Page 40 - Election Commission Of India

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase-I: Here's how to download voter slip online

The Election Commission of India has already started sending the voter information slip (VIS) to registered voters whose names are in the electoral roll

'Reports of EVMs showing 1 extra vote during mock poll in Kasaragod false'

The Election Commission of India on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that allegations of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) showing one extra vote during a mock poll in Kerala's Kasaragod were false. The top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), an independent vote verification system which enables an elector to see whether his vote was cast correctly. "These news reports are false. We have verified the allegation from the district collector and it appears that they are false. We will submit a detailed report to the court," senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. Vyas was present in the courtroom to apprise the bench about the functioning of EVMs. Earlier during the day, the top court asked senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, to look into the issue after advocate Prasha

TMC files complaint with Election Commission against Bengal Guv Ananda Bose

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose for allegedly interfering in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in the state. "A complaint against Governor C V Ananda Bose has been lodged with EC for repeatedly interfering with the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024 and attempting to visit poll-going areas during the silent period and on polling day," a TMC leader said. The Election Commission has advised the West Bengal Governor to call off his proposed tour of Cooch Behar on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls' first phase as it was violative of the Model Code of Conduct, sources said on Wednesday. Polling is scheduled in Cooch Behar on April 19 and the 48-hour silence period when campaigning is barred began on Wednesday evening.

Election Commission issues notification for fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls

According to the poll body's notification, the last date for making nominations is April 25. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 26

General elections: Campaigning ends for 102 seats going to polls in phase 1

The election campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded at 3 pm today in the North East, and in other areas, it ended at 6 pm

Referring to electoral bonds, Rahul calls PM Modi 'champion of corruption'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged the electoral bonds scheme was the biggest "extortion scheme" in the world and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the "champion of corruption". Addressing a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav here, Gandhi said there is a strong undercurrent in favour of the opposition INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections and the BJP will be limited to 150 seats. Yadav said the winds of change will start blowing from Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh to Ghazipur and the BJP will be given a grand farewell in the Lok Sabha elections. "We have to ensure that not a single vote is divided in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav said. Criticising the now-scrapped electoral bonds, Gandhi said the prime minister claims that the scheme was brought to bring transparency in poll funding but then why was it struck down by the Supreme Court. "The electoral bonds scheme is the biggest extortion scheme in the world. India's businessmen kn

LS elections: Poll strategists turn campaign makers in political war rooms

It is said elections are fought on emotions and they are an art more than science, but the rise of poll strategists would suggest otherwise

LS polls: 15 'crorepati' candidates in fray for five seats in Assam

Of the 35 candidates in the fray for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam going to the polls on April 19, fifteen are 'crorepati' with the richest being independent woman candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury from the Kaziranga seat. The five Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on April 19 are Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur. Five BJP candidates, three of Congress, two of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), one each of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP) and three independents have assets over Rs one crore, according to the affidavits filed by candidates. The average assets of AAP candidates are the highest at Rs six crore, followed by the BJP candidates at over Rs four crore, the Congress at Rs three crore, the AITC and the BGP at Rs one crore each. Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury who owns fuel stations has total assets of over Rs 17.58 crore, comprising Rs 4.65 crore as movable and Rs 12.92 crore as immovable

Election Commission issues notice to BRS chief KCR over remarks on Congress

The Election Commission has asked KCR to explain his stand in respect to his remarks by 11 am on April 18

Freebies announced during elections a matter of concern: NHRC chief

General announcement of "freebies" during the elections must be "pondered" as to whether it furthers directive principles or thwarts their objectives, NHRC chairperson Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra said on Tuesday. Mishra said this in his address during an event here. He also said the constitutional mandate is to form a uniform civil code, which is "necessary to abolish discrimination" against women. Women are provided safety, security and dignity in the workplace, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chief was quoted as saying in a statement. "To empower women, we have to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women on the grounds of gender, particularly in respect of education, employment, inheritance and property. World over, women are discriminated against for civil rights, and there is a necessity for a standard civil code to make men and women equal by clearly defining the parameters of gender equality. Women must enjoy social equality, improved status and ...

Elections 2024: ECI receives 200 complaints on code violations; acts on 169

BJP has filed 51 complaints, Congress 59 and other parties 90 with the Election Commission

Platform X withholds some posts in India after ECI's takedown order

India, with nearly a billion eligible voters, will commence the world's largest electoral exercise on April 19

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