Page 35 - Election Commission Of India

Cong moves EC against PM Modi, BJP over 'Muslim League' jab at manifesto

'We are deeply saddened by what the Prime Minister says in his speeches,' said the Congress

Lok Sabha polls 2024: All you need to know about phase seven of polls

The elections for the seventh phase will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies, and it will cover eight states and UTs

TMC leaders to meet EC officials today regarding misuse of central agencies

A 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation will meet Election Commission officials in New Delhi on Monday to complain about "misuse" of central investigating agencies against TMC leaders and party candidates. The delegation will be led by TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien and MP Dola Sen is also likely to meet the full bench of the Election Commission. "The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen told reporters at the airport before leaving for New Delhi. The TMC alleged on Sunday an "unholy alliance" between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and BJP ahead of elections, prompting the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as "unfortunate". A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 bl

Manipur LS polls: Over 24k displaced people to vote from relief camps

Eleven months of conflict, over 50,000 displaced people and an anti-poll sentiment among few---the Election Commission in violence-hit Manipur is gearing up for the challenging task of holding Lok Sabha elections in the state where the poll scene is muted. Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Kumar Jha said over 24,500 displaced people have been identified as eligible to vote in the upcoming elections and special arrangements have been made for them to cast their franchise from relief camps. "A total of 2,955 polling stations will be set up in the state for the Lok Sabha elections, out of which around 50 per cent have been identified as sensitive, vulnerable or critical. We are also setting up 94 special polling stations to facilitate voting by internally displaced persons (IDPs), Jha told PTI. As per Election Commission of India (ECI) norms, a vulnerability mapping of hamlets, villages and electoral segments vulnerable for threat and intimidation, is conducted ahead of polls. "Special

Extended poll timings, ORS, medical teams to help voters deal with heat

In anticipation of intense heat during the Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand, comprehensive measures have been put in place to mitigate the effects of heat waves on voters, officials, and security personnel. These include extending poll timings, setting up makeshift sheds, providing ORS and lemon water, and deploying medical teams and ambulances, an election official said. The elections will be conducted in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with Jharkhand's voting taking place on May 13, 20, 25, and June 1 for its 14 seats. With over 2.55 crore eligible voters, including 1.25 crore women, increasing voter turnout amidst the heatwave presents a significant challenge for both the state and the Election Commission. In 2019, Jharkhand's overall voter turnout was 66.8 per cent, lower than the national average of 67.4 per cent. To address this measures such as extending polling hours from 7 am to 5 pm and providing temporary shelters at booths have been implemented. Additionally, facili

Traders at Manipur's women-run Ima market question relevance of elections

Amidst the lingering aftermath of ethnic conflicts, the women traders at Manipur's iconic 'Ima market' -- the only market in the world run entirely by women -- have expressed a deafening lack of enthusiasm towards the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Questioning the relevance of the electoral process amidst the ongoing turmoil, the women traders from various market associations, are contemplating a boycott of the polls with their major grievance being -- "the nation forgot Manipur". Nema Devi, a seasoned fish vendor at the market, reflects the sentiment shared by many, emphasising the absence of tangible change despite months of unrest. "Even 11 months after the violence, there has not been a resolution and no restoration of peace. We continue to live by the rule of taking one day at a time. Living in continuous fear and going ahead with our usual lives. "What will change with the elections? The nation, the government, everybody forgot Manipur," 52-year-old Devi, who has been running

BJP wasn't formed to make anyone PM or CM, hence never split: Fadnavis

The Bharatiya Janata Party was not established to make anyone the prime minister or the chief minister and hence never faced an internal division, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday. The senior BJP claimed that theirs is the only national party in the country's history that has not experienced a split. Addressing his party workers during an event here to mark the 44th foundation day of the BJP, Fadnavis asked the cadres to work as the soldiers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a developed country. From leaders like Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi to PM Modi, all have worked to grow the party, he said. BJP leaders were never self-centred or selfish, Fadnavis said. This party was never made for making anyone the prime minister or chief minister or any other post but was established to create an ideology that will serve the nation's interests. This party always

Will win by over 200K votes against Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat: Assam BJP MP

Sitting BJP MP from Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, Topon Kumar Gogoi, on Saturday exuded confidence of retaining the constituency by trouncing his rival Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress by a margin of over two lakh votes. In an interview to PTI, the BJP leader asserted that people of his constituency and the entire country want Narendra Modi elected as prime minister for the third consecutive term so that the "development journey continues. He also claimed that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which the opposition is "trying to make an election issue", is not at all a concern among voters. "My campaigning is going on very well. Political meetings are being held in every panchayat of all the legislative assembly constituencies of Jorhat, and I am getting spontaneous reactions of people irrespective of religion, caste and creed," the BJP MP said. Jorhat will vote in the first phase on April 19 along with four other seats in Upper Assam. "We have done enough work in the tea gardens. Earlie

BJP India's preferred party, people will elect it once more: PM Modi

On the 44th foundation day of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it has become India's preferred party and expressed confidence that people will elect it for another term at the Centre, allowing it to build on the "ground covered in the last decade". Greeting members of the BJP, he said the youth of India see it as the party which can fulfil their aspirations and provide leadership to the nation in the 21st century. Modi asserted the BJP has freed India from the culture of corruption, cronyism, casteism, communalism and vote bank politics, which was the "hallmark" of those who ruled the nation for the longest time. In today's India, emphasis is on clean and transparent governance which ensures the fruits of development reach the poor without any discrimination, he said. "Be it at the Centre or states, our party has redefined good governance. Our schemes and policies have given strength to the poor and downtrodden. Those who were left on the margins for decades .

LS elections: Kharge, Rahul to address poll rally in Hyderabad today

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be addressing a Congress rally on Saturday at Tukkuguda near here, party sources said. Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad is where the party had earlier announced its six poll 'guarantees' for the Assembly elections held in November last year. The Congress is expected to show its strength by mobilising huge crowds from surrounding areas to the 'Jana Jatara' meeting, the sources said. Industries Minister D Sridha Babu visited the venue on Friday with others. He said that about 10 lakh people are expected to attend the meeting. He said all the arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the rally. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who is also TPCC president had earlier opined that the rally will serve as a launchpad for the INDIA bloc to come to power at the Centre in the upcoming LokSabha polls.

Tripura: Senior citizens, specially-abled can vote from home from April 9

Earlier, the Election Commission announced 'vote-from-home' facilities for citizens over 85 years of age and persons with disabilities for the Lok Sabha elections

Cong holds CEC meet with focus on Delhi seats; next list of candidates soon

Top Congress leaders met here on Friday to discuss the party's Lok Sabha poll candidates for the three seats it is contesting in Delhi, with sources saying an announcement on it would be made very soon. The Congress is in an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and fielding candidates in three of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. The Congress Election Committee meeting was also held for the states of West Bengal and Haryana with most of its senior leaders in attendance. The meeting was chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by former party chief Sonia Gandhi, general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, senior leaders Salman Khurshid and P L Punia, among others. The party has so far declared over 230 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls that are scheduled to commence on April 19.

LS polls: Kamal Nath aide, former Congress minister Dipak Saxena joins BJP

Former Madhya Pradesh minister and four-time Congress MLA from Chhindwara Dipak Saxena and his supporters joined the BJP on Friday night. MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed Saxena, a close aide of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, into the ruling party. Saxena, who quit the Congress on March 22, said he was joining the BJP as he was influenced by the works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Yadav and state BJP chief VD Sharma. Earlier, his son Ajay Saxena had joined the BJP. "The Congress has become aimless under Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath, sitting MP from Chhindwara. My father was being marginalized and the workers too were being ignored in Chhindwara for the last six years. That is why my father took the decision to part ways with the Congress," Ajay Saxena said. Dipak Saxena had quit his Assembly seat when Kamal Nath became CM in 2018 so that latter could become an MLA. On March 29, Kamal Nath loyalist and Amarwara MLA Kamlesh Pratap Shah crossed

EC asks officials to work on increasing voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls

The ECI identified urban-specific hurdles and recommended the development of tailored, region-specific outreach programmes according to the demographics of the constituency

No to NOTA? Fewer takers for last button, trend suggests further dip

'Voters in reserved constituencies, tribal areas exercise NOTA option to a greater extent than the regular constituencies'

LS elections: 53.5 mn voters in Rajasthan, 4.5 mn up since 2019 polls

A total of 5.35 crore voters are registered in Rajasthan for the Lok Sabha elections. Of these, 1.40 crore are service voters. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 4.89 crore voters were registered. The total number of voters in the state has increased by 45.51 lakh. Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said on Friday that the voter lists of all 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state have been published. He said out of all the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, Pali has the highest number of registered voters at 23.48 lakh and Dausa Lok Sabha constituency has the least number of voters at 19.03 lakh. Gupta said as compared to 2019 Lok Sabha elections, there has been a total increase of 45.5 lakh voters. During this period, the number of male voters has increased by 23.13 lakh and the number of female voters by 22.37 lakh and the number of third gender voters increased by 361. Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases, on April 19 and April 26.

'No ground' for India's request for return of Katchatheevu: Lanka minister

The statements coming out of India on "reclaiming" Kachchatheevu island from Sri Lanka have "no ground", the Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda has said. The senior Sri Lankan Tamil politician's comments came days after the Narendra Modi government targeted the Congress Party and its ally the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu accusing them of overlooking national interests in the ceding of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974. The BJP has also been targeting the two parties for not ensuring the rights of the fishermen wanting to fish in waters around the Katchatheevu island. It is the election time in India, it is not unusual to hear such noises of claims and counterclaims about Kachchatheevu," Devananda told reporters in Jaffna on Thursday. I think India is acting on its interests to secure this place to ensure Sri Lankan fishermen would not have any access to that area and that Sri Lanka should not claim any rights in that resourceful area, Devanan

Lok Sabha polls: ED seized assets worth Rs 1 trillion in 10 yrs, says Modi

Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi said that whatever has been done in last year is an appetiser and the main course would come in his new term

SC rejects plea on cooling-off period for civil servants to contest polls

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking implementation of the 2012 recommendations of the Election Commission regarding the cooling-off period to prevent public servants from contesting polls immediately after retirement or resignation. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sandeep Mehta allowed petitioner G V Harsha Kumar, a former parliamentarian, to withdraw the plea with liberty to approach the appropriate authority. The plea had sought directions to the EC and the Centre to implement the 2012 recommendations of the poll panel and the July 2004 report of the Committee on Civil Service Reforms to prevent government servants from contesting elections to the legislature, parliament or state assembly on a political party ticket, immediately after retirement or resignation from service, by imposing a cooling-off period. It had also sought a direction from the Centre to grant one pension to the bureaucrats who have served as members of assembly and parliament. Th

Union IT Minister Chandrasekhar declares assets worth over Rs 28 crore

BJP leader and Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is contesting the polls from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, has declared assets worth over Rs 28 crore. Chandrasekhar, who is fighting against Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor, and CPI veteran Pannian Raveendran in the April 26 polls, submitted his nomination papers before the returning officer on Thursday. As per the affidavit filed along with the nomination paper, the total value of his movable assets stands at Rs 13,69,18,637, while his spouse possesses assets valued at Rs 12,47,00,408. These include cash in hand, details of deposits in banks, non-banking financial companies, and cooperative societies, as well as investments in bonds, debentures, shares, units in companies/mutual funds, and other financial instruments. His movable assets also comprise a 1942 model Red Indian Scout, registered in Karnataka and purchased in 1994 for Rs 10,000, along with jewellery, bullion, and