India's Election Commission will be announcing the dates for the 2024 General Elections and with that the model code of conduct will come into force from the time the dates are announced. Watch to know more!

India General Elections: Election Commission of India to announce poll schedule on March 16

As the Election Commission of India (ECI) is going to announce the schedule for the General Elections-2024 at 3 p.m. on March 16 (Saturday), Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena has instructed the State administrative machinery to enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) immediately after the announcement of the schedule.

Lok sabha Elections Date 2024: Model Code of Conduct to come into force soon

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Palghar, Maharashtra today. Notably, Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled out from Manipur’s Thoubal on January 14. It aims to cover 6,700 km through 15 states, with Lok Sabha polls around the corner.

India Elections 2024: Rahul Gandhi resumes Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Palghar in Maharashtra

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Telangana on Saturday. Watch the video to know more.

India: PM Modi begins South push with rallies, road show

India General Elections: Election Commission set to announce Lok Sabha elections dates today

India's Election Commission will be announcing the dates for the 2024 General Elections tomorrow and with that the model code of conduct will come into force from the time the dates are announced. Watch to know more!

India General Elections 2024: Election Commission to announce election schedule on March 16

The Election Commission on Thursday released data on the electoral bonds, following a Supreme Court order that directed the State Bank of India to hand over all data regarding the bonds to the election authority. Watch to know more!

Electoral Bonds Data Unveiled: Top 10 contributors to political parties

The INDIA bloc in J&K witnessed a potential rift on Monday as National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti sparred over seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Omar Abdullah said on Monday that his party was "not rigid" and could not "sacrifice" seats, which it won in the previous elections.

India Elections 2024: J&K: Omar Abdullah refuses to budge

The BJP accounted for more than half of the expenditure incurred by 10 political parties in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

India elections 2024 | Cost of poll campaigning in 2019-2020: Private charter costs per hour

Let's move on to the second part of our election segment we went into the streets of Mumbai and Delhi to ask the first-time voters what they were demanding from their leaders this time around.

India elections 2024: My vote my decision

Welfare schemes and freebies are an integral part of India's polity. The line between what constitutes a freebie and a welfare scheme is a hazy one. But they have a huge impact on the political economy of India. We decode more on Pollnomics today.

India's race to power: Decoding India's political economy

The election fever has gripped political parties, even before the first votes are cast. But we take a step back and look at how the economy performs around India's elections. We break down whether good economics is good politics. This is our special segment: Poll-nomics.

Decoding India's political economy

Iran goes to polls on Friday. Over 15,000 people are contesting in this parliamentary election. More than 61 million people are eligible to vote but authorities fear most of them might skip this election. People are frustrated with rising inflation, growing political mistrust and quashed protests.

Iran: Array of political, social and economic problems

Iran Election: Array of political, social and economic problems

Iranian social media comedian Iraj Maleki to run for parliamentary elections. Maleki was approved by the Guardian Council and is running in Iran's upcoming parliamentary election. Watch to know more!

Iran: Social media comedian Iraj Maleki to run for parliamentary polls

<p>In a surprising turn of events, former Pakistani bureaucrat Liaquat Ali Chattha who leveled accusations that the country's general elections were rigged retracted all his claims saying that he made the statements after "lucrative" promises made by former PM Imran Khan's PTI party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This comes days after the former Rawalpindi commissioner claimed that 13 candidates were declared election winners forcefully. While going back on his claims, Chattha said that he was "extremely ashamed and embarrassed."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Chattha, who previously served as the Rawalpindi commissioner, had resigned from his post and took responsibility for the alleged manipulation of election results. Not only this, raising many eyebrows, the former civil servant also levelled accusations against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa about the alleged poll rigging.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-execute-two-convicted-murderers-in-football-stadium-in-eastern-afghanistan-692811">Taliban execute 2 convicted murderers in football stadium in eastern Afghanistan</a></p>

<p>However, now, in a letter addressed to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday (February 22), Chattha retracted his statements and revealed that his accusations were made after Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party promised him lucrative positions in exchange for supporting their narrative of election rigging and maligning state institutions.</p>

<p>According to Chattha, a PTI leader had approached him after the February 8 elections, offering him favourable positions. He confessed to being swayed by the offer, especially considering his impending retirement after 32 years of civil service.</p>

<p>The former bureaucrat admitted that the proposal initially involved submitting a written resignation containing the fabricated narrative, but it was later decided to stage a press conference to amplify the false claims. The aim, as Chattha revealed, was to create sensationalism and drama.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was in this meeting, that he made an offer to me that if I play a role in supporting the PTI's ongoing narrative of rigging in elections and maligning state institutions, he would ensure a lucrative position for me in future," Chattha said.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-pakistani-prime-minister-imran-khan-calls-on-imf-to-conduct-election-audit-his-lawyer-says-692780">Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan calls on IMF to conduct election audit, his lawyer says</a></p>

<p>"This proposal was made by the said individual in consideration of the fact that I was about to retire from service. He was also aware of the fact that I was under pressure due to this forthcoming retirement. After having remained a part of the services for 32 years, it is naturally hard for any civil servant to let go of all perks, privileges, and authorities," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indicating that the plan was also approved by PTI's top&nbsp;leadership, he said, "Initially, it was proposed by me that I would write the entire narrative and submit the same as part of my resignation. However, this proposal was dropped by the said prominent PTI leader as such written resignation would not create any sensations for their narrative building."&nbsp;</p>

<h5>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-ppp-chairman-announces-coalition-government-with-pml-n-692228">Pakistan: PPP Chairman announces coalition government with PML-N</a></h5>

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<p>He mentioned that the PTI leadership instructed him to name Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja to further their agenda of creating mistrust in the electoral process.</p>

<p>Reacting to Chattha's retraction, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accused the PTI of attempting to manipulate the elections and tarnishing Pakistan's image.</p>

<p>"In the end, I feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed for making totally false, concocted, anti-state, and malicious statement in the press conference. This activity caused embarrassment for me as well as for the entire bureaucratic fraternity," Chattha added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a surprising turn of events, former Pakistani bureaucrat Liaquat Ali Chattha who leveled accusations that the country's general elections were rigged retracted all his claims saying that he made the statements after "lucrative" promises made by former PM Imran Khan's PTI party.

In a surprising turn of events, former Pakistani bureaucrat Liaquat Ali Chattha who leveled accusations that the country's general elections were rigged retracted all his claims saying that he made the statements after "lucrative" promises made by former PM Imran Khan's PTI party. This comes days after the former Rawalpindi commissioner claimed that 13 candidates were declared election winners forcefully. While going back on his claims, Chattha said that he was "extremely ashamed and embarrassed." Notably, Chattha, who previously served as the Rawalpindi commissioner, had resigned from his post and took responsibility for the alleged manipulation of election results. Not only this, raising many eyebrows, the former civil servant also levelled accusations against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa about the alleged poll rigging. Also Read | Taliban execute 2 convicted murderers in football stadium in eastern Afghanistan However, now, in a letter addressed to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday (February 22), Chattha retracted his statements and revealed that his accusations were made after Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party promised him lucrative positions in exchange for supporting their narrative of election rigging and maligning state institutions. According to Chattha, a PTI leader had approached him after the February 8 elections, offering him favourable positions. He confessed to being swayed by the offer, especially considering his impending retirement after 32 years of civil service. The former bureaucrat admitted that the proposal initially involved submitting a written resignation containing the fabricated narrative, but it was later decided to stage a press conference to amplify the false claims. The aim, as Chattha revealed, was to create sensationalism and drama. "It was in this meeting, that he made an offer to me that if I play a role in supporting the PTI's ongoing narrative of rigging in elections and maligning state institutions, he would ensure a lucrative position for me in future," Chattha said. Also Read | Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan calls on IMF to conduct election audit, his lawyer says "This proposal was made by the said individual in consideration of the fact that I was about to retire from service. He was also aware of the fact that I was under pressure due to this forthcoming retirement. After having remained a part of the services for 32 years, it is naturally hard for any civil servant to let go of all perks, privileges, and authorities," he added. Indicating that the plan was also approved by PTI's top leadership, he said, "Initially, it was proposed by me that I would write the entire narrative and submit the same as part of my resignation. However, this proposal was dropped by the said prominent PTI leader as such written resignation would not create any sensations for their narrative building." Watch | Pakistan: PPP Chairman announces coalition government with PML-N × He mentioned that the PTI leadership instructed him to name Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja to further their agenda of creating mistrust in the electoral process. Reacting to Chattha's retraction, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accused the PTI of attempting to manipulate the elections and tarnishing Pakistan's image. "In the end, I feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed for making totally false, concocted, anti-state, and malicious statement in the press conference. This activity caused embarrassment for me as well as for the entire bureaucratic fraternity," Chattha added. (With inputs from agencies)

Ex-Pakistani bureaucrat retracts poll rigging allegations, claims PTI promised him 'lucrative positions'

Indonesia elections are being touted as the world's largest single elections. Indonesians began voting in their presidential polls earlier today. The current defense minister Prabowo Subianto is the front runner in the elections despite concerns over his human rights record and claims of improper support from outgoing leader Joko Widodo. Polls project Prabowo winning a majority with over 50%. Watch to know more!

Indonesia cast ballots in the world's biggest single-day polls

Indonesians have begun voting in their presidential polls current defense minister Prabowo Subianto is the front runner in the elections despite concerns over his human rights record and claims of improper support from outgoing leader Joko Widodo. Over 200 million people in the Southeast Asian Nation are eligible to cast their ballots and choose their next President. Indonesia elections are being touted as the world's largest single elections. Watch to know more!

Indonesia Elections: What's at stake in Indonesia's three-way race?

As Indonesia heads into a presidential election tomorrow on the 14th of February, Tik Tok has emerged as a massive influence for both political campaigns and smear campaigns in the nation. Misinformation spike on TikTok 'attempting to manipulate voters.' With the base of 125 million users and growing let's just take a look at how the site is changing political tides ahead of the polls. Watch to know more!

Indonesia Elections: TikTok 2nd most used source of information after television

<p lang="en-US">The United States, the European Union and Britain on Friday (Feb 9) separately expressed concerns over Pakistan's electoral process&nbsp;in the wake of voting which took place on Thursday (Feb 8) and appealed for an investigation into reported irregularities.<br />
<br />
The election results still remains&nbsp;indecisive as both, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party and ex-prime minister Imran Khan declared victory.<br />
<br />
The elections were held on&nbsp;265&nbsp;national assembly seats, and to gain simple majority to form the government a party has&nbsp;to secure&nbsp;133 seats.</p>

<p lang="en-US">Till now, of 250 seats officially announced, Independents have 99 seats, PMLN has 71, PPP 53, MQM 17, PMLQ 3, IPP 2, JUI 2, MWM 1, BNP 1 and PMLZ has 1 seat and the&nbsp;results of 15 seats are awaited.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-nawaz-sharif-hints-at-improving-ties-with-india-as-poll-results-drag-on-688825">Pakistan elections: Nawaz Sharif hints at improving ties with India as poll results drag on</a><br />
<br />
The United States and the European Union both made statements regarding allegations of interference, which included arrests of activists and said that claims of interference, fraud and irregularities should be fully investigated.</p>

<h2 lang="en-US"><strong>US says 'undue restrictions&nbsp;on freedom&nbsp;of expression" during&nbsp;polls</strong></h2>

<p lang="en-US">The US State Department said Pakistan faced "undue restrictions&nbsp;on freedoms of expression" during the&nbsp; polls and also spoke about violence and attacks on media workers.<br />
<br />
"We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated," said the United States, in a statement.<br />
<br />
The EU, in a statement, emphasised a "lack of a level playing field", and attributed it to "the inability of some political actors to contest the elections" and also emphasised restrictions imposed on freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and internet access.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Pakistan Election Result 2024: Nawaz Sharif invites rivals for coalition government</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-election-result-2024-nawaz-sharif-invites-rivals-for-coalition-government-688810/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p lang="en-US">The UN human rights office, earlier this week, denounced violence against candidates and political parties. It also raised concern over the "pattern of harassment, arrests and prolonged detentions of leaders and supporters" of Khan's party.<br />
<br />
The United States, European Union and Britain said that they are willing to work with Pakistan's next government and did not congratulate any party or candidate.<br />
<br />
In a statement, British Foreign Minister David Cameron noted "serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections."<br />
<br />
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been facing multiple legal cases because of which he was disqualified as a candidate and sentenced to long prison terms.</p>

<h2 lang="en-US"><strong>Pakistan retorts back</strong></h2>

<p>Reacting to the statements, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said,&nbsp;"We have taken note of statements from certain countries and organizations on the general elections held in Pakistan on 8 February 2024. We are surprised by the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process, nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis."</p>

<p>"These statements ignore the undeniable fact that Pakistan has held general elections, peacefully and successfully, while dealing with serious security threats resulting primarily from foreign-sponsored terrorism.&nbsp;Some statements are not even factual. There was no nationwide internet shutdown. Only mobile services were suspended for the day to avoid terrorist incidents on the polling day. The elections exercise has demonstrated that the concerns of many commentators were misplaced," it added.</p>

<p>"Pakistan held the elections as part of its commitment to building a stable and democratic society. While we value constructive advice from our friends, making negative commentary even before the completion of the electoral process is neither constructive nor objective. Pakistan will continue to work towards building a vibrant democratic polity. Every election and peaceful transition of power brings us closer to that goal. We do this not on account of the concerns expressed by others but because that is the aspiration of our people and the vision of our founding fathers," the ministry stated.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The United States, the European Union and Britain on Friday (Feb 9) separately expressed concerns over Pakistan's electoral process in the wake of voting which took place on Thursday (Feb 8) and appealed for an investigation into reported irregularities.

The United States, the European Union and Britain on Friday (Feb 9) separately expressed concerns over Pakistan's electoral process in the wake of voting which took place on Thursday (Feb 8) and appealed for an investigation into reported irregularities. The election results still remains indecisive as both, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party and ex-prime minister Imran Khan declared victory. The elections were held on 265 national assembly seats, and to gain simple majority to form the government a party has to secure 133 seats. Till now, of 250 seats officially announced, Independents have 99 seats, PMLN has 71, PPP 53, MQM 17, PMLQ 3, IPP 2, JUI 2, MWM 1, BNP 1 and PMLZ has 1 seat and the results of 15 seats are awaited. Also Read: Pakistan elections: Nawaz Sharif hints at improving ties with India as poll results drag on The United States and the European Union both made statements regarding allegations of interference, which included arrests of activists and said that claims of interference, fraud and irregularities should be fully investigated. US says 'undue restrictions on freedom of expression" during polls The US State Department said Pakistan faced "undue restrictions on freedoms of expression" during the polls and also spoke about violence and attacks on media workers. "We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated," said the United States, in a statement. The EU, in a statement, emphasised a "lack of a level playing field", and attributed it to "the inability of some political actors to contest the elections" and also emphasised restrictions imposed on freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and internet access. Watch: Pakistan Election Result 2024: Nawaz Sharif invites rivals for coalition government The UN human rights office, earlier this week, denounced violence against candidates and political parties. It also raised concern over the "pattern of harassment, arrests and prolonged detentions of leaders and supporters" of Khan's party. The United States, European Union and Britain said that they are willing to work with Pakistan's next government and did not congratulate any party or candidate. In a statement, British Foreign Minister David Cameron noted "serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections." Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been facing multiple legal cases because of which he was disqualified as a candidate and sentenced to long prison terms. Pakistan retorts back Reacting to the statements, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We have taken note of statements from certain countries and organizations on the general elections held in Pakistan on 8 February 2024. We are surprised by the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process, nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis." "These statements ignore the undeniable fact that Pakistan has held general elections, peacefully and successfully, while dealing with serious security threats resulting primarily from foreign-sponsored terrorism. Some statements are not even factual. There was no nationwide internet shutdown. Only mobile services were suspended for the day to avoid terrorist incidents on the polling day. The elections exercise has demonstrated that the concerns of many commentators were misplaced," it added. "Pakistan held the elections as part of its commitment to building a stable and democratic society. While we value constructive advice from our friends, making negative commentary even before the completion of the electoral process is neither constructive nor objective. Pakistan will continue to work towards building a vibrant democratic polity. Every election and peaceful transition of power brings us closer to that goal. We do this not on account of the concerns expressed by others but because that is the aspiration of our people and the vision of our founding fathers," the ministry stated. (With inputs from agencies)

US, EU, UK express concern over irregularities in Pakistan elections, urge for probe

On tonight's episode, we shed the spotlight on the women in Pakistan who are braving the violence in the country and standing up for democracy. While a record number of female candidates are contesting the polls, it still represents a dismal percentage of women participating in the country's politics. In some parts, ordinary women are not even allowed to cast their vote. As challenges multiply in the country, how can Pakistan ensure more political participation for women? What do you think is the way ahead?

Gravitas | Pak Elections: The brave women fighting poll violence, and gender gap

Less than 48 hours on February 8th, 128 million Pakistani voters will cast their ballot to choose a new government for the world's fifth most populous nation. Keep watching to the three main contenders for 2024.

Pakistan elections: 128 million voters preparing to elect a new government

The Indian Prime Minister gives a vote of thanks in parliament, highlighting government achievements so far.

PM Modi addresses parliament highlighting government achievements

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks to the President Droupadi Murmu in Lok Sabha. He launched an attack at Opposition and the INDIA bloc in his last Parliament speech.

PM Modi's Parliament speech: 'Article 370, construction of Ram temple key achievements'

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