The Election Commission's reaction to a letter by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to INDIA bloc partners expressing concern over delays in releasing voter turnout figures for the first two poll phases was "completely inappropriate and unwarranted", former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Saturday. The commission on Friday, in a response to Kharge's letter, called it an attempt to push a biased narrative under the guise of seeking clarifications. In a post in Hindi on X, Gehlot said, "The language of the letter of the Election Commission, which came on the legitimate questions raised by @kharge ji, seems more like that of a political party than a constitutional institution. Instead of working with its responsibility, the Election Commission is seen standing with one party in these elections and that is creating doubts in the minds of the common people." He added that such a reaction is not good for the Election Commission's image. "It is surprising that the Election .
The Trinamool Congress on Friday said it will file a formal complaint with the Election Commission against National Commission for Women's chairperson Rekha Sharma over allegations of atrocities on women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. NCW had recommended to President Droupadi Murmu that President's rule be imposed in West Bengal over alleged violence and atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. "TMC will go to the Election Commission against Rekha Sharma, who is the chairperson of National Commission for Women," West Bengal minister and TMC spokesperson Shashi Panja said. Some videos on Sandeshkhali went viral which were shared by TMC. PTI did not verify the authenticity of the videos shared by TMC. Panja said that the TMC has already filed complaints against BJP and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari before the EC over such allegations.
In the Phase 3 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, 93 out of 543 constituencies have gone to polls in 11 states and Union Territories. Votes will be counted on June 4
Terming concerns on low voter turnout in the first two phases of 2024 general elections a "myth", an economist at the country's largest lender SBI has said comparing the absolute number of votes cast is a better way to analyse the turnout. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, the group chief economic adviser at SBI, said there has been 0.4 per cent increase in the absolute number of votes cast in the first two phases. "The unending debates propagated around supposedly low voter turnout in the first two phases of the General Elections 2024 is a myth. A better measure of votes cast is the absolute number of voters," he said in a report. The Election Commission has been working to increase the voting percentage in the remaining phases of the polls. Ghosh, who is also a part time member of the 16th Finance Commission, said the voting is about 3.1 percentage points below the trend observed in the last general elections of 2019, but was quick to add that the numbers can "swell" in the remaining 5 phases
Earlier, re-polling was held in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency on April 22, after multiple incidents of violence were reported during the first phase of polling on April 19.
Transferring items from Concurrent list to State list is not enough to give more powers to the latter
The first phase of Lok Sabha elections, held on 19 April, witnessed a dip in voter turnout from 69.9 per cent in 2019 to 65.5 this year
Online voting could reduce costs associated with transporting and safeguarding booth materials and EVMs and potentially expedite vote-counting processes
Manipur chief electoral officer on Saturday announced repolling at 11 polling stations in Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on April 22. The decision follows a directive from the Election Commission to declare the polls held at these stations on April 19 as null and void and schedule fresh polling. The affected polling stations are Moirangkampu Sajeb and Thongam Leikai in Khurai constituency, four in Kshetrigao and one in Thongju in Imphal East district and three in Uripok and one in Konthoujam in Imphal West district, the official said. Incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of EVMs at some polling booths and allegations of booth capturing were reported from conflict-hit Manipur that recorded a turnout of 72 per cent in the two Lok Sabha constituencies - Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur - on Friday. Earlier in the day, the Congress had demanded repoll in 47 polling stations alleging that booths were captured and elections were rigged. Manipur Congress president K ...
The Election Commission of India has already started sending the voter information slip (VIS) to registered voters whose names are in the electoral roll
It is crucial to update your voter card in case you change your residential address
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday claimed that the Election Commission has granted permission to the West Bengal government to pay ex-gratia to the families affected by the storm in Jalpaiguri district on March 31. He alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were telling lies to the people that the state government was not able to pay compensation to the families affected by the storm as the model code of conduct was in force and the Election Commission has not given permission for it. Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, posted in his X handle the ECI letter dated April 9 granting NOC to the state government's proposal to pay ex-gratia to the families affected by the storm. "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. The renowned pair of pathological and congenital liars of West
The elections for the seventh phase will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies, and it will cover eight states and UTs
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condemned the arrest of Delhi CM Kejriwal; said INDIA bloc will meet with the Election Commission to object against the 'deliberate targeting' of Opposition leaders
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to recognise Sharad Pawar's NCP faction and allowed them to use a new symbol for the upcoming state and general elections
Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi is set to hold rallies in south Indian states on Monday. His visit follows two days after the Election Commission announced the poll dates, which will commence on April 19
94 constituencies in 12 states and Union territories will go to polls in the third phase of the 2024 general elections
In this electoral process, the Balochistan Assembly will have the authority to elect 11 Senators, comprising seven for general seats, two for women, and two for technocrats
Two election commissioners are likely to be appointed by March 15 to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the surprise resignation of Arun Goel, sources said on Sunday. Days before the poll panel is expected to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Goel resigned on Friday morning. His resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday and the Law Ministry issued a notification to announce it. This leaves Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole member of the poll authority. Pandey had demitted office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years. A search committee under Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary will first prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts. Later, a selection committee headed by the prime minister and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Ad
The EC reminded all political parties of their responsibility to adhere to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986