday resolved to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, and vowed to step up joint efforts in building support for an India-backed global framework to effectively deal with the menace.
How can a chief minister shrug off his responsibility not just for the illegality taking place under his nose but also for the lives that are likely lost? asks Aditi Phadnis.
73 constituencies will vote on Saturday.
The data provided by the SBI shows that highest purchase of electoral bonds for the year 2019 was reported from Mumbai where the bonds worth Rs 495.6 crore were sold.
Congress a distant second with Rs 198.16 crores.
A large number of women from various states reached the sites of protest against the Centre's three farm laws that has been going on for over 50 days now.
With just 11.8 per cent, the nation lags behind its neighbours and peers when it comes to women's representation in national legislatures.
British Parliament's Petitions Committee will consider a Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons complex on the issue of farmers protests and press freedom in India after an online petition attracted over 106,000 signatures.
'Whatever good he did, all his achievements were overshadowed by the perception of corruption and other things.'
Giving priority to one's ideology over national interest has harmed the democratic system of the country a lot, Modi said in his address to students after unveiling the statue through video conferencing.
'What Kamala Harris' rise and rise underscores is that our old ways of identifying the Indian-American Diaspora need to change...' 'None of this detracts from her Indian-American identity, which makes us feel as if we are Americans too,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Self-proclaimed heir of Rani Rashmoni, lottery baron join businessmen in the list of MP-aspirants with assets worth over Rs 100 cr, reports Abhineet Kumar.
Of Rs 1,034.27 crore, the ruling party spent Rs 606.64 crore, while the Congress spent Rs 149.65 crore of its Rs 225.36 crore.
Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday challenged Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party to disclose the names of the people from whom they have got more than 80 per cent of their funds being spent in the Lok Sabha election campaign.
Here's the full text of the maiden address to the nation by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of Independence Day 2022.
