Page 33 - Election Commission Of India

Not found it correct to take step that could overlap legal process, says EC

Amid allegations by opposition parties that the government was misusing probe agencies to target its leaders, the Election Commission on Tuesday asserted that while it remains committed to protecting level playing field and campaign entitlement of parties and candidates, it has not found it correct to take any step that could overlap or overrun the legal judicial process. In a statement, the poll authority said it was guided by constitutional wisdom when presented with "live situations" involving political persons which have been under active consideration and orders of the courts based on criminal investigations. "While the Commission remained unwaveringly committed to protection of level playing field and campaign entitlement of political parties and candidates, it has not found it correct to take any step that could overlap or overrun the legal judicial process. Several political parties from the INDIA bloc had approached the poll panel, accusing the government of using probe ...

Lok Sabha polls: ECI has seized over Rs 100 crore per day since March 1

Lok Sabha polls: The Election Commission of India seized Rs 3,475 cr during the entire 2019 Lok Sabha polls. This time it has seized Rs 4,650 crore already

Worry takes root even as hope grows in fields of western Uttar Pradesh

Sugarcane farmers, whom Business Standard spoke to, shared that conditions have improved over the last decade; however, there are still unfulfilled needs

BJP's manifesto a collection of jumlas, INDIA bloc will win: Congress

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said the manifesto released by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a "collection of jumlas". Dotasra said the manifesto neither has the actual report card of the BJP's 10 years of rule, nor does it present any vision for reducing the basic problems faced by the country's people such as inflation and unemployment. The BJP released its Lok Sabha poll manifesto - 'Sankalp Patra'- on Sunday, prioritising development and welfare while shunning populist measures and contentious issues like the NRC, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitching for electing a strong and stable government in an uncertain world. Pointing out that the BJP's manifesto is just a "collection of jumlas", Dotasra, in a statement, said people no longer have faith in the party's promises. The Congress leader added that the BJP will have to face a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and the INDI Alliance will form its government at the Centre w

EC seizes record $557 million in illicit cash, goods before LS elections

The commission has vowed to crack down on black money used to bribe voters in the world's biggest election, which kicks off on Friday

LS polls: Mamata dares I-T officials to check chopper of BJP leaders

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the Income tax officials to check the chopper used by BJP leaders for the election campaign, a day after a row erupted over the TMC's claim of a "raid" by income tax officials targeting a helicopter used by party leader Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, alleged that the BJP is misusing central agencies against the TMC ahead of the elections. "Income Tax officials conducted a raid and searched Abhishek Banerjee's chopper before the trial run but found nothing. Those I-T officials claimed that we had inputs that there was money and gold in the chopper, but they found nothing. We don't engage in such acts. "It is the BJP that is involved in such things. But will the officials of the central agency ever dare to check BJP leaders' choppers," she said. The Trinamool Congress on Sunday said its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's helicopter was raided by Income Tax officials in Kolkata's Behala flying clu

BJP's idea that India should have only one leader is insulting, says Rahul

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of imposing the idea of "one leader in the country" and said it was an "insult" to the people of the nation. India is like a bouquet of flowers and each one has to be respected because it promotes the beauty of entire bouquet, the Wayanad MP said. "This idea that India should have only one leader is an insult to every single young Indian," he said. Gandhi was addressing party workers and voters in this high range constituency after a massive road show as part of his election campaign. He asked why India could not have more leaders and claimed that this line of thought is the main difference between the Congress and the BJP. The MP said the Congress wants to listen to the people of the country and love and respect their beliefs, language, religion, culture. But, the BJP wants to impose something from the top, he alleged. "We did not get freedom from the British to be colonised by the ideology of the

ECI permitted WB to pay ex-gratia to families affected by storm: Adhikari

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

LS polls: U'khand to cast votes at over 11,000 polling booths on Apr 19

Notably, among the 543 Lok Sabha seats, Uttarakhand contributes just five seats

MCC nodal officer issues warning to Shashi Tharoor over 'unverified claims'

Tharoor claimed that Chandrasekhar was offering money to voters and religious leaders in exchange for votes

EC takes care of electoral rolls, not me: Owaisi on bogus votes allegation

Rejecting BJP Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate K Madhavi Latha's allegation of about six lakh bogus votes in the constituency, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said the Election Commission takes care of the issue of voters' lists. Owaisi, who is seeking re-election from Hyderabad constituency, wondered what his role was in the matter. The AIMIM leader said the process of addition of names and publication of final voters' list is carried out every year by the Election Commission which he does not head. He was responding to a query from reporters about Madhavi Latha's charge that Owaisi wins with the help of the six lakh bogus votes The allegation amounts to "abusing" the Election Commission, he added. "By speaking like this, you are insulting Hyderabad electorate, which includes brothers from backward class and Dalits, minority Muslims, Christians who are going out to vote. Because of their votes, every party is getting votes and AIMIM is successful," he told reporters. A

Special polling booths arranged for 5K voters displaced by Manipur violence

All arrangements to enable displaced people to vote have been made in accordance with the guidance received from the central government

Friends are foes, foes turned friends in Maharashtra's electoral battle

With parties breaking up and new alliances forming, Maharashtra is seeing head-spinning political realignments in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where one-time colleagues have become rivals, and enemies have become allies. An illustration of this was on display at Union minister Amit Shah's rally in Nanded on Thursday where former chief minister Ashok Chavan and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Pratap Patil Chikhalikar shared the stage. Chikhalikar, then the MLA of undivided Shiv Sena from Loha in Latur district, joined the BJP in 2019 and went on to defeat sitting Congress MP Ashok Chavan from Nanded, a Congress bastion, in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Modi, at a campaign rally then, had targeted Chavan over the Adarsh society scam, while then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said Chavan was a "dealer and not a leader." Chavan joined the BJP in February this year, and became its Rajya Sabha member. He is now campaigning for Chikhalikar and other BJP candidates in the .

Lok Sabha polls: CSDS survey reveals dip in trust in Election Commission

The decline in the trust in poll body corresponds to doubts over the electronic voting machines and the alleged use of federal agencies by the ruling party for personal vendetta

Lok Sabha polls 2024: EC updates 'Form M' procedure for Kashmiri migrants

Kashmiri migrant voters in Jammu and Udhampur zones won't fill out Form M anymore; they'll be assigned 'special polling stations'

Violation of law: CIC pulls up EC for not replying to RTI query on EVMs

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has expressed "severe displeasure" over the Election Commission (EC) not furnishing a reply to an RTI plea that had asked the poll panel about the action taken on a "representation" given to it by eminent citizens, raising questions on the credibility of EVMs and VVPAT machines during elections. Terming it a "gross violation" of the law, the CIC has also directed the EC to submit a written explanation. Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer M G Devasahayam, who was one of the signatories to the representation on the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) and the vote-counting process, had filed an application with the poll panel under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking details of the action taken on it. The representation was sent to the EC on May 2, 2022. Through the RTI application filed on November 22, 2022, Devasahayam wanted to know about the persons and public .

Nomination process for 4 Assam Lok Sabha seats in third phase begins

The nomination process for four Lok Sabha constituencies, including Guwahati, in Assam going to polls in the third phase began on Friday, the Election Commission said. The process started with issuance of the notification for the third phase across the country. Voting in Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar (ST) constituencies will take place in the third phase on May 7. As per the notification, the last date of filing nomination is April 19, while the scrutiny of the same will be done the next day. The last day for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on April 22. The counting of votes will take place on June 4 along with the rest of the country. In the high-profile Guwahati constituency, BJP's new face Bijuli Kalita Medhi, who is a vice president of Assam BJP and the former president of the party's women wing in the state, is likely to have a direct contest with Congress first-timer Mira Barthakur Goswami, the president of Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress. From the ruling

Case booked against BJP TN prez Annamalai over alleged poll violation

A case has been booked against BJP state President and Coimbatore candidate K Annamalai and a few members of his party over an alleged poll campaign time violation, police said here on Friday. DMK workers and their allies, the Left parties, objected to BJP members campaigning beyond the Election Commission's stipulated time on Thursday night and this led to a quarrel between the two parties at Avarampalayam area, police said. Following a complaint lodged by a DMK member, Peelamedu police booked cases against four BJP functionaries under various sections of the IPC. Meanwhile, local DMK functionaries petitioned the district collector seeking action against the BJP candidate for allegedly campaigning beyond the deadline set by the Election Commission.

Nomination process begins for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha elections on May 7

The nomination process for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls to be held in 94 constituencies across 12 states on May 7 began on Friday. The process started after a notification was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the President. April 19 is the last date for the filing of papers. Separately, another notification was issued for the "adjourned" poll in the Betul constituency of Madhya Pradesh, the EC said. The election in the Betul Lok Sabha seat was "adjourned" following the death of the BSP's candidate. In case a candidate of a recognised national or state party dies before the polls, the election is postponed to allow the party to identify and field a fresh candidate. Voting in the Betul constituency was earlier scheduled to be held in the second phase on April 26. The states and union territories included in the third phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya

Congress' Muttemwar writes to EC over agitation by BJP near his Nagpur home

Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar has written a letter to the Election Commission seeking action against BJP activists for holding an agitation in front of his Nagpur home, calling the stir illegal and violation of the Model Code of Conduct in place for the Lok Sabha elections. The April 5 agitation also violated prohibitory orders enforced in the area where his residence is located, the former Union minister said. Muttemwar, in his letter to the EC, said as a Congress member he has been actively participating in election campaign of party candidate from Nagpur Lok Sabha seat Vikas Thakre and addressing poll meetings in his support. The Congress leader said he came to know from media persons that activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were planning an agitation in front of his residence for some statements made by him during the election campaign. "Around 6.30 pm on April 5, around 40 members the BJP came in groups and assembled at Shankar Nagar Square near my residence, ...