Election Commission

CISF deploys additional personnel for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Z+ security

Reinforcement was ordered on October 7 amid protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with extra personnel deployed at Kumar's residence and ECI office

Plea in Supreme Court seeks recall of split verdict on EC appointment law

The application seeks recall of the September 23 split verdict on a larger bench referral; a separate curative plea questions Justice Satish Chandra Sharma's participation

SC to examine plea to recall split verdict on CEC, EC appointment law

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a plea seeking recall of its recent split verdict on whether challenges to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be referred to a larger Constitution bench. On September 23, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma gave split opinions on whether a batch of pleas challenging the validity of a 2023 law that excludes the Chief Justice of India from the panel for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) should be referred to a larger Constitution bench. It had said due to a difference of opinion, the matter be placed before CJI Surya Kant on the administrative side for constitution of a bench of appropriate strength for an effective and authoritative adjudication. On Wednesday, a bench comprising the Chief Justice of India and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was told about the recall application by senior

Rahul Gandhi, other Congress leaders released from police detention

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also detained from the premises

INDIA bloc protest: Rahul, Priyanka enter Akashvani Bhawan to reach ECI HQ

Security has remained tight around Parliament, Vijay Chowk and the Election Commission headquarters as Opposition MPs march against alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise

Kerala reopens probe against Gyanesh Kumar in 2006 graft case: What we know

Kerala has reopened a Vigilance probe into alleged corruption linked to a 2006 road project involving CEC Gyanesh Kumar, amid Opposition protests demanding his resignation

Kharge lists Congress' three 'non-negotiable demands' amid SIR row

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said his party has three "non-negotiable demands" - resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, annulment of SIR and conduct of elections on ballot paper instead of EVMs. Kharge said across the country, Congress workers and INDIA bloc partners are on the streets over these three issues. The Congress stands with civil society members and youth organisations that are struggling on these issues in various places across the country, Kharge said. On the other hand, the BJP has "harassed" female journalists in Delhi, which is highly condemnable, Kharge said. "The dictator is extremely panicked; get ready for another chapter in the distraction tactics," the Congress chief said. "The Congress Party's 3 demands are non-negotiable. First, the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Second, the annulment of SIR. Third, conducting elections on Ballot Paper," Kharge said. The Congress' attack on the CEC comes amid the raging row over The Ind

CEC executing 'G2's illegal orders' makes him liability for country: Cong

The Congress on Monday said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must quit right away and claimed that his ability to "execute G2's illegal orders" has now made him a "liability for the country". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh's attack on the CEC came a day after Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan remarked that any process that "disenfranchises" millions of Indian citizens is "intrinsically arbitrary" and a "negation" of the constitutional order. "No amount of whataboutery can justify it," Bhuyan added. Sharing a post carrying the video clip of Bhuyan's remarks, Ramesh said on X, "Here is the bold Justice Ujjal Bhuyan speaking yesterday in NALSAR University in Hyderabad, where he exposed the CEC lock, stock and barrel. If he has any sense of shame, Gyanesh Kumar must quit right away." "His (Kumar's) ability to execute G2's illegal orders have now made him a liability for the country," Ramesh said. Ramesh often uses the term 'G2' to tak

SIR protests gather steam ahead of SC hearing; Opposition widens agitation

Protests against the CEC are likely to continue in the coming week as they did on Sunday for the third consecutive day

Why reject Form 8?: HC questions ECI over automated rejection during SIR

The court questioned whether software can reject Form 8 applications from voters who shifted residence, warning that the process could leave eligible voters out of the electoral roll

SIR row: ECI orders special drive to enrol 'left-out' voters in 20 states

The ECI has asked 20 states and UTs where SIR is complete to compare pre- and post-SIR rolls, identify voters left out and enrol them through Form 6

CJP to launch protests from Oct 2, seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation

Cockroach Janta Party's Abhijeet Dipke announced protests in several states from tomorrow, stating the agitation will continue until CEC Kumar steps down

SIR draft roll exclusions bring electorate to 2015 level, shows data

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's role in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise

EC withdraws SIR declaration from Form 6 in states where exercise is over

The Election Commission has withdrawn the additional SIR-related declaration from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in states where the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has been completed, days after the full Commission decided that the requirement would apply only during the exercise. The declaration, which requires new applicants to furnish details linking themselves or their parents or grandparents to electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision, remains available on the ECINET portal in states and Union Territories where the SIR is underway. In states where SIR has concluded, the additional declaration has now been removed from the ECINET app and portal as well as the respective Chief Electoral Officer portals, leaving applicants seeking enrolment to fill only the statutory Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The move follows a September 26 meeting of the full Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh ..

SC to hear next week plea questioning ECI decisions under CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The hearing comes amid questions over the poll panel's decision-making process, after reports claimed that two Election Commissioners objected to several SIR-related orders

SC fixes time frame for EC to decide dispute over TMC's name, symbol

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to decide the dispute between the two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress over the party name and "flowers and grass" election symbol. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the rival factions to complete their pleadings in the proceedings before the poll panel within four weeks. The bench directed the Election Commission to decide the issue within three months after the parties complete their pleadings. The top court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee against the EC's decision to freeze the TMC's name and party symbol. The Election Commission had allotted separate names and symbols to the two rival factions following its interim decision to bar both groups from using the 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and its reserved symbol pending a substantive determination of the dispute. In its interim orde

IndusInd Bank CEO Rajiv Anand says his name 'unmapped' from voter roll

IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Rajiv Anand has said his name has been "unmapped" from the electoral roll and he has been asked to appear for a hearing to avoid deletion from the voter list. "I have been told my name is "unmapped" from the voting list. I have voted in every election ever since I have been eligible to vote. I hold a passport, PAN Card, voter ID card and Aadhar card. I am now being asked to appear for a hearing else my name will be deleted. Why should I?," Anand said in a X post on Sunday. "Indians have so many certificates to prove who they are. Aadhar card. PAN Card. Voter ID. Passport. You would think there is an identity crisis!", he said in another post. Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the Election Commission last week announced a slew of decisions for the ease of voters who have been issued notices, including doorstep collection of documents and extending deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra. The period for filing claims and objections has ...

Election Commission's SIR response faces pushback from Opposition parties

Parties plan nationwide protests, seek to form a unified front to reject EC's statement on SIR, escalating their demands for CEC's resignation

Wangchuk backs CJP's Oct 2 protest against CEC, may not attend physically

Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday backed the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed October 2 protest seeking accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying efforts to improve accountability in the country and the electoral process deserved support. While he expressed his support for CJP's proposed agitation, Wangchuk added that he might not be physically present during the protest. His comments came amid a row over the functioning of the Election Commission following an Indian Express report's revelation that Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions concerning voter registration, deletions and restoration of names and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission on Saturday asserted that all decisions relating to SIR received the unanimous approval of all three commissioners. It also announced measures to assist voters facing notices during the revision

EC in 'damage control' mode; CEC's resignation or prosecution needed: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said the Election Commission was in "damage control" mode after differences within the poll body came out following a media "expose" and demanded that the ongoing SIR exercise that has "disenfranchised crores" is suspended immediately. The Congress also said that nothing short of CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation or prosecution will suffice. The opposition party's reaction came after the Election Commission issued a statement asserting that all Special Intensive Revision (SIR) orders were issued after approval from all three Election Commissioners and the changes in Form 6, through which names are included in the voters' list, have been upheld by the Supreme Court. The poll body also claimed that the letters sent by commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary were not related to any policy matter of the Commission or its IT division, but to the working of an officer on deputation to it. Reacting sharply to the EC statement, ...