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The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country. "What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale. Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters during polls. When petitioner-in-person K A Paul said he filed the PIL, the bench said, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?". The petitioner said he is the president of an organisation which has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows. "Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different," the bench retorted. After Paul revealed he ha
Nearly 13 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 AM on Wednesday in 38 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand where voting is underway in the second and final phase, officials said. Polling began at 7 AM in 14,218 booths across 12 districts and will continue till 5 PM. However, polling in 31 booths will end at 4 PM though people standing in the queue at that time will be able to exercise their franchise, the officials said. The ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc is seeking to retain power riding on its welfare schemes, while the BJP-headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is trying to wrest it. "A voter turnout of 12.71 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling. Voting has been peaceful," an Election Commission official said. A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise on Wednesday, another official said. Altogether 528 candidates, including Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, hi
Police have seized more than Rs 3.70 crore cash from a van in Palghar district of Maharashtra amid the code of conduct in place for the November 20 assembly polls, an official said on Saturday. The cash was seized at Wada in the coastal district on Friday, police inspector Datta Kindre said. "The police's vigilance and flying squad received a tip-off that a van was transporting cash through the district. Based on the information, the team intercepted the van and carried out a check, during which it found that Rs 3,70,50,000 cash was being transported. The driver and security personnel failed to produce valid documents required for the transportation of the cash," he said. They told the police that the cash was being taken from a company based in Navi Mumbai to Vikramgad in Palghar, he added. The cash has since been seized and the Income Tax Department as well as election officials have been informed for further probe, he said, adding that two occupants of the van have been detained
A total of 38 candidates have filed their nomination papers for five assembly constituencies in Assam to be contested for the by-elections.By-elections for five assembly constituencies in Assam - Behali, Dholai, Samaguri, Bongaigaon and Sidli, will be held on November 13.On the last day of filing nomination papers, a total of 24 candidates filed their nominations for the five assembly constituencies on Friday.According to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, three candidates filed nominations for Dholai, one filed for Sidli, five filed for Bongaigaon, 12 filed for Samaguri and three candidates filed their nominations for Behali assembly constituency on Friday.With these nominations, the total number of candidates who have filed nominations is 38.The ruling BJP has fielded its candidates for three assembly seats - Behali, Samaguri and Dholai, while its ally parties Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) are contesting in Bongaigaon and Sidli respectively.The