Election News
India’s Modi Continues to Slam Muslim During 2024 Election Campaign
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up divisive rhetoric against Muslims throughout the election campaign, using some of the most harsh language of his decade in power to bash opponents and mobilize Hindu voters as his party seeks a historic third term.
Modi has referred to the country’s Muslim minority as “infiltrators” in a series of rallies since India’s general election began on April 19, likened his Bharatiya Janata party’s arch-rival Indian National Congress to the historic pro-Pakistan Muslim League, and accused Congress of attempting to “loot” wealth from Hindus and redistribute it to Muslims.
“Congress wants to take part of the rights of [lower-caste Hindus] and give it to their vote bank,” Modi said during a campaign event in Goa on Saturday. “And you know who Congress’s favourite vote bank is,” he added, making a thinly veiled reference to Muslims.
The same day, Anurag Thakur, the BJP’s communication minister, warned another crowd that Congress “wants to give your children’s property to Muslims”.
Modi’s intensification of aggressive rhetoric comes as the BJP seeks to rally support among Hindus, who account for over 80% of the population, in order to gain a super-majority and entrench its domination in national politics.
Flag or election symbol of Bhartiya Janata Party: Getty Images
Modi Ups his Hindu Muslim Rhetoric
The BJP aims to win 370 of the 543 available parliamentary seats, up from 303 in 2019. The results will be announced on June 4, following six weeks of delayed voting.
However, observers who consider the Hindu nationalist BJP as the favourites believe this goal will be difficult to achieve, citing evidence of a dip in turnout during the first two rounds of voting and anti-incumbency feeling in portions of the ruling party’s northern heartland.
“I don’t think I have seen a prime minister speak such inflammatory rhetoric,” said Asim Ali, an independent political analyst, adding that Modi was attempting to “energise the Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] base”.
“Because the prime minister is saying this now, local level BJP operatives are free to take it up.”
The divisive turn has enraged Modi’s detractors, who have filed complaints with India’s electoral commission for suspected violations of the code of conduct. The body sent a notice to the BJP last week, but did not identify Modi and has yet to take action.
During a rally in Agra, home to the Taj Mahal monument erected by a Muslim Mughal ruler, Modi accused Congress of pandering to religious minorities.
“The politics of appeasement has divided the country into pieces,” Modi claimed, claiming that opposition parties are attempting to “steal” from Hindus. Muslims make up approximately 14% of India’s population.
Defence Congress leader Rahul Gandhi: Getty Images
India’s Rahul Gandhi Steps Up Pressure
Congress denies these allegations, accusing the business-friendly BJP of diverting government funding to billionaires while ignoring unemployment and inequality. It has promised to conduct a caste census, which it claims will help allocate resources to underprivileged communities.
Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader and Modi’s most visible opponent, said on Friday that Modi appeared “very nervous”.
“Narendra Modi has snatched money from the poor . . . [and] given it to the billionaires,” he claimed. “We will give that money to the poor people of India.”
Because India has tight restrictions forbidding the publication of exit polls during the election, there is no confirmed information about any party’s standing.
However, many doubt that the BJP, which swept much of India in 2019, would be able to considerably increase its seat total.
Reaching 370 seats appears to be “a bit of a puzzle, as to where the extra seats are going to come from,” according to Ronojoy Sen, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, who speculates that the objective may have been designed to motivate party cadres.
Both Hindu and Muslim voters in Agra expressed dissatisfaction with the campaign’s provocative tone. Rizwan Ahmed, 18, said there was “no such problem” between faiths, but “politicians just say things and then people twist the statements”.
“This kind of polarisation and communal rhetoric, of course it’ll appeal to your core voters,” Sen said in a statement. “But I’m not sure how well it works in expanding the core.”
Source: Financial Times
Election News
Trudeau Determined to Avoid Early Election After NDP Coalition Ended
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasised he does not want an early election and said he will want to work with his former partner just hours after the New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew from an agreement it had with the current Liberal Party Government.
“I look forward to conversations with Mr. (Jagmeet) Singh about how we’re going to continue to demonstrate that confident countries invest in their citizens, invest in their future, because that’s what we’re doing,” Trudeau said, addressing the media in the town of Rocky Harbour, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. That declaration came shortly after Jagmeet Singh, who has been in power since March 2022, declared his party was leaving the Supply and Confidence Agreement.
As in previous years, Trudeau continued, “I’ll let others focus on politics, but I will point out that I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, rather than focusing on politics.”
With Trudeau’s party in the minority in the Commons, the opposition Conservative Party is preparing to call for an early election through the possibility of a no-confidence resolution when the House reconvenes on September 18.
The timing of the motion is still unknown, according to reports from Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, who stated, “At this time, we don’t have a calendar to indicate when we can put forward a motion.”
“After Sellout Singh did this stunt today, he is going to have to vote on whether he keeps Justin Trudeau’s costly Government in power,” he stated, putting further pressure on the NDP.
“I certainly hope that the NDP will stay true to its fundamental values, which is making sure that Canadians get the support they need and keeping away from the austerity, the cuts, and the damage that will be done by Conservatives if they get the chance,” stated Trudeau, expressing optimism that early elections can be avoided.
October 2025 will see Canadian federal elections, but Trudeau’s Liberals only have 154 members of the 338-member House. It had made it through until Wednesday morning thanks to the backing of the 25-member NDP caucus.
Posting a video message on Wednesday, Singh claimed to have “ripped up” the accord and stated that “Canadians are fighting a battle.” A struggle for the middle class’s future. Justin Trudeau has often demonstrated his willingness to give up to corporate greed. People feel let down by the Liberals. From Canadians, they don’t deserve another opportunity.
The news coincided with the Trudeau Government’s severe unpopularity, which has negatively impacted the NDP. The non-profit public polling organisation Angus Reid Institute, or ARI, released a survey indicating that the Conservatives have 43% of the vote, a significant 22% lead over the ruling party.
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Justin Trudeau Hellbent on Destroying Canada
Election News
Kamala Harris Challenges Donald Trump to Transparent Debate with Live Microphones
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the US presidential election in November, called on her Republican opponent Donald Trump to debate her with their microphones turned on during the event.
Kamala Harris and the former president have agreed to debate on September 10th, which will be hosted by ABC News.
“Donald Trump is giving in to his aides, who refuse to allow him to debate with a live microphone. “If his own team doesn’t believe in him, the American people certainly won’t,” Kamala Harris wrote on X.
“We’re running for President of the United States. Let’s have a transparent debate, with microphones on the whole time.”
Trump has stated that he prefers to keep his microphone on and did not like it muted at the last debate against then-candidate Joe Biden.
So-called “hot mics” can help or hinder political campaigns by recording off-hand comments that were not intended for the public. Muted microphones also restrict debaters from interrupting their opponents.
A spokeswoman from ABC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The discussion would be the first between Harris and Trump since Biden stepped out of the presidential race following a dismal performance at a CNN debate in June that prompted concerns about his mental acuity.
Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, have agreed to a CBS News debate on October 1.
ORIGINAL STORY: Why Kamala Harris Campaign is fighting for Unmuted Debate Mics
Some experts believe the Trump campaign’s eagerness to maintain the muting rule for the Kamala Harris debate on September 10 is because to the great reception he received in June for a more controlled performance than many had anticipated versus Mr Biden. In practice, it rendered interruptions impossible.
The former president, on the other hand, appears unconcerned with the regulation, and has even contradicted his own team’s statements advocating for its continuation. “[It] does not matter to me. I’d prefer to have [the microphones] turned on,” he stated on Monday.
“But we agreed that it would be the same as the last time. “In that case, it was muted,” he explained.
Trump announced on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had “reached an agreement” with ABC for the September 10 debate. He did not mention mics in the post, but did say that the “rules will be the same as the last CNN debate,” which included muted mics.
In the article, he also accused the network of being “unfair,” but added that his team had been guaranteed that the debate would be “fair and equitable.”
With only two weeks until the debate, the Kamala Harris team wants to change the agreed-upon regulations so that both candidates’ microphones are unmuted during the event. What do they believe they will benefit from this change?
More broadly, they feel it has the potential to show viewers an unfiltered, even irritable, Trump, who will be audible throughout Kamala Harris’s speech.
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” said Kamala Harris’s spokeswoman.
Election News
Why Kamala Harris Campaign is fighting for Unmuted Debate Mics
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are scheduled to face battle in their first presidential debate next month, but the campaigns are still fighting about logistics, specifically microphones.
Trump’s campaign is advocating for microphones to be muted when it is the other person’s turn to speak. Joe Biden originally requested this regulation as the Democratic candidate.
Trump’s team eventually consented to the request, which was clearly an attempt by Biden’s campaign to limit disruptions. (The pair’s turbulent first 2020 debate was marked by numerous interruptions, with Mr. Biden finally shouting at his rival: “Will you shut up, man?”)
Kamala Harris Campaign Advocates for Unmuted Mics: Potential Advantages
Some experts believe the Trump campaign’s eagerness to maintain the muting rule for the Kamala Harris debate on September 10 is because to the great reception he received in June for a more controlled performance than many had anticipated versus Mr Biden. In practice, it rendered interruptions impossible.
The former president, on the other hand, appears unconcerned with the regulation, and has even contradicted his own team’s statements advocating for its continuation. “[It] does not matter to me. I’d prefer to have [the microphones] turned on,” he stated on Monday.
“But we agreed that it would be the same as the last time. “In that case, it was muted,” he explained.
Trump announced on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had “reached an agreement” with ABC for the September 10 debate. He did not mention mics in the post, but did say that the “rules will be the same as the last CNN debate,” which included muted mics.
In the article, he also accused the network of being “unfair,” but added that his team had been guaranteed that the debate would be “fair and equitable.”
With only two weeks until the debate, the Harris team wants to change the agreed-upon regulations so that both candidates’ microphones are unmuted during the event. What do they believe they will benefit from this change?
More broadly, they feel it has the potential to show viewers an unfiltered, even irritable, Trump, who will be audible throughout Kamala Harris’s speech.
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” said Kamala Harris’s spokeswoman.
Source: BBC
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