Bhubaneswar: The 2019 election battle is over. But the fight still continues as defeated candidates have moved Orissa High Court challenging the election of their rivals citing various reasons. So far, 14 cases including one for Balasore Lok Sabha seat have been filed in Orissa High Court. BJP’s defeated candidate from Kantabanji assembly segment, Laxman […]
Bhubaneswar: After the recently concluded general polls, all eyes are now on the Patkura Assembly election, which was countermanded following the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla and later postponed in view of cyclone Fani. With the Election Commission of India(ECI) issuing a directive for completion of the election within 60 days from the […]
New Delhi: Of the 36 political parties, whose representatives were elected to the 17th Lok Sabha, 15 got fewer votes than NOTA. Many of these parties contested only a handful of seats. Introduced in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the none of the above (NOTA) option, which indicates disapproval of all the candidates in a […]
Bhubaneswar: Signalling a perilous portend for the democracy in Odisha, the 2019 verdict has a shocker for the State. Voters in the State have opted for NOTA (none of the above) in a big way and the gravity is it played a crucial role in determining the fate of winning candidates. Such a menacing trend […]
New Delhi: After sealing its phenomenal electoral victory with a 300-plus win, the BJP on Friday began discussing the process of government formation while the Congress dealt with the fallout of defeat with a spate of resignations from its state leaders. As the counting of votes for 542 Lok Sabha seats neared its end, the […]
Bhubaneswar: Amid political speculations on increasing nearness between the BJP and BJD, senior saffron party leader and former minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday created a flutter by claiming that Odisha might witness a hung Assembly in 2019 polls as BJP will win a number of seats. “In the last elections, BJP managed to win only […]
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday applauded senior citizens, women and persons with disabilities, who came out to vote. “As a nation, we feel very proud that many centenarians came out and voted, signalling that the past, present and future of this country has been secured,” an Election Commission official said. The official thanked […]
New Delhi: A turnout of 60.21 per cent was recorded in elections for Delhi’s seven parliamentary constituencies on Sunday amid reports of EVM malfunctioning in some polling stations, the Election Commission said. The voting in the city, in the penultimate of the seven-phase elections, has sealed the fate of 164 candidates of various political parties […]
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday promised to promulgate the Jan Lokpal Bill to give Delhi the “most effective Lokpal”, in its Delhi manifesto for 2019 elections, among the few steps to ensure zero corruption. The party, born out of a nationwide anti-corruption movement, maintains zero tolerance towards corruption, the manifesto reads. The […]
Jajpur: Coming down hard on the Centre, BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asserted that BJP will definitely lose the 2019 general elections. While addressing poll meetings in Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur which will go to polls in the fourth phase, Patnaik questioned why despite having double engine government in MP, Chhattisgarh, […]
Kandhamal: With stage set for the second phase of polling in Odisha tomorrow, security has been heightened in the State particularly in Maoist affected regions for smooth conduct of the general elections. Five Lok Sabha constituencies Aska, Kandhamal, Sundergarh, Bargarh and Bolangir and 35 Assembly constituencies under them will go to polls in the second […]
Bhubaneswar: Brisk polling was recorded in Odisha on Thursday with around 70 per cent of the over 60 lakh electorate casting their votes in four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies, preliminary data by Chief Electoral Officer, Bhubaneswar said. However, even as the exact figure is yet to come, the estimated poll percentage is below the […]
Bhubaneswar: Is anti-incumbency in Odisha’s air? Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in an interview to NDTV aired last evening, admitted so unwittingly. “Since this is for the fifth time we are seeking mandate, we have to work a little harder,” said a smiling Naveen in the interview. The Chief Minister conceded that he never had such […]
Bhubaneswar: The Congress party today announced names of candidates for four Assembly seats for the upcoming polls in Odisha. The national party has fielded senior party leader Ananta Prasad Sethi from Simulia seat while Digambar Das will contest from Chandabali seat. Similarly, Debyani Behera will contest from Badasahi (SC), Surendra Prasad Paramanik will stand from […]
Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday slammed the State government over reports quoting Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) posers to Odisha Government over the absence of beneficiary list and no clear-cut budgetary allocation for the KALIA scheme. Pradhan alleged that BJD-led government has cheated the people of Odisha by neither making adequate budgetary provision nor […]
Bhubaneswar: Once again the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has reposed faith on several sitting MLAs to sail through the 2019 elections. Despite massive public outrage over misbehaviour shown towards Pulwama attack martyr’s relative, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik fielded party’s sitting MLA Debashish Samantaray from Barabati-Cuttack Assembly constituency. During today’s announcement, BJD chief today retained […]
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that nearly 25 crore poor people in the country will get financial assistance of Rs 72,000 per annum if the party is voted to power under the ambitious minimum income guarantee scheme which the party has named “Nyay”. Announcing the details of the party’s promised scheme […]
Bhubaneswar: In a startling revelation, Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, who joined the BJP after quitting BJD, today stated that she will not contest the Odisha Elections 2019. Participating in OTV’s Janamanch programme, Pratyusha said, “I joined BJP to serve people after being inspired by the leadership of PM Modi. I never consider myself as […]
Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi today claimed that party chief Basant Panda’s nephew, Harish Chandra joining the ruling-Biju Janta Dal (BJD) holds no significance as the saffron party is growing in Odisha ahead of the upcoming elections. Sarangi’s statements came soon after Panda’s nephew Harish Chandra along with scores of his supporters from Nuapada […]
Bhubaneswar: Slamming the Odisha government for neglecting the demands of the investors duped by several chit fund companies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today promised to identify and return money to investors within a year if the party is voted to power in the upcoming elections. Addressing a presser, senior BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan […]
Bhubaneswar: Discussions over the entry of Prithvi Ballav Patnaik, the son of former Odisha CM late Janaki Patnaik, into politics has started to make headlines in the State. Prithvi, who sparked intense political speculations a few months ago when he hinted about his keenness to join politics and fight the upcoming general elections from Begunia […]
New Delhi: Photo voter slip shall not be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting in the Lok Sabha elections and by-elections to Assemblies, to be held simultaneously this year, said the Election Commission of India (ECI) in an order, here on Thursday. However, Photo voter slips will continue to be prepared and issued […]
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing politics with the blood of the slain CRPF troopers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and claimed that the Centre had “prior information” regarding the February 14 Pulwama terror strike. Condoling the bereaved families of the 40 paramilitary troopers […]
New Delhi: With a view to preventing infighting due to ticket distribution, the Congress has directed all its state units to expedite the process of candidate selection as well as state-wise electoral understanding for the Lok Sabha before this month which shall be then approved by the Congress Election Committee. The recent Assembly polls, particularly […]
Bhubaneswar: In a bid to score the first-mover advantage over its rivals BJD and BJP, Odisha Congress today started its candidate selection process for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections 2019. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) screening committee for Odisha today held discussions with party workers and office-bearers at the State party office […]
Bhubaneswar: With the AICC president Rahul Gandhi making back-to-back visits to Odisha, speculations are doing rounds over the effect of such visits on the grand old party’s prospects in Odisha ahead of the 2019 general elections. After holding marathon public meetings at Bhawanipatna and Rourkela on Wednesday, the Congress chief is also scheduled to make […]
Lucknow: Accusing the Congress of trying to put roadblocks in the way of an early solution to the Ram temple issue, Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah on Wednesday reiterated the commitment of his party for a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing party workers in the state capital, the BJP President said while the […]
Bhubaneswar: Slamming both the BJD and Congress for failing to ensure development in Odisha, BJP’s National President Amit Shah today urged the people of the State to give mandate to PM Modi-led government. Lambasting the ruling-BJD, Shah said Odisha is rich in natural resources and youths, but the State has not seen development, because it […]
New Delhi: Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand–all three ruled by the BJP– may be advanced by several months to be held with the Lok Sabha elections in April-May this year. While elections for the Assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra are due in October this year that of Jharkhand are scheduled for December. There […]
Bhubaneswar: As the elections to the State Assembly and Lok Sabha draw near, the ruling-BJD is rigorously raking up the issue of Central neglect. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today rapped the Centre that it has not released pending funds worth Rs 6,400 crore to the state with only a month left to the completion […]
Raipur: Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced Monday that his party would ensure minimum income guarantee for every poor in the country if it returns to power after the Lok Sabha polls due in April-May. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias — “one of the Rafale […]
Bhubaneswar: The Congress party in Odisha today informed that the first phase selection of candidates will be completed by February. Odisha in-charge of the party, Jitendra Singh said that the Central Action Committee of the party has already finalised the prospective list of first 50 candidates who will be allotted tickets for the polls and […]
Bhubaneswar: Preparations for the upcoming general elections have gathered momentum with publication of final electoral roll in Odisha. Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, Surendra Kumar today informed that there are over 3.18 crore voters including 1,63, 37,310 male and 1,54,60,545 female voters, who will exercise their franchise in the upcoming polls. Addressing a presser, Kumar […]
Bhubaneswar: In the run up to the general elections, two regional parties Samata Kranti Dal and Utkala Bharat today merged to form ‘Odisha Ganatantrika Samukhya’ (Odisha Democratic Front). Utkala Bharat chief Kharabela Swain claimed that the newly formed Odisha Democratic Front will be a viable alternative and will dethrone the ruling-Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Addressing […]
New Delhi: With the country already in election mode, the formal schedule for the coming Lok Sabha polls is expected to be announced by the Election Commission in the first week of March and the process is likely to over seven to nine phases. Assembly elections are also expected in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and […]
Bhubaneswar: A day after Naba Das resigned from the primary membership of Congress; the party is now in damage control mode and suspended Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh today for making anti-party statements. The move came on the backdrop of Singh’s comments which triggered speculations that he along with Prakash Behera might join the ruling Biju […]
Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the 2014 general elections two Odisha Congress heavyweights Anup Sai and Bhupinder Singh, the then Legislature Party secretary and Leader of Opposition respectively, had joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Well, the ghost of exodus is back and it already seems to be haunting the party, threatening to derail its plans. Speculations […]
Bhubaneswar: While the BJD and the BJP are already in a race to outperform each other with the ruling-BJD announcing a slew of schemes and the saffron party lining up its star campaigners Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for the 2019 polls, Odisha Congress today jumped into the race by announcing AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s […]
Bhubaneswar: Preparations for the upcoming simultaneous elections have begun in Odisha as a crucial meeting of administrative officials, Police and Excise departments was held today to chalk out strategies. Additional chief secretary (home), police DG, Excise and Crime Branch officials attended the meeting held at the office of the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of […]
Bhubaneswar: In a bid to allay apprehensions over Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, a mock poll drill will be conducted across Odisha from January 7, informed chief electoral officer of the State, Surendra Kumar. Addressing a press conference regarding preparedness for the upcoming polls, Kumar stated that final version of the revised voters’ […]