Page 46 - Election Commission Of India

'One nation, no election': Cong's dig at govt after Kovind panel report

The Congress on Thursday attacked the government after a high-level committee recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies, alleging that they want to completely dismantle the Constitution with the objective of 'one nation, no election'. In its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu that ran into over 18,000 pages, the panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. Asked about the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told PTI in Nashik, "The Prime Minister's objective is very clear, he is going around asking for a clear majority, two-thirds majority, 400 seats, and the cat is out of the bag. They want to completely dismantle Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution and with what objective -- 'one nation, no election' that is what they want." In its report, the panel said simultaneous polls will .

Have shared electoral bonds details with ECI: SBI tells Supreme Court

'22,217 electoral bonds purchased, 22,030 redeemed between April 1, 2019, and February 15, 2024'

EC will disclose details on electoral bonds in time, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Election Commission has received details from the State Bank of India (SBI) related to the electoral bonds and will share all relevant information in time, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said here on Wednesday. The assertion comes in the wake of the Supreme Court directing the SBI to submit the details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 to the EC. SBI is the authorised financial institution to issue the electoral bonds. "The SBI was supposed to submit the data by March 12. They have given to us the details in time. I will go back and look at the data (and) would definitely disclose it in time," Kumar told reporters here. Kumar reached here on Wednesday to review preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "We are ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. We will ensure free and fair elections across the country. We request voters across the country including Jammu and Kashmir to enthusiastically take p

EC to set up 10% all-women polling booths in every Assembly seat in Odisha

The Election Commission has decided to set up 10 per cent all-women polling booths in every assembly constituency in Odisha for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state, an official said on Wednesday. During a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha Nikunja Bihari Dhal directed all collectors-cum-district electoral officers (DEOs) to set up such model polling booths to be managed by women only in every assembly constituency. At least five booths in each assembly constituency will be managed by all young electoral personnel, one booth by persons with disability (PwD) and 10 per cent will be managed by all women, Dhal said. In the model women polling stations, all staffers, including police and security personnel, will be women. Similar arrangements will be made for all youth and all PwD booths. The political parties have also been asked to deploy their young, PwD and women representatives in the respective model booths, he said. To ensure the

Electoral bonds case: SBI submits compliance affidavit in Supreme Court

The State Bank of India divulged details about the purchase and redeeming of electoral bonds between April 1, 2019 to February 15, 2024

LS polls 2024: Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran hold seat-sharing talks with BJP

Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran held late night seat-sharing talks with the BJP here for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with OPS insisting that his candidates will contest from the Two Leaves symbol. The former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) exuded confidence that the popular Two Leaves symbol of the AIADMK would be allotted to him by the EC. The talks that started late on Tuesday extended to the early hours of Wednesday. OPS and Dhinakaran, who had announced joining the BJP-led NDA two days ago, were in discussion with a delegation of the saffron party comprising Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and its Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai among others. Speaking to reporters later, OPS, as Panneerselvam is addressed, said the NDA coalition was a "mega alliance" and there were chances that "2-3 people (parties)" could seek the same constituency. An amicable decision will be arrived at after talks, he said. Asked if he would 'claim' the Two Leaves

Google restricts Gemini's scope of response as India sets for election

It is also collaborating with ECI for seamless access to vital voting information

Google partners with ECI to label AI-generated data, curb false information

Alphabet Inc-owned Google has joined hands with Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent spread of false information, promote authorised content and label AI-generated data during the upcoming general elections. Google India in a blog post on Tuesday said its product features are designed to elevate authoritative information on various election-related topics. We are collaborating with ECI to enable people to easily discover critical voting information on Google Search - such as how to register and how to vote - in both English and Hindi, Google said. With more people using artificial intelligence to create content, Google said it is setting up processes to help audiences identify AI-generated content. As more advertisers leverage the power and opportunity of AI, we want to make sure we continue to provide people with greater transparency and the information they need to make informed decisions. Our ads policies already prohibit the use of manipulated media to mislead people,

SC to consider listing of plea on restraining Centre to appoint new ECs

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will consider submission for early listing of a petition seeking to restrain the Centre from appointing new election commissioners as per a 2023 law, the provisions of which have already been challenged in the apex court. Two vacancies of election commissioners have arisen following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement. Send an email. We will see, said the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwla and Manoj Misra. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing by senior advocate Vikas Sigh and advocate Varun Thakur, appearing for the Congress leader Jaya Thakur. The local Congress leader has challenged the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023. In her application, Thakur informed the court that during the pendency of her plea, in which a notice was issued on ..

Nota will have no impact on election results without right to reject

More than 10 years after a Supreme Court judgement paved way for introduction of the NOTA button on EVM for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results. NOTA (None of the Above) was introduced in India through the Supreme Court's judgement in September 2013. The need to introduce NOTA was felt to discourage the parties from fielding tainted candidates. The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to make necessary provision in the ballot papers/EVMs so that the voters can decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray. Introduced in 2013, the NOTA option on electronic voting machines has its own symbol - a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the Election Commission added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. One ballot unit has 16 buttons. Before the apex court order, those not ..

BJP discusses seat sharing agreement for Maharashtra with Sena, NCP

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions for seat sharing in Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with coalition partners Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP president Ajit Pawar. Shinde and Pawar -- chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra -- held talks with Shah here late Friday. Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present in the meeting. Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Pawar-led NCP and the BJP will contest the Lok Sabha elections in alliance in Maharashtra which sends 48 members to the lower house of Parliament. BJP had won 23 of the 25 seats it had contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while its then alliance partner -- undivided Shiv Sena -- won 18 seats of the 23 seats it had contested. The undivided NCP, as part of the opposition alliance, had contested 19 seats and managed to win four. The Shiv Sena, which had joined hands with the Congress and the NCP to form a coalition government after the ...

LS elections: Days before it announces polls, EC to meet top MHA officials

Days before it announces schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the top brass of the Election Commission has called senior Home ministry officials to review security preparedness for the democratic exercise. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will meet Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and fellow Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Friday to discuss deployment of central forces in states, sources said. The meeting also comes days before the Commission's Jammu and Kashmir visit to review poll preparedness. The EC has sought 3.4 lakh Central Armed Police Force personnel for Lok Sabha and four assembly polls. With nearly 97 crore voters, the EC would set up approximately 12.5 lakh polling stations across India.

SC to hear SBI plea seeking more time for Electoral Bond details on Mar 11

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the State Bank of India for not complying with the top court's direction

BJP chief Nadda attacks Cong govt, party on 'pro-Pak slogan' issue

Targeting the Congress government in Karnataka and its leadership over the 'pro-Pakistan slogan' issue, BJP national President J P Nadda on Tuesday questioned whether they were running the party to speak Pakistan's language and if they were representatives of the neighbouring country in India. Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain's supporters allegedly raised "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, while celebrating his victory in the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27 at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat. A purported video of the incident was telecast by TV news channels and it also had gone viral on social media. Police on Monday arrested three persons in connection with the incident, following the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirming that the slogans were indeed chanted. "The Assembly assembly poll results have not come in our favour, but you might have realised by now and also the people of Karnataka that the government they have elected is cheating

No place for violence in polls, bureaucracy must be impartial: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday said strict instructions have been issued to the West Bengal bureaucracy to ensure a level playing field for all political parties, and asserted that any form of violence will not be tolerated during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Kumar, addressing a press conference here, said the goal of the Election Commission is to ensure a free, fair and violence-free elections in the state. "There is no place for fear or intimidation in elections. Partisan approach of the bureaucracy will not be tolerated; we have made this clear," he said. Kumar said sufficient number of central forces will be deployed in West Bengal, and it will be done in an impartial manner. "The SPs have been repeatedly told that if there is any complaint of intimidation, they should take immediate action. They have assured us that it will be done. If they don't act, we know what needs to be done to make them act. Police officials have been instructed to be impartial an

SBI seeks time until June 30 to share electoral bonds information

SBI noted that due to the strict measures taken to ensure the anonymity of the donors, "decoding" the electoral bonds and matching the donors to the donations made would be a complex process

LS polls: EC full bench arrives in West Bengal to oversee preparations

The full bench of the Election Commission (EC) arrived in West Bengal on Sunday to oversee the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in the state, officials said. During the three-day visit, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioner Arun Goel will meet representatives of all political parties in the state, and hold a meeting with district magistrates and superintendents of police, they said. It will also meet Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab, and is also slated to hold a meeting with Chief Secretary BP Gopalika and DGP Rajeev Kumar. The visit is primarily aimed at taking stock of the law and order situation in the state, and overseeing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, officials said.

Don't seek votes on basis of caste, religion, language: EC to parties

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission on Friday asked parties and their leaders to refrain from seeking votes on the basis of caste, religion and language, and not insult the devotee-deity relation or make any suggestion of a divine censure. In an advisory warning the parties, candidates and star campaigners of stern action for any violation of Model Code of Conduct instead of the previous practice of only 'moral censure', the poll panel also said that temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras or any other place of worship should not be used for poll propaganda or electioneering. It said that the star campaigners and candidates who have received notices in past will face stern action for repeat violation of model code. The advisory comes days before the model code is expected to come into effect with the announcement of the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls later this month, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had recently emphasised that political parties sho

LS elections: First phase of CAPF companies to be mobilised from March 1

The first phase of deployment of more than 3.4 lakh central armed police forces (CAPFs) for the upcoming general elections in the country and assembly polls in few states will begin from Friday, official sources said Thursday. According to the plan, about 2,000 companies will be mobilised as part of the pre-poll deployment in sensitive and hyper-sensitive constituencies beginning March 1. About 1.5 lakh personnel will move through roads and rail as part of this mobilisation, the sources told PTI. The first CAPF units will start reaching the states affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), apart from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, later this week, they said. The second phase of inducting the poll companies will be initiated from March 7, followed by some last units moving in their designated locations in the second and third week of March, they said. The commanding officers of these units have been issued the movement orders and directed to familiarise their troops about the areas

Law panel likely to propose 'one nation, one election' by mid-2029

The Law Commission is likely to recommend adding a new chapter to the Constitution on 'one nation, one election' and holding the gigantic democratic exercise of simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies across the country by mid-2029, sources said on Wednesday. The Commission, under Justice (retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi, would recommend an amendment to the Constitution to add the "new chapter or part" on simultaneous elections, the sources said. The panel would also recommend synchronising the terms of legislative assemblies in "three phases" in the next five years so that the first simultaneous polls could be held in May-June 2029 when elections for the 19th Lok Sabha are due. The new chapter in the Constitution would include issues related to "simultaneous election", "sustainability of simultaneous elections" and "common electoral roll" for Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, panchayats and municipalities so that the three-tier simultaneous polls could be