Page 34 - Election Commission Of India

SBI refuses to disclose details of electoral bonds under RTI Act

The State Bank of India (SBI) has refused to disclose under the RTI Act the details of the electoral bonds furnished to the Election Commission (EC), claiming that it is personal information held in a fiduciary capacity, even though the records are in the public domain on the poll panel's website. Holding that the electoral bonds scheme was "unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary", the Supreme Court directed the SBI on February 15 to furnish the complete details of the bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 to the EC, which would publish the information on its website by March 13. On March 11, the court dismissed the SBI's petition seeking an extension of the deadline and ordered it to disclose the details of the electoral bonds to the EC by the close of business hours on March 12. RTI activist Commodore (retired) Lokesh Batra approached the SBI on March 13 seeking the complete data of the electoral bonds in the digital form, as provided to the EC after the Supreme Court's order.

No bar on political parties from contesting municipal polls: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has said there is no bar under the Constitution on political parties, which are granted recognition by the State Election Commission (SEC), from contesting municipal polls. The court has also said the allocation of poll symbols to political parties by the SEC for municipal elections is reasonable and not arbitrary. The court passed an order to this effect while dismissing a petition that had sought a direction to the SEC here to stop putting the reserved symbols for political parties on the list of contesting candidates. The plea had also sought a direction to the SEC to conduct the election to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) without the reserved symbols, which allegedly violated the petitioner's fundamental rights as enshrined under Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution. "In light of the law laid down by the Supreme Court, the recognition granted by the SEC to the political parties to contest municipal elections is within its jurisdicti

Nominations for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls to begin tomorrow: ECI

The Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases, with voters across the country going to the polls on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1

Lok Sabha elections 3rd phase: Schedule for filing nominations announced

Election Commission says April 19 is the last date for filing nominations and candidates can withdraw from the race till April 22

LS polls: BRS complains to EC against CM Revanth Reddy, Telangana BJP

The BRS in Telangana on Wednesday complained to the Election Commission against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the state BJP for alleged violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC)which is in force for the Lok Sabha elections. The BRS submitted separate representations to the EC in this regard. The BRS urged the EC to immediately ban Revanth Reddy from campaigning for the parliamentary elections and initiate an action against him and the Congress for alleged violation of the MCC. The BRS also sought immediate banning of the BJP's 'X' page from campaigning and prosecution of persons responsible for allegedly "morphing" the faces of prominent leaders of the BRS. Referring to a speech of CM Revanth Reddy at a Congress public meeting organised on the city's outskirts on April 6, the BRS alleged that he used the "most abusive and filthy language and also passed derogatory comments" against BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The BRS alleged that whi

LS elections: Neeraj Shekhar to contest from Ballia; Kher and Joshi axed

From Chandigarh, the BJP has fielded its Chandigarh unit chief Sanjay Tandon. From UP's Ghazipur, the BJP has fielded Paras Nath Rai against the SP's Afzal Ansari

Postal ballots stamp their voice: Lok Sabha election's phase 1 voting on

The latest state elections show a higher share of postal ballots, according to an analysis of Election Commission of India data

LS polls: EC orders action on anonymous political hoarding after complaints

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed clear identification of the printer and publisher on printed election-related material, including hoardings, in a bid to ensure accountability and transparency in poll campaigning. The poll authority said the decision was taken by it after representations were received stating that in hoarding spaces controlled by municipal authorities, hoardings without the identity of the printer or publisher have been noticed. The Aam Aadmi Party had also approached the EC on the issue recently. The EC pointed to section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which prohibits the printing or publishing of election pamphlets, posters, placards, or banners without prominently displaying the name and address of the printer and publisher. This requirement of disclosing the identity of publishers serves as a cornerstone for regulating campaign financing and fixing of responsibility in case content is found unbecoming of the framework of the Mo

LS polls: Cong MP files complaint against Assam CM over MCC 'violation'

Congress MP and Lok Sabha poll candidate from Nagaon constituency in Assam, Pradyut Bordoloi, has filed a complaint against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that he violated the model code of conduct by offering money to all ration cardholders during the ongoing election campaign. Bordoloi filed the complaint to the chief election commissioner on Tuesday night, alleging that Sarma, in a public meeting in Lakhimpur during the day, made a promise to transfer Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of every ration cardholder after the election. Stating that such assurances are a "clear violation" of MCC, the Congress leader said, "Such promises are not only unethical but also an attempt to influence voters through financial inducements, thereby compromising the integrity of the electoral process". He urged the ECI to investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action against the chief minister for his "misconduct". Bordoloi also filed another complaint with the chief ...

Electoral bond scheme 'muddied waters' of political donations: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday cited a media report which claimed that at least 20 newly incorporated firms purchased electoral bonds worth about Rs 103 crore, as it alleged that the Narendra Modi government's scheme deliberately "muddied the waters" of corporate political donations. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a report by The Hindu, which said that despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions, data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about Rs 103 crore. Ramesh alleged there are four primary channels of corruption in the "electoral bond scam" and everyday a new dimension emerges to the "PayPM Scam", "confirming the shocking reality of the corruption which has engulfed this country through Narendra Modi's encouragement". "An update on the 'Farzi Companies' who have been donating chanda to political parties - 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo. 2.Theka Lo, Rishvat Do 3.Hafta .

Challenges for ECI

Young voters must be encouraged to vote

Lok Sabha polls highlights: 'Sea of saffron' gathered at MP rally shows what LS results will be, says PM

General Elections 2024 highlights: Catch all the highlights of the announcements related to General Elections 2024 here

EC asks CBDT to verify Rajeev Chandrasekhar's poll affidavit details

The Election Commission on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to verify any mismatch in affidavit details submitted by Union minister and BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat Rajeev Chandrasekhar, sources said. The Congress had moved the poll panel claiming a mismatch in actual and declared assets in the affidavit filed by Chandrasekhar, who is in the fray against former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor. According to procedure, the EC has directed the CBDT to verify any mismatch in affidavit details submitted by Chandrasekhar, the sources said. Any mismatch and falsification of affidavit is dealt with under Section 125 A of the Representation of the People Act 1951, they said. As per the law, concealing any information in nomination papers or affidavit is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine, or both.

LS polls: 1,210 candidates to contest across 13 states in phase two

As many as 1,210 candidates are in fray for phase two of Lok Sabha polls to be held on April 26, the Election Commission said on Tuesday. In phase two, Kerala has a maximum of 500 nominations from 20 parliamentary constituencies, followed by 491 nominations from 14 seats in Karnataka. The least number of 14 nominations were received from one constituency in Tripura, while Nanded seat in Maharashtra received a maximum of 92 nominations, the poll authority said. A total of 2,633 nominations were filed for 88 constituencies across 12 states and UTs going for polls in phase two. After the scrutiny of 2,633 nominations filed, 1,428 were found to be valid. But after some candidates withdrew nominations, 1,210 remain in race. Monday was the last day to withdraw from the electoral race. Fifteen assembly segments in Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency will go to polls on April 19 in phase one and 13 assembly segments of the Lok Sabha seat will go to polls on April 26 in phase two.

LS polls: Assam CEO issues notice to Cong over model code violation charges

The Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued notice to the Congress on allegation of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), raised by the BJP. A complaint was filed by the BJP on Monday, alleging that the Congress 'guarantee cards', which are being distributed house-to-house, were in violation of the MCC. The CEO issued a show-cause notice to the state Congress president on Monday evening, seeking a response within 2 pm of April 11. "Whereas on the basis of a prima facie scrutiny, it appears that these Guarantee Cards bearing the Symbol and Photographs of Star Campaigners of your party are violative of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines," the notice said. It said the complaint by BJP stated that the 'guarantee cards' promised Rs one lakh to every educated youth in the first year and Rs one lakh per year to one female member of every poor family, without disclosing the source of funds to fulfil these promises. The CEO maintained that prima facie scrutiny indicated th

EC to install GPS location tracker in vehicles used for LS polls in WB

The Election Commission has decided to install GPS location tracking system in all vehicles that will be used for polling purposes in West Bengal, an official said on Monday. A communication in this regard has been sent to the poll workers, he said. "The GPS tracking system will be used to monitor the movement of EVMs and other polling materials from the distribution/dispersion centre and receipt centre (DCRC) to the polling station on the day before the elections, and to ensure that no tampering occurs while bringing them to the strong room after polling," the official said. The poll body has asked the administration to take prompt action if any discrepancy is noticed, besides questioning the drivers of the vehicles concerned and the staff in-charge of the EVMs, he said. Meanwhile, the commission on Monday appointed Joint Secretary of the School Education Department Arnab Chatterjee as the Joint Chief Election Officer in the CEC. Chatterjee succeeds Rahul Nath, an official order

TMC delegation meets Bengal Guv, slam EC for detention of leaders in Delhi

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday criticised the detention of party leaders by Delhi Police during their peaceful protest outside the Election Commission's office, denouncing it as a "black day in democracy." Banerjee, who led an 11-member TMC delegation to Raj Bhavan including senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Bratya Basu and Sashi Panja, told reporters after meeting Governor C V Ananda Bose that the EC's role in the entire incident was "unfortunate and deplorable". Banerjee said the commission cannot evade responsibility for the unjust treatment of Bengal's representatives. "What happened in Delhi is a black day in democracy. None of our leaders, many of them MPs or former MPs, was carrying arms. Yet they were bodily lifted during the peaceful protest and bundled into waiting vehicles by Delhi Police. The poll panel cannot absolve its responsibility in the incident," he told waiting reporters outside Raj Bhavan. The delegation pressed upon the governor to step in an

152 candidates left in fray for 2nd phase of Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan

Thirty-one candidates withdrew their nominations on Monday, leaving 152 in the fray for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, officials said. With this, a total of 266 candidates -- 114 in first phase and 152 in second phase -- are in the contest for the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said 31 candidates from 10 out of 13 Lok Sabha constituencies under the second phase withdrew their nomination papers on Monday, the last day for withdrawal. Interestingly, Congress candidate from Banswara Arvind Damor did not withdraw his nomination paper despite the party's decision to support Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP). Also the party's candidate for Bagidora assembly bypoll of Banswara district, Kapur Singh, did not withdraw his nomination. Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had posted on X on Sunday evening that the party will support BAP candidates for the Banswara Lok Sabha seat and Bagidora assembly bypoll

SC to hear plea for voting facilities for 18k displaced people in Manipur

The Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear a plea seeking voting facilities for around 18,000 people displaced internally due to the ethnic strife in Manipur for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The polling for two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, with the counsel telling the court that the first phase of polling has to take place on April 19. "There are 18,000 internally displaced people. They want to vote in the elections in Manipur," the lawyer said. "I will give you an early date," the CJI assured the advocate. Manipur has been caught in a spiral of violence since May 2023. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the major

10 TMC MPs sit on 24-hour dharna outside Election Commission office

The leaders are alleging that the probe agencies are targeting Opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections