Chief Election Commissioner

Opposition parties put up a united show of strength against alleged vote theft, but face the bigger challenge of sustaining momentum and drawing urban voters into the campaign

At the INDIA bloc's Ramlila Maidan rally, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of electoral manipulation, while Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Mallikarjun Kharge demanded accountability from the EC

The Congress president was speaking at a 'mock impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar conducted in New Delhi by Opposition parties

INDIA bloc's "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been postponed to October 31 due to the rains here, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday as the opposition asserted that the countdown to the exit of the poll body chief is accelerating. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha reiterated that "this is not multiple protests" but "one protest", with the opposition standing together to defend the Constitution. "By consensus we have decided to postpone today's programme to tomorrow because of rain. We felt that it would be uncomfortable for seniors to sit in the rain, and we would do the exact same programme tomorrow," Gandhi said at a joint press conference with INDIA bloc leaders outside Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's 10, Rajaji Marg residence here. Gandhi said on November 1, we have a "Chalo Dilli" march to Ramlila ground and everyone who wishes to join is welcome, whether political or non-political. "Both the programmes are about the

Keralam Public Works Department Minister P K Basheer on Thursday said a preliminary inquiry by the VACB ordered in connection with allegations of corruption in a road project undertaken two decades ago when CEC Gyanesh Kumar was the PWD secretary was ongoing and its report is not yet available. Basheer was responding to queries, during the question hour in the state Assembly, by BJP MLAs B B Gopakumar, V Muraleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar regarding the status of the vigilance probe initiated in the matter. The minister also said that the preliminary enquiry was ordered as there were certain discrepancies in the probe conducted into the matter in 2006 by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). He also told the House that a loss of Rs 700 crore was caused to the government due to the alleged irregularities committed by officials in connection with the project. The minister was referring to the alleged corruption in the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), undertaken in

The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that the SIR declaration was separate from Form 6 and defended its decision-making process against allegations of unilateral action.

From voter registration to objections and deletions, electoral laws prescribe procedures for changing voter lists. Here's how the rules work and what safeguards protect voters against wrongful removal

As CEC Gyanesh Kumar faces protests over electoral roll revisions, a 20-year-old Kerala corruption case resurfaces despite an earlier vigilance clean chit

Leaders of the opposition INDIA Bloc will hold a "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30 and announce a public verdict against him. The "mock Parliament" would be held at Hotel Ashok, where all opposition MPs and top leaders would be present, it is learnt. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the next day, on November 1, the bloc will carry out a 'Dilli Chalo march' to Ramlila Maidan, which it touted as its "biggest", against "vote chori". "In our effort to save the Constitution and defeat the Vote Chors, INDIA bloc will be holding a crucial Public Impeachment proceeding on 30th October - where the public's verdict to remove the 'Vote Chor' CEC Gyanesh Kumar will be delivered loud and clear," Venugopal said on X. "After this Public Impeachment, we will hold a 'Dilli Chalo March' against 'Vote Chori' culminating at Ramleela Maidan on November 1st, where at least a million concerned citizens will participate," he ...

Delhi Police detained over 100 protesters during a march against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, as demonstrators demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

A march against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in central Delhi on Friday, with participants heading towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters to protest against the alleged deletion of voters. The march, called by the Delhi Coordination Committee of People Against SIR -- a people's collective -- started near Gole Dak Khana, at the intersection of Kalibari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg. Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) have extended their support to the protest, with activists from Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh participating as well. Security was tightened near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, with Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed in large numbers ahead of the march. The organisers have appealed to farmers, workers, youth, women and people from different sections of society to join the march carrying the national flag. They said the march would remain peaceful a

RTI records show the Cabinet Secretariat forwarded 2 Election Commissioners' complaints to the CEC and DoPT, saying acting on individual letters could be seen as interference in a constitutional body

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court seeking an urgent hearing against the extension of their judicial custody. Das and Ranka sought a night hearing in the high court, which is shut this week due to Dussehra vacation. A newly-appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday ordered their judicial remand for two more days after they were produced before him. They were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site, and were sent to five-day judicial custody. "We have moved the Delhi High Court and requested an urgent night hearing. Saurav and Ashutosh should not spend a single minute behind bars. Their liberty must not be curtailed because of political games. Justice must not wait," CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh said in a post on X. The CJP has alleged that the

Rahul Gandhi's Satyagraha portal has received over 36,000 registrations since October 3, with education and corruption emerging as the leading grievances across states and Union Territories.

Opposition demands for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over voter-roll revisions have put the government under pressure, as arrests and security restrictions risk fuelling wider protests

Actor-activist Prakash Raj has asserted that peaceful nationwide protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR of electoral rolls would persist despite attempts to "suppress" them. He was speaking to reporters after attending a protest meeting against Chief Election Commissioner Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at Manaveeyam Veedhi here on Friday. Before the event began, police intervened, saying the organisers did not obtain permission to use a microphone. This led to a minor tussle, after which the police allowed the event to continue. Raj said the country's youth would continue to protest peacefully, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. "There is Gandhi's blood in us. There is Ambedkar's blood in us, there is Bhagat Singh's blood in us. We will continue to fight, we will continue to protest peacefully across the country, and it will prove you wrong that you can get away with this dictatorship," he ...

Having been through the school of hard knocks, Rahul should know that political change in India is brought about either by those who win an election or who combine with others to defeat an incumbent

The Election Commission will conduct Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and UTs, including poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.

The Supreme Court sought replies from the Centre, Delhi Police and opposition leaders on petitions over recent protests, while ordering preservation of CCTV footage and digital evidence.

The ruling TVK, its key ally, the Congress party, and other constituents of the INDIA Bloc in Tamil Nadu began their protest here on Thursday, condemning the "murder of democracy" and demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar from office. The protest is being led by TNCC chief B Manickam Tagore. The cadres of the INDIA Bloc, who had gathered here in large numbers, displayed their respective party flags and raised slogans seeking the immediate resignation of the CEC over the SIR exercise.