Page 2 - Election Commission Of India

EC directs police to take action over objectionable post targeting WB CM

The Election Commission on Monday directed the police to take stern action over an objectionable social media post, allegedly targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, officials said. Sharing a screenshot of the objectionable post, the TMC had claimed on Sunday night that a "self-proclaimed 'right-wing nationalist' from UP and a BJP supporter" had made the "vile, insulting, filthy, and highly objectionable caricature of Hon'ble Mamata Banerjee" on social media. It said the post was taken down following a formal complaint. An EC official said necessary directions have been issued to the police to ensure prompt action. "We have taken serious note of it and instructed the police to initiate immediate action. The matter was brought to our attention, and necessary directions have been issued to ensure action," he said. Meanwhile, TMC member Nilanjan Das lodged a complaint with the cybercrime unit of the Bidhannagar Police regarding the matter. Police said an investigation

Record 93.19% turnout in first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls: EC

The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections recorded a voter turnout of 93.19 per cent, the highest ever in the state, the Election Commission said on Saturday. Polling for the first phase was held on April 23 across 152 assembly segments in 16 districts, and 3.36 crore of the total 3.61 crore voters exercised their franchise, it said. Of those who voted, 1.65 crore were women and 1.71 crore were men, it added. The highest turnout was recorded in Cooch Behar district at 96.2 per cent, followed by Dakshin Dinajpur at 95.44 per cent and Malda at 94.79 per cent. Jalpaiguri recorded a turnout of 94.76 per cent, Birbhum of 94.51 per cent and Uttar Dinajpur of 94.16 per cent. Murshidabad registered 93.67 per cent turnout, Alipurduar 93.2 per cent, Purba Medinipur 92.75 per cent, Bankura 92.55 per cent, Jhargram 92.26 per cent, Paschim Medinipur 92.19 per cent, and Purulia 91.59 per cent. Paschim Bardhaman registered a 90.32 per cent turnout. Darjeeling recorded 88.98 per cent

ECI set to release exact voter turnout for 234-seat TN Assembly polls

The Election Commission is all set to release the exact number of persons who have exercised their franchise in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, on Saturday. The voter turnout figures will include details of gender divisions: male, female and transgender. The single-phase elections to the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly were held on April 23, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4. In addition, the ECI authorities here will be inspecting all the strong rooms where the EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units are kept. A senior ECI official here said that the 85.15 per cent voter turnout figures, released on the date of polling, are not final and they are based on data received from a subset of polling stations. He said the actual number of votes polled at each polling station is formally recorded in Form 17C, which will be cross-verified with the data in the ECI headquarters. The poll authorities have begun scrutinising the total number of voters since Frida

EC orders suspension of 5 police officers over 'misconduct' during WB polls

The Election Commission has directed the West Bengal government to suspend five police officials in Diamond Harbour and initiate disciplinary action against them, for "serious misconduct" and allegedly failing to maintain neutrality during the assembly polls, officials said on Saturday. In a communication to the state chief secretary, the poll panel said the action followed a report submitted by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal about the conduct of police personnel. The officers to be suspended are Additional Superintendent of Police Sandip Garai, SDPO Sajal Mondal, Diamond Harbour police station's inspector-in-charge Mausam Chakraborty, Falta police station inspector-in-charge Ajay Bag and Usthi police station officer-in-charge Subhechha Bag. "After considering the facts and circumstances of the matter, the commission directs that these officers may be suspended forthwith and disciplinary proceedings be initiated for their serious misconduct and failure to maintain

No repoll recommended in any polling stations of Tamil Nadu, Bengal: EC

The EC on Friday said no repoll has been recommended in any of the 44,376 polling stations in West Bengal where voting was held during the first phase on April 23, indicating largely peaceful conduct of the exercise. According to a senior Election Commission official, the polling process was completed without any major disruption that would warrant fresh voting at any booth. "No repoll has been recommended in any of the 44,376 polling stations of West Bengal where polls were held on Thursday," the official told PTI. The Commission said reports received from the ground did not flag any significant irregularities affecting the integrity of the voting process. The official added that standard scrutiny mechanisms, including inputs from observers and field reports, were carefully reviewed before arriving at the decision. The first phase of polling in the state covered 152 constituencies across 16 districts, achieving a record 92.6 per cent of voter turnout amid the deployment of centra

EC issues fresh post-poll guidelines for Bengal assembly elections

The Election Commission issued a fresh set of post-poll guidelines for the West Bengal assembly elections, laying down strict protocols for handling surveillance cameras and video data after voting concludes, a senior official said. Under the new guidelines issued on Thursday, SD cards used in polling booth cameras cannot be removed immediately after voting ends, and officials concerned will only be permitted to dismount the cameras, which must then remain under the sector officer's supervision, he said. "The SD cards can be removed only at the designated data collection and receiving centre in the presence of the Assistant Returning Officer," he said. All video footage captured during polling must be securely and systematically preserved, the election official said. "No member of the polling party or Booth Level Officer (BLO) can leave the polling station until the camera equipment has been fully dismounted," he said. Meanwhile, a trial run of webcasting for the second phase of .

Tamil Nadu, Bengal see highest voter turnout since Independence: EC

Record turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal polls; Election Commission of India hails voters as participation hits historic highs since Independence

Strong rooms, unsealed rooms shouldn't be opened under any circumstance: EC

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued clear directions to all District Election Officers and Returning Officers in Kerala not to open any strong rooms under any circumstances before the day the votes are counted. The direction was issued by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar following reports of a strong room storing EVMs in Perambra constituency in Kozhikode being opened on Monday, and reported plans to open another one in Nenmara constituency in Palakkad. "It has been reiterated that under no circumstances shall any strong rooms or unsealed rooms be opened or accessed for the purpose of preparing Index Cards or verifying data in the ENCORE portal. "All concerned officers have been directed to ensure strict compliance with these instructions to safeguard the integrity, transparency, and security of the electoral process," a statement issued by Kelkar's office said. On Monday, the Kozhikode district administration had clarified that no strong room was opened. Colle

Opposition plans to move notice seeking removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Undeterred by the rejection of their earlier notices, opposition parties are planning a fresh move to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, sources said on Saturday. According to highly placed sources, leaders from several opposition parties are in talks, and at least five senior MPs from different parties -- including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the DMK -- are working on drafting a new notice to initiate removal proceedings. It has, however, not yet been decided which House the notice would be moved in, or whether it would be introduced in both Houses as was done last time, the source added. Buoyed by the defeat of The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha on Friday, opposition leaders are aiming to secure more MPs' signatures on the notice and are looking at garnering at least 200, the source said. "We want to make a statement. We first need to prove that the number last time was underestimated," the sour

Bengal SIR: Logical discrepancy not recognised term under EC, says Mamata

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that "logical discrepancy" under the SIR exercise is not an officially recognised term under the Election Commission framework and was selectively applied in West Bengal, unlike Bihar, to benefit the BJP. Addressing a public rally at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, she said she has not seen a "dirty party" like the BJP. The West Bengal chief minister, urging people to vote against the BJP, said, "The BJP has snatched everything from you... Voting against it would be your only way to take revenge." The BJP is holding rallies at places that have direct railway connectivity with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar so that they can bring in people from those states to fill up the venues, she alleged. Elections to the 294-member assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and the votes will be counted on May 4.

SC seeks Centre, EC's reply on biometric voter verification plea

The Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and ECI on a plea for biometric and facial voter verification, noting legal changes and costs would be required

SC seeks Centre, EC's response on plea for biometric voter verification

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, Election Commission and others on a plea seeking to implement finger and iris biometric identification system at polling stations to prevent duplicate voting. While agreeing to hear the plea, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made clear that the prayer sought in the petition can't be considered for the current state Assembly elections in some states. "However, whether such a recourse deserves to be followed before the next parliamentary election and/or state assembly elections needs to be examined. Issue notice," the bench said. The top court issued notice to the Centre, the poll panel and several other states seeking their responses on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Upadhyay, who appeared in person, told the bench that the prayer sought in the plea would prevent bribery and proxy voting. The bench observed that it would require major changes in the rules and would incur

SC notice to Centre, EC on plea to implement biometrics at polling stations

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to implement finger and iris biometric identification system at polling stations to prevent duplicate voting. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made clear that the prayer sought in the plea can't be considered for the current state Assembly elections in some states. "However, whether such a recourse deserves to be followed before the next parliamentary election and/or state assembly elections needs to be examined. Issue notice," the bench said. The top court sought responses from the Centre, the poll panel and several other states on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. "The injury to citizens is extremely large as bribery, undue influence, personation, duplicate voting and ghost voting still affects the purity and integrity of the electoral process," the plea submitted.

Over 36 mn voters eligible for first phase of Assembly polls in Bengal: EC

More than 3.6 crore electors across 16 districts will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections on April 23, according to data released by the Election Commission on Saturday. The electoral rolls for the first phase comprise 1.84 crore males, 1.75 crore females and 465 persons of the third gender, the EC data showed. Among the districts, Murshidabad accounts for the highest number of voters at 50.26 lakh, followed by Purba Medinipur at 41.60 lakh and Paschim Medinipur at 37.70 lakh. At the other end, Kalimpong has the lowest number of voters at 2.01 lakh. Polling will be held for 152 seats in the first phase, while 142 seats in the second phase will vote on April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4. In northern Bengal, Cooch Behar has 22.63 lakh electors, while Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar have 17.19 lakh and 11.64 lakh voters, respectively. Darjeeling district accounts for 11.10 lakh voters, according to EC data. Utt

West Bengal SIR: SC to hear plea against EC's voter roll freeze on Apr 13

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on April 13 a fresh plea along with pending ones challenging the freezing of electoral rolls by the Election Commission ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal. The poll panel has frozen and finalised the electoral rolls on April 9 for the assembly seats which are going to polls in the first stage. Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29 and votes will be counted for all polls on May 4. The freezing of electoral rolls means that no new person, who has been deleted, can be added to the voters list for this assembly polls. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi was urged by a lawyer to take up the plea against freezing on an urgent basis. The lawyer said many appeals against deletions from the electoral rolls are still pending and the poll panel has frozen the rolls on April 9. "We will consider the petition on April 13," the CJI ...

Kerala polls: EC seeks removal of political ads from online platforms

The EC on Wednesday noted that political advertisements were appearing on channels and online platforms on the eve of the April 9 Kerala Assembly polls and sought that they be removed immediately. The instruction was circulated by the EC's Kerala office in an official WhatsApp group comprising media groups and journalists. "Advertisements are appearing on channels and online platforms. This is not permitted during the silence period. It is requested that these be withdrawn immediately," the message said. According to the EC, campaigning through public meetings, rallies, media interactions and election-related interviews was strictly prohibited during the silence period to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. It has also directed that no person shall display to the public any 'election matter' by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus, including radio, during the 48 hours ending with the conclusion of the poll. The 'election matter' will include

TMC writes to ECI over 'compromised' officials, raises neutrality concerns

Polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4

Nearly 9.1 mn names deleted from Bengal electoral rolls after SIR exercise

Nearly 91 lakh voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal following the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the state, according to data released by the Election Commission. The poll panel is yet to announce the finally altered voter base for the state after the roll revision process. According to official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the electorate, were deleted since the SIR process began in November last year, reducing the voter base from about 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore. More than 60.06 lakh electors, who were placed in the "under adjudication" category, were part of the 7.04 crore voter base. Over 27.16 lakh of 60.06 lakh 'under adjudication' voters have been deleted during a scrutiny by judicial officers, the EC data said. More than 32.68 lakh of those in the 'under adjudication' category have been retained and included in the final rolls. The final deletions, since the beginning of the SIR process,

UP SIR: Final electoral roll to be published on April 10, says CEO

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa on Monday said the final electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise will be published on April 10, with the Election Commission committed to ensuring an accurate and error-free list. Rinwa made the remarks during a surprise visit to Mathura, where he chaired a meeting with senior district officials and electoral registration officers to review the progress of the SIR campaign. The meeting was attended by District Magistrate and District Election Officer Chandra Prakash Singh, Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) and Deputy District Election Officer Pankaj Kumar Verma, along with sub-divisional magistrates, additional city magistrates, assistant district election officers and tehsildars. Referring to the revision of the electoral rolls for assembly constituencies with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date, Rinwa said the final voter list will be published on April 10. He directed all electo

No ads by political parties in media on Apr 8, 9 without MCMC clearance: EC

The Election Commission has directed all political parties and candidates contesting in the Kerala Assembly polls on April 9, not to publish any advertisements in print media, on polling day and its eve, without getting the contents pre-certified by the MCMC committee. The directive, issued by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar late Friday night, stated that offending, misleading, or inflammatory advertisements published in print media during the final stages of an election can vitiate the entire electoral process. "At such a critical juncture, affected parties and candidates often lack the opportunity to provide necessary rebuttals," it said. Therefore, exercising the powers under Article 324 of the Constitution, the EC directed that no political party, candidate, organisation, or person shall publish any advertisement in print media on April 8 and 9 unless the contents are got pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or ..