Israel election: 88.6% ballots counted, Netanyahu near certain to be next Prime Minister
Jerusalem (PTI): With nearly 90 per cent of ballots counted in the Israeli general elections, veteran politician Benjamin Netanyahu was poised to be the prime minister once again, according to official data.
Netanyahu's party Likud and its far-right allies are projected to receive a clear majority with 65 seats in the 120-member Knesset or Parliament.
Likud leader Netanyahu, 73, will with near certainty be Israel's next prime minister after approximately 90 per cent of the votes counted, the Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted the Central Election Committee's data.
The Netanyahu coalition will consist of 65 MKs (Members of the Israeli parliament), while the Lapid bloc will consist of 50 and Hadash-Ta'al five.
The results after 88.6 per cent of the vote were: Likud 32, Yesh Atid 24, Religious Zionism Party (RZP) 14, National Unity 12, Shas 11, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) eight, Yisrael Beytenu five, Ra'am five, Hadash-Ta'al five and Labor four, the report said on Wednesday.
The Times of Israel newspaper reported that a Netanyahu-led government would see a sharp drop in women in the coalition. Current results project 9 female MKs in parties that back the former prime minister, with none among the ultra-Orthodox factions.
Based on these results, the likely Netanyahu-led coalition will have nine female MKs six in his Likud party and three from the far-right Religious Zionism, though the figure could end up rising through ministerial appointments.
The exit polls projected that pro-Netanyahu parties may win up to 65 seats. The alliance comprised Netanyahu's Likud party, far-right religious Zionism/Jewish Power, ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.
The outcome would mark a stunning comeback for Netanyahu, who is currently on trial in three corruption cases, after a short stint in opposition.
Israelis voted on Tuesday for an unprecedented fifth time in four years to break the political impasse that has paralysed the country.
Israel has been locked in an unprecedented period of political stalemate since 2019, when Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving leader was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
About 6.78 million Israeli citizens were eligible to elect their 25th Knesset. Some 210,720 new voters were able to vote for the first time, accounting for about four to five seats, adding an interesting dimension to the polls.
For many years, Netanyahu appeared to be politically invincible. But he met with a rude jolt after being ousted by an unprecedented coalition of parties whose only common goal was to see him out.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1949, Netanyahu holds the record of being the longest-serving Prime Minister in the country's history. Having served in the position earlier between 1996 and 1999, Netanyahu in 2020 surpassed the record held by one of the Jewish state's founding leaders, David Ben-Gurion.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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