Page 5 - Election Comission

BRS, Congress spar after EC revokes order for aid to Telangana farmers

However, the poll panel revoked its order after the state finance minister violated the model code by making a public announcement about it

Election department training officials for counting of votes in Mizoram

The Mizoram Election department is giving training to officials on counting of votes for the state assembly election, a senior officer said. Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas said that a full dress rehearsal for counting will be held through the Encore portal on Thursday. Additional CEO H Lianzela said more than 4,000 counting personnel will be involved in the counting to be held on December 3. Counting will be held in 13 counting centres across the state and there will be 40 counting halls in 13 counting centres, he said. "There are 399 EVM tables and 56 postal ballot tables and over 4,000 personnel for counting of votes," he said. Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Shukla said that "full proof security arrangements have been made for counting of votes." He had said Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), IRBn and Mizoram armed police have been deployed to maintain law and order. All the EVMs are securely placed in the strong rooms in all the district headquarter

State elections: AAP knocks EC's door against BJP's 'poll code violations'

The Aam Aadmi Party has sought swift action against the BJP to "uphold the integrity of the election", currently happening in five states of India.

Rajasthan polls 2023 LIVE: CM Gehlot addresses rally, Owaisi slams Congress

Rajasthan state Assembly elections LIVE: Catch all the latest updates of Rajasthan elections 2023 here

Rajasthan elections 2023 LIVE: Prominent leaders join BJP ahead of polls

Rajasthan state Assembly elections LIVE: Catch all the latest updates of Rajasthan elections 2023 here

Rajasthan BJP leader accuses police of being under Congress MLA influence

BJP's Kirori Meena from Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur assembly seat filed complaint with state election commission against Congress MLA Danish Abrar

'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' violates MCC: Congress leader RC Chaudhary

RC Chaudhary has accused the central government of violating the Election Commission's model code of conduct by launching the yatra in poll-bound Rajasthan

Telangana Assembly election: Polling on November 30, result on December 3

CEC Rajiv Kumar said that 600,000 youth will be first-time voters and are aged 18-19 years

Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election 2023: Date, schedule, seats, opinion polls

Polling to elect the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly is scheduled for later this year, along with Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram

People above 80 yrs, PwDs can vote from home in Chhattisgarh polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said persons above 80 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home through postal ballots in the upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. There are more than 2 lakh voters above the age of 80 in the state, he said. "Voters above the age of 80 years will have the facility to cast their votes from home and the same facility will be available to the persons with disabilities (more than 40 per cent). For this, they have to fill form 12D within five days of notification of the election," Kumar said at a press conference here. These voters will also have a pick drop facility to the polling stations, he said. He said an intensive drive will be carried out to enrol as voters those who had been left out in five particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) during the ongoing special summary revision (SSR)-2. Special summary revision of electoral rolls has been extended up to .

Ajit Pawar reaches EC, says he's NCP chief, stakes claim to party symbol

EC to decide fate of Ajit faction's MLAs; 32 turn up to support Ajit, Sharad Pawar parades 18

EC begins manufacturing 0.89 mn new VVPATs ahead of Lok Sabha polls

The Election Commission has started preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by commencing the manufacturing of 8.92 lakh new Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines and retiring 2.71 lakh such M2 model machines, sources said on Wednesday. They also said the poll panel has identified 3.43 lakh VVPATs for "preventive maintenance" and 2.43 lakh for upgrade to reduce nachine replacement rate. The poll panel undertakes the exercise of checking electronic voting machines and paper trail machines ahead of every Lok Sabha polls, the sources said. They said the Commission has undertaken a detailed "preparatory exercise" for next Lok Sabha polls by reviewing VVPAT stocks by retiring obsolete M2 type machines, producing new VVPATs, upgrading VVPAT to M3 from available upgradable 'M2M3' machines and carrying out preventive maintenance of 3.43 lakh such machines. Referring to media reports regarding defects in VVPATs, they said that 3.43 lakh VVPATs were identified for preventive ..

EC orders transfer of 10 cops for smooth conduct of Karnataka polls

The Election Commission has ordered the transfer of 10 police personnel, including a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), for "stricter enforcement of poll code and smooth conduct" of the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, sources in the poll panel said on Monday. Those transferred included the DCP (North) Bengaluru, the ACP of Yeshwanthpur and Bengaluru, and four police inspectors -- one each from Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, Yeshwanthpur, Nandini Layout police station and Rajagopal Nagar police stations. Sources said the officers being transferred were posted at the behest of a state minister and it was felt that their removal will help in "stricter enforcement and smooth conduct" of the May 10 polls. "Per se, there was no complaint. EC took the decision for better conduct of polls," a functionary said. Following clashes between BJP and Congress workers in Surpur Yadgir earlier this month, the EC also ordered the transfer of local DSP and one circle inspector for their inept handling

EC can't search, seize goods before polls are declared, says Karnataka HC

Ordering the release of rice bags seized from a social worker here, the Karnataka High Court has clarified that the election officers have the authority to search and confiscate materials only after the elections are announced. Justice M Nagaprasanna in his recent judgement on a petition filed by Isthiyak Ahmed, held that the Returning Officer or the election officials do not have any jurisdiction to search or seize any material before the announcement of elections. Merely because they are appointed as officers for conduct of elections, they cannot use the said power before the declaration of elections, the court noted. "After the declaration of elections, the entire domain would be open, but not till then. Seizure is to be exercised by the authority/officers under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, under normal circumstances. The Returning Officer and the Inspector of Police, who have conducted the search in the case at hand were not vested with such authority and their action is

Polling postponed in Sohiong, Meghalaya after UDP candidate's death

Polling for Sohiong Assembly constituency of Meghalaya in the Feb 27 state elections has been postponed following demise of state's former Home minister and UDP candidate from the seat, HDR Lyngdoh

EC should await SC order on rebel MLAs disqualification: Uddhav Thackeray

The Election Commission (EC) should wait for its decision on the original Shiv Sena party symbol until the Supreme Court gives its order on the disqualification of rebel MLAs

India sees six-fold jump in voters since 1951; total electorate over 940 mn

India has witnessed a nearly six-fold increase in the total number of voters since 1951 to over 94.50 crore this year, but almost one-third of them stayed away from exercising their franchise in the last Lok Sabha polls. This has prompted the Election Commission to walk the extra mile to bring them to the polling booths. In 1951, when the voter lists for the first general elections were prepared, India had 17.32 crore registered electors and 45.67 per cent had turned up to exercise their franchise in the newly-born Republic. The number of registered electors witnessed a gradual increase over the years, and so did their participation in the subsequent elections. In the 1957 general elections, the number of registered electors was 19.37 crore and 47.74 per cent cast their ballots to send their representatives to the Lok Sabha. Amid talks of taking the voter turnout to 75 per cent, the Election Commission has flagged the issue of the 30 crore voters who did not turn up at the polling

Election officials in Meghalaya seize over Rs 8 lakh cash, alcohol

Election officials in Meghalaya seized over Rs 8 lakh cash and alcohol in West Garo Hills district, Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said on Friday. Election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly is scheduled for February 27 and the model code of conduct is in force in the state. "Unaccounted cash of Rs 8.96 lakh and alcohol worth over Rs 8,000 were seized in West Garo Hills district on Thursday," Kharkongor told PTI. With this, officials have seized cash amounting to over Rs 29 lakh from across the state after the model code of conduct came into force, the CEO said. A senior district police officer said the cash was seized from a person who was driving into the state from Assam. As the person carrying the cash could not provide any satisfactory and valid documents for the same the money was seized. According to the CEO, at least 34 assembly constituencies across the state have been identified as "expenditure sensitive" and flying squads are observing strict monitoring of move

Imran slams EC, says will challenge Punjab caretaker CM's appointment in SC

Pakistan's ex-premier Imran Khan has said he will challenge in the Supreme Court the appointment of Mohsin Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab, describing him an "enemy" of his party and slamming the election commission for reducing the country to a "Banana Republic". Naqvi was sworn in as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab on Sunday night, hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unanimously decided to appoint him to the post. His appointment came after the ruling party and the opposition in the province failed to reach consensus on a name for the post. Naqvi, who was one of the two candidates suggested by ex-Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, is the owner of a media house and said to be very close to PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari.

Bangladesh to hold presidential election by Feb 23, announces poll body

Bangladesh will hold the presidential election by February 23, the country's poll body announced