Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
| Photo Credit: PTI

Infosys, Biocon, JSW Steel, Shahi Exports donated to JD(S) via electoral bonds

On March 17, the Election Commission of India disclosed new documents listing the corporations and individuals who contributed to the Janata Dal (Secular) party in Karnataka before April 12, 2019, via the electoral bond route. The documents reveal that these donors contributed a total of ₹48.75 crore to the party through electoral bonds from March 8, 2018, to April 5, 2019.

Modi can’t win polls without EVMs, ED, CBI: Rahul Gandhi

Launching a fierce criticism against the Narendra Modi government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the battle transcended mere political rivalry, focusing instead on what he termed the encroachment of power, referring to it as “shakti”.

Electoral bonds | Biggest beneficiaries claim inability to reveal donor names

Most large recipients of funding via electoral bonds, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress, and the Trinamool Congress have not shared any details about their donors, in submissions made to the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the direction of the Supreme Court in May 2019 and November 2023.

BJP did not maintain names, particulars of electoral bond donors

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its letter to the Election Commission (EC) sharing other details of the donations received via electoral bonds till September 2023, had not disclosed the names of donors, pointing out that those particulars were not maintained as it was not required under the then existing legal provisions.

Mahadev App case | Former Chhattisgarh CM Baghel says move aimed at influencing Lok Sabha polls

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has been named in a first information report (FIR) registered by the State’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with the alleged Mahadev app online betting scam, officials said on March 17. 

Indian Navy’s 40-hour operation | Pirates shot down Navy’s drone, Marine Commandos airdropped

As destroyer INS Kolkata intercepted merchant vessel-turned pirate vessel Ruen in the morning of March 15 and confirmed the presence of armed pirates through a ship-launched drone, the drone was shot down, the Navy said on Sunday, sharing details on the over 40-hour operation that resulted in the surrender of 35 pirates and freeing of 17 crew of the hijacked vessel. An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 transport aircraft executed a precision airborne drop of two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats in a 10 hour round trip mission to an area 2600 km away from the Indian coast.

In Northeast, only Sikkim parties received funds through electoral bonds

Only two parties from the North-East – both from Sikkim – received funds through the electoral bonds scheme introduced in 2018, two data sets five years apart uploaded by the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed. According to the data shared by the State Bank of India (SBI) last week, the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which ruled the Himalayan State from December 1994 to May 2019, received ₹5.5 crore via bonds between April 2019 and February 2024.

Putin is poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choices

Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to extend nearly a quarter century of rule for six more years on Sunday after wrapping up an election that gave voters no real alternatives to an autocrat who has ruthlessly cracked down on dissent.

US military operations across the Sahel are at risk after Niger ends cooperation

The United States scrambled on March 17 to assess the future of its counterterrorism operations in the Sahel after Niger’s junta said it was ending its years-long military cooperation with Washington following a visit by top U.S. officials. The U.S. military has hundreds of troops stationed at a major airbase in northern Niger that deploys flights over the vast Sahel region — south of the Sahara Desert — where jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.

Israeli PM Netanyahu vows to invade Gaza’s Rafah despite world ‘pressure’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on March 17 to send ground forces into Gaza’s southern Rafah city despite growing international concern over the fate of Palestinian civilians sheltering there. Mr. Netanyahu, whose security and war Cabinets were later due to discuss latest international efforts towards a truce deal, stressed that “no amount of international pressure will stop us from realising all the goals of the war”.

RCB end 16-year wait for title; beat DC by 8 wickets to grab WPL title

A spirited women’s team washed away Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 16 years of hurt and disappointment, landing their maiden title which came through an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in front of a cheering full house in the Women’s Premier League final here on Sunday.

Ashwin didn’t allow challenges to check his progress: Kumble

Ravichandran Ashwin’s entry into the 500-wicket club has delighted the legendary Anil Kumble who said the off-spinner’s immense success over the last decade stems from his desire to learn and ability to rise above constant challenges. At 516 wickets currently, Ashwin is the second highest wicket-taker in Tests for India behind Kumble (619), and the former India leg-spinner wasn’t one bit surprised.

Union Ministers and BJP leaders Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and party national president JP Nadda
| Photo Credit: ANI

Standing on cusp of history, PM Modi says NDA ready for polls

The schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha election was announced by the Election Commission on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third term in office, declaring that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by him was fully prepared for the election. He framed the polls as a contest between the NDA that ushered in “a glorious turnaround” and an Opposition that was “rudderless and issueless”.

Election Commission always in favour of transparency, but must also protect donor privacy: CEC on electoral bonds scheme

Amid the storm over the scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme and its donor data being made public, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the Election Commission of India has always been in favour of transparency, but added that there was a need to ensure that the donors’ privacy is protected.

On the final day of Nyay Yatra, Rahul criticises Gautam Adani, PM Modi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi continued his tirade against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani during his visit to Dharavi, one of the largest slum clusters in the world. He underscored the significance of Dharavi’s residents, affirming, “Desh dalal nahi, Dharavi ke log banate hai [the nation is shaped by the people of Dharavi, not by brokers].”

Lok Sabha election 2024 date updates | Voting to be held from April 19 in 7 phases, results to be announced on June 4

India will go to the polls from April 19 to June 1, in a marathon seven-phase exercise to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, the Election Commission announced. Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. The dates of polling for the Lok Sabha are April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. In Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, voting will take place in all seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

BJP MP C.M. Ramesh’s company bought ₹45-crore poll bonds soon after bagging contract to build Sunni Dam

A company founded by BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh, C.M. Ramesh, purchased electoral bonds worth ₹5 crore weeks after it bagged the ₹1,098-crore Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the Sunni hydroelectric project in Himachal Pradesh. This tranche was purchased just ahead of the Assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. Two months later, the company again purchased bonds worth ₹40 crore.

INDIA bloc says it is geared up to face the BJP

The Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc welcomed the Lok Sabha election dates and said they were prepared to take on the BJP and unseat it from power. The Congress said it would fight for “nyay” (justice) to the country and its people, while the Left parties said their primary objective was to remove the BJP from power. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appealed to voters to vote against dictatorship and hooliganism.

Sikkim to vote for Lok Sabha, Assembly in simultaneous polls on April 19

Sikkim will vote in the Lok Sabha polls and the Assembly elections, being held simultaneously, on April 19, the Election Commission announced on March 17. The Himalayan state has only one Lok Sabha seat and a 32-member assembly. The notification for the elections will be issued on March 20, following which the process for filing nominations will begin. The last date for submitting nomination papers is March 27, while those will be scrutinised on March 28. The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is March 30, the EC said.

Assembly bypoll in Himachal is set to be a critical test for the ruling Congress

With byelections for the six Assembly constituencies — that fell vacant after six rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly — to be held simultaneously with the parliamentary elections on June 1, the ruling Congress government in the State will be facing a critical test.

UN agency laments plight of children in northern Gaza

One in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished and famine is looming, the main UN agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday. “Children’s malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said.

‘Bloody’ Ramzan Friday as Gaza strike kills 36 relatives

Displaced by Israeli bombardment, the Tabatibi family gathered in central Gaza to eat together during the first Friday night of Ramzan, a scene that soon turned into a bloodbath. An air strike hit the building where they were staying as women prepared the pre-fasting meal, killing 36 members of the family, survivors said on Saturday. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza blamed Israel for the strike in Nuseirat.

Ukrainian strikes rock Russia as vote cements Putin’s grip on power

Ukrainian bombardments killed two persons and set an oil facility ablaze in Russia on March 16, officials said, on the second day of elections guaranteed to cement President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Presidential polls opened this week but voting has been marred by an uptick in fatal Ukrainian aerial attacks and a series of incursions into Russian territory by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups.

Ashwin has moved the craft of spin bowling forward, says Dravid

Indian cricketer R. Ashwin was felicitated by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in a glittering ceremony at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday for his feats of becoming the first Tamil Nadu cricketer to play 100 Tests and only the second Indian to go past 500 wickets in Test cricket.