Page 64 - Assembly Elections

Covid vaccination certificates in 5 poll-bound states won't have PM's photo

The Union Health Ministry will apply necessary filters on the Co-WIN platform to exclude Modi's photo from the vaccine certificate

41% people support ban on political rallies during assembly polls: Survey

A day after the Election Commission announced poll schedule for five states, a survey claimed that 41% of people supported a ban on all political rallies

Amid Covid surge, political parties turn to digital mode for Assembly polls

As Covid cases are rising sharply and the Assembly elections in five states, political parties have cancelled their physical rallies and have turned to digital modes

Assembly polls: February 14 historically been lucky for AAP, says Sisodia

Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia claimed that the party will emerge victorious in the upcoming assembly elections

With election announcement, Model Code of Conduct kicks in 5 states

With the announcement of the seven-phase polling for assembly elections for five states on Saturday, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force with immediate effect.

Elections in five states from Feb 10-March 7; results on March 10: EC

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa will be held between February 10 and March 7 in seven phases, the Election Commission announced on Saturday. The counting of votes will be held on March 10. With the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding, the commission has set new protocols to ensure "Covid safe" elections to 690 assembly seats across the five states, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra told reporters here. He was flanked by election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey. In Uttar Pradesh, elections will be held in 403 assembly seats in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. Elections in 60 constituencies of Manipur will held in two phases on February 27 and March 3, while polling in Goa (40 seats), Punjab (117 seats) and Uttarakhand (70 seats) will be held on February 14. The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the five states with the announcement of elections.

LIVE: Be proud of EVM, over 3.5 bn have used it since 2004, says CEC

Uttar Pradesh to go to poll in 7 phases from Feb 10-March 7; Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa to vote on February 14 and Manipur to vote on Feb 27 and March 3

Assembly elections: EC to announce poll schedule for 5 states at 3.30 pm

The Election Commission will announce the dates for assembly polls in five states at 3.30 pm Saturday.

PM security breach: Manipur BJP workers burn effigy of senior Cong leaders

Members of the BJP in Manipur burned effigies of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach in Punjab a day ago

Amit Shah virtually launches projects worth Rs 2,450 cr in Manipur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 29 development works worth Rs 2,450 crore in Manipur

Uttarakhand Assembly polls: 537,000 new voters created in last 5 years

Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer Sowjanya on Friday said that in the last five years, 5.37 lakh new voters have been created.

Top headlines: Doctors, nurses prep for 3rd wave; EC set to give poll dates

Centre seeks relaxation in promoter shareholding cap for IDBI Bank sale. More in today's top headlines

Assembly elections to be announced any time, but no decision on e-voting

The ECI has time till January 12, the next hearing of the case, to respond

Uttarakhand HC asks EC if virtual rallies/online voting viable options

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Election Commission of India whether it is possible to hold election rallies virtually and online voting in the upcoming state assembly polls. A division bench of the High Court comprising acting Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Misra and Justice N S Dhanik posed the question to the EC while hearing a PIL on Wednesday seeking postponement of the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttarakhand in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 and its latest variant Omicron. Besides asking the EC to explore whether it is possible to hold poll rallies virtually, the High Court also asked it whether it would also be possible to provide for online method of voting. It was claimed in the PIL that election rallies are being held in Uttarakhand even though an application is pending before the court relating to finding an alternative to these rallies or to ban them, if need be. While the PIL has been filed seeking postponement of the elections, the High Court has asked the

Union health secretary to brief EC on Covid situation in poll-bound states

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will on Thursday brief the Election Commission on the latest Covid situation in the five poll-bound states, sources said. This will be the second time when Bhushan will brief the EC top brass on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country and in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur in particular. Earlier, he had briefed the poll panel on December 27. During the interaction, the EC had asked the government to ramp up the vaccination programme in the poll-bound states. The EC could announce the dates for elections in these five states in the next few days.

Govt approves 19th tranche of electoral bonds; sale opens on Jan 1

Ahead of assembly elections in five states, the government on Thursday approved the issuance of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds, which will be open for sale from January 1 to 10. Electoral bonds have been pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. However, Opposition parties have been raising concerns about alleged opaqueness in funding through such bonds. "State Bank of India (SBI), in the XIX Phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches with effect from January 1 to January 10, 2022," the finance ministry said in a statement. The 29 specified SBI branches are in cities, such as Lucknow, Shimla, Dehradun Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur, and Mumbai. Assembly elections for 5 states-- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Goa-- ar

EC unlikely to postpone five state assembly polls amid Omicron: Report

The commission has asked the government to vaccinate all those on election duty ahead of the polls

Farm politics dominated 2021 and its outcome will be seen in state polls

Early 2023 will see another round of crucial state elections -- in Gujarat, for instance

Kharge slams Centre, says Election Laws Bill passed without discussion

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday lashed out at the Centre and said that the Election Laws 2021 amendment bill was passed without any "discussion or debate"

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill brought keeping UP polls in mind: Chowdhury

Congress Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha is related to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.