Page 18 - Election Commission Of India

WATCH: Voter complains to Akshay Kumar over his donated toilet in Juhu

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: During his visit to the polling station, an elderly man approached actor Akshay Kumar and raised concerns about the Juhu beach toilet installed by the actor in 2018

Jharkhand polls: Presiding officer replaced after favouritism allegations

Jharkhand BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday said he had filed a complaint with the Election Commission against a presiding officer for allegedly "favouring a ruling party candidate" in Madhupur assembly constituency during voting. Dubey claimed that following his complaint, the officer was arrested. "I filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the presiding officer at booth number 111 in Madhupur, Deoghar district, for favouring Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate and Minister Hafizul Hassan. The commission took my complaint seriously and arrested the officer," Dubey told reporters in Deoghar. However, the Deoghar administration said the officer was replaced after being found too close to the voting compartment, which is against Election Commission rules. An official statement from Deoghar administration clarified that the presiding officer at booth number 111 had been replaced. "During monitoring in the webcasting room, the presiding officer was found too close

Exit polls patently illegal; yet happening before the eyes of EC: Ex-CEC

Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi on Tuesday claimed that the exit polls are patently illegal and they are happening before the eyes of the Election Commission (EC). Addressing the G V G Krishnamurty Memorial Lecture here, he asked when the conduct of exit polls is banned during the "prohibited period" -- from the day of commencement of voting for the first phase till half-an-hour after the end of polling in the last phase -- how are they being held. He said when exit polls cannot be conducted in that period, how can be shown soon after conclusion of polls. "There is one patent illegality happening before our eyes and the eyes of the EC with the involvement of EC," he said. He said according to a 2009 amendment to section 126 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the conduct, publication and dissemination of results of exit poll in any manner during the prohibited period is banned. "How is the illegality happening," he questioned. Referring to electoral b

Maharashtra polls: Seizures amount to Rs 660 cr; 8,668 complaints resolved

The seizures of cash, alcohol, and other items amid the poll code conduct for the Maharashtra assembly elections amounted to Rs 660.16 crore, while 8,668 of 8,678 complaints lodged through the C-Vigil app were resolved. As per the information shared by the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer, 8,678 complaints were lodged across Maharashtra via the Election Commission's C-Vigil app from October 15, when the model code of conduct kicked in, to November 18. Of these, 8,668 complaints were resolved. Enforcement agencies from the state and Central governments seized illegal items worth a staggering Rs 660.16 crore during the same period. The seized assets included cash, alcohol, drugs, and precious metals, the CEO's office stated. The strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct is underway in the state which votes on November 20 ensuring that the election process remains fair and transparent. The C-Vigil app and proactive enforcement measures have played a critical role in

Cong, BJP asks more time from EC to respond to poll code complaints

The Congress and the BJP have sought seven more days from the Election Commission to respond to poll code violation complaints filed by them against each other in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, sources said Monday. In the wake of the BJP and the Congress lodging complaints against each other with the EC for poll code violations, the election panel on Saturday had asked the presidents of the two parties to comment on the charges levelled against their leaders. The EC wrote separate letters to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, asking them to comment on the complaint of the other. The Commission exchanged the complaints between the two parties while seeking their responses. The EC has sought formal responses from both the party presidents by 1 pm on Monday (November 18). Now the two parties have sought from the EC seven more days to send their respective responses. While the Congress had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home

Over 12L workers may miss voting in Maha polls: Sugarcane cutters' body

More than 12 lakh sugarcane cutters from Marathwada, north Maharashtra, and Vidarbha could miss their opportunity to vote in the upcoming state assembly elections on November 20. With the cane crushing season set to commence on November 15, lakhs of cutters from various districts have already migrated to the sugarcane belts in western Maharashtra and many other states, according to the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association. The association has approached the Aurangabad High Court Bench, seeking directions to the Election Commission to ensure that this large group of voters is not deprived of their right to exercise their franchise. However, the West Indian Sugar Mills Association, claimed that proper arrangements would be made to send the workers to their hometowns to get their fingers inked on November 20. In their petition, Jeevan Rathod, president of the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association, said that 12-15 lakh cutters from Marathwada, north

Maharashtra elections: 6.3K poll violations reported, EC seizes cash, goods

The Election Commission has received 6,382 complaints related to model code violations in Maharashtra in the past month and has resolved all but one, while agencies under it have seized cash and goods worth more than Rs 536 crore. These complaints were filed through the cVIGIL app of the poll panel between October 15, when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force with the announcement of the election schedule, and November 14, said a statement issued by the office of state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Thursday. cVIGIL is a mobile application developed by the EC to enable citizens to report violations of the MCC during elections. Of the total complaints received in the past month, 6,381 have been resolved by the EC, said the statement. Once a complaint is filed, the relevant team investigates and takes appropriate action, it said. In an enforcement crackdown since October 15, various state and central agencies have seized assets worth Rs 536.45 crore, which include illeg

Amid controversy, EC checks bags of Maha CM Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar

Earlier today, the bags of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also checked by the poll officials at Palghar Police ground helipad as part of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Jharkhand Assembly elections Phase 1 highlights: 65% voter turnout in 43 seats till 5 pm

Jharkhand Assembly elections LIVE: Voters to decide if JMM stays in power or BJP-led NDA stages a comeback, catch all the LIVE updates here

Raut alleges huge money distribution ahead of Assembly polls, questions ECI

Taking a jibe at the ECI, Raut asked why only the vehicles and planes of opposition leaders are being checked

TMC complains to EC, claims poll code violation by BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

The Trinamool Congress on Monday complained to the Election Commission of India alleging that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari breached the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by making communal remarks during a campaign rally for the byelection to Taldangra assembly constituency. In West Bengal, bypolls will be held in six assembly constituencies on November 13, necessitated due to resignations of sitting MLAs of the six segments following their victory in this year's Lok Sabha elections. The TMC, in a complaint letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, alleged that the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, "made inflammatory and communal remarks" violating the MCC. The TMC sought immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India in enforcing "appropriate penal action including strict censorship of Suvendu Adhikari and BJP as a stakeholder political party for palpable violation of Model Code of Conduct. A 3-member TMC delegation, comprising lead

J'khand polls: Congress files complaint with ECI over BJP's 'false' ad

Congress claimed that the advertisement violated the Model Code of Conduct and other electoral laws. It alleged that the leaders of JMM, INC, and RJD were being portrayed in a negative and false light

Wayanad bypolls: EC seizes food kits with Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi's photos

The by-election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled for November 13

EC reschedules bypolls in UP, Punjab, Kerala from Nov 13 to Nov 20

The Election Commission on Monday rescheduled assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala from November 13 to November 20 in view of festivals, an official statement said. Nine seats are going to polls in Uttar Pradesh, four in Punjab and one in Kerala. Parties including Congress, BJP, BSP and RLD had urged the poll body to reschedule the polls in view of various festivals, saying that it could impact voter turnout. According to the Congress, a significant portion of the electorate in the Palakkad assembly seat in Kerala will celebrate the festival of Kalpathi Rastholsavam from November 13 to 15. In Punjab, the party had said, the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev will be celebrated on November 15 and an 'akhand path' will be organised from November 13 onwards. BJP, BSP and RLD had said that in Uttar Pradesh, people travel for three-four days ahead of Kartik Purnima, which will be celebrated on November 15.

ECI orders transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla ahead of polls

hief Secretary has been directed to submit a panel of three IPS officers for the appointment of the new DGP by 1 PM on November 5, 2024

Findings unacceptable: KC Venugopal on ECI's reply to Cong on Haryana polls

Earlier on November 1, the Congress submitted a 'counter response' to the ECI, describing its initial reply as 'generic' and focused on dismissing the complaints and their petitioners

EC accepts J'khand govt's proposal to appoint Alka Tiwari as chief secy

The Election Commission on Friday accepted the Jharkhand government's proposal to appoint Alka Tiwari as the chief secretary of the poll-bound state. Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be held in two phases -- November 13 and November 20. Tiwari, who is from the 1988 batch, is currently the senior-most IAS officer in the cadre. Before this, the poll panel had also consented to the proposal of a five-month extension of the tenure of former chief secretary Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte, sources said. Meanwhile, the state government issued a notification announcing the appointment of Tiwari as the chief secretary. "The proposal for appointment has been approved by the Election Commission of India," a notification from the department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha said. Her husband and 1986-batch retired IAS officer Dr DK Tiwari had earlier held the topmost bureaucratic post in the state. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a post on X said: "Mr Khiangte has retired

If goal is to strip itself of neutrality, EC is doing remarkable job: Cong

The Congress on Friday hit out at the Election Commission after it rejected allegations over irregularities in the Haryana assembly polls, saying if the poll panel's goal is to "strip itself of the last vestiges of neutrality", then it is doing a "remarkable job" at creating that impression. The opposition party claimed that the EC's reply was written in a tone that is condescending and warned that if the poll panel persists with such language then it would have no choice but to seek legal recourse to expunge such remarks. The Congress's response came days after the EC rejected allegations levelled by it over irregularities in the just-held assembly polls, saying the party was raising "the smoke of a generic doubt" about the credibility of an entire electoral outcome like it did in the past. In its letter to the EC signed by nine senior Congress leaders, including general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, the party said, "We have carefully studied your response to ou

Jharkhand polls: MS Dhoni to work for voter mobilisation in state, says EC

Dhoni will work to increase awareness among voters under the SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) programme

EC allows candidates to apply for rally permissions on 'Suvidha 2.0' app

The Election Commission has updated its mobile application to allow candidates and parties seek permission for rallies and other campaign-related activities. Candidates and parties, the poll body said, can now apply for campaign-related permissions also in the new and upgraded Suvidha 2.0 mobile application. So far, candidates and parties could only track the status and download approvals on the app and applications for seeking permission could only be done through offline mode or a web-based portal. The platform works on a 'first in, first out' principle and ensures transparent permissions, thereby removing any discretion. The Election Commission constantly endeavours to leverage technology to provide a level-playing field for candidates and parties in elections and the launch of Suvidha 2.0 is yet another step towards technologically empowered elections as candidates who are always on the move during polls can now easily apply and track permissions from their mobile phones, Chief