Page 51 - Election Commission Of India

Mizoram election highlights: ZPM coasts to victory, Zormathanga defeated

Mizoram Assembly poll result 2023: ZPM stormed to victory in Mizoram, ending the MNF's grip on the northeastern state. Catch all the highlights here

Rajasthan elections 2023 highlights: BJP to form govt, wins 115 seats

Rajasthan state Assembly elections LIVE: Catch all the latest updates of Rajasthan elections 2023 here, counting of votes to take place today

Telangana Assembly elections results 2023: Who is leading at 9:30 am?

Telangana Assembly elections results 2023: The counting in the state began at 8 am on Sunday. Here's how the trends look at 9:30 am

T'gana: 64% voting till 5pm, polling ends in left wing extremism-hit areas

Polling concluded peacefully in the 13 assembly segments affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Telangana at 4 PM on Thursday, officials said, adding that 51.89 per cent votes were cast by 3 PM in the total 119 constituencies in the state. While polling was to conclude at 4 PM in the LWE-affected constituencies, those who were in queue at closing time were allowed to cast their vote. There were no untoward incidents in these areas, a senior police official told PTI. Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj told reporters that polling went about with any problems, except for minor skirmishes at one or two places. Booths opened at 7 AM in the 119 assembly constituencies, and polling will conclude at 5 PM in 106 constituencies.

Assembly polls: EC seizes drugs, cash, and liquor worth over Rs 1,760 crore

The Election Commission cracked its whip on several occasions to ensure a level playing field for all parties in the five states where assembly polls are being held even as authorities seized freebies, drugs, cash and liquor worth over Rs 1766 crore aimed at alluring voters. Acting on complaints and inputs by the local poll machinery, the EC issued show cause notices and advisories to top politicians to adhere to the provisions of the model code. It withdrew permission given to the Telangana government for disbursements of financial aid to farmers for rabi crops under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme after a state minister violated the provisions of the model code by making a public announcement about it. The poll panel had given its nod to the state government to disburse the rabi installment during the model code of conduct period on certain grounds. It had also asked the government not to carry out the proposed Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, its mega outreach programme on schemes and ...

Telangana polls: Schools, colleges in Hyderabad to be closed until Nov 30

The district collector of Hyderabad, Anudeep Durishetty announced the holiday for all educational institutions in Hyderabad

Telangana polls: Top leaders return home as campaigning ends on Tuesday

Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar announced the election schedule for the five poll-bound states on October 9 and with this, the model code of conduct came into force in the states

EC must have power to derecognise political parties for violations, SC told

The Election Commission (EC) must have the power to deregister a political party in case of a violation of the mandatory conditions for registration and for breach of laws, the Supreme Court has been told by a petitioner. Fresh written submissions, seeking more punitive powers to the poll panel, have been filed by petitioner and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay ahead of a crucial hearing on his plea on Tuesday. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, is hearing pleas, including the one filed by Upadhyay, alleging that the pre-election promise of freebies by political parties is a corrupt practice and amounts to a "bribe" under the Representation of the People Act. The pleas have also said the EC should be empowered to effectively deal with this practice. The written submissions, filed through senior advocate Vijay Hansaria and advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, said, "The Election Commission of India shall be entitled to deregister a political party on failure to satisfy t

Cong requests EC to restrict BRS from stating Rythu Bandhu sum in rallies

The Congress on Sunday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to impose restrictions on BRS, not to mention the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu amount in their poll campaign. The EC on November 24 gave a green signal to the state government to disburse the amount under Rythu Bandhu scheme, an investment support to farmers, before November 28. In a letter addressed to CEC Rajiv Kumar, Congress alleged that BRS leaders are making the EC's nod as a "tool to influence" voters as if they are giving it out of their own pockets. BRS leaders are blaming Congress for claiming that it obstructed the disbursement, which is not correct. After the EC gave clearance, a press release from the state government said that as there are bank holidays on November 25, 26 and 27 and also the Election Commission directing that the distribution of money under Rythu Bandhu is not allowed on November 29 and 30, the funds would be deposited in the farmers' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer ...

Election Commission issues notice to Rahul Gandhi for 'panauti' jibe at PM

Rahul Gandhi, at a poll rally in Rajasthan's Jalore, called PM Modi a 'panauti' and said his entry made India lose the 2023 World Cup final match against Australia

EC rubbishes report of its nod for MP Chief Secretary's term extension

The Election Commission on Thursday made it clear that reports about it giving an approval to extend Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains' term by a month were false. Bains' term as the state chief secretary is ending on November 30. As the model code of conduct for the state assembly elections, held in a single phase on November 17, is still in force, any decision regarding Bains' term extension will have to be approved by the Election Commission. Taking to X, the office of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan said, "A fake news is being shared on social media that Election Commission has given approval to the extension of tenure of Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, who is about to superannuate. It is clarified that no such approval has been given by the Commission." When asked about it, CEO Ranjan told PTI, "I have already stated on X that the information that the EC has extended Bains' tenure as fake news." Bains, a trusted hand of Chief ..

EC's notice to Rajasthan Cong over political ads 'camouflaged' as news

The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to the president of Rajasthan Congress for allegedly camouflaging political advertisements in newspapers as news reports. It asked state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra to respond to the notice by 3 pm on Thursday. "...in the interim, refrain from utilising this format, content, language and placement of advertisement, which as per your own party's complaint in March, violates the spirit of the Representation of the People Act and the model code of conduct...," the notice read. The BJP had moved the EC against the Congress advertisements ahead of the November 25 assembly polls.

Sharad Pawar faction delaying hearing, Ajit Pawar's counsel on NCP's name

The last hearing was conducted a week ago by the ECI which adjourned it after listening to both sides

Seizures in five election states up 636% in 5 yrs; Telangana tops the list

The EC also released data on seizures that enforcement agencies made in the six assembly elections held since November 2022 but preceding the current round of polls

ECI seized Rs 1,760 cr worth of items since announcement of state elections

Detailing the seizures, the Commission said that EC action included the seizure of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, whose market value stood in crores, and freebies, among other items

ECI orders re-polling at a booth in MP's Ater Assembly seat on Tuesday

The Election Commission of India has ordered re-polling on November 21 at a booth in Ater assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district, according to an official release. Repolling has been ordered because of breach of secrecy as some people shot videos of voting on November 17 at the booth concerned in Kishupura, a district official said. Four members of the polling team have been suspended for the breach of secrecy, district collector and returning officer Sanjeev Shrivastava said. Voting will be held on Tuesday at booth number 3 under polling centre number 71 at Kishupura between 7 am and 6 pm, the release said, adding that indelible ink will be applied on the middle finger of voters. The order of repolling has been issued to the district returning officer, it said. Shrivastava said voters will not be allowed to enter the booth with mobile phones during repolling and all other rules regarding the model code of conduct will be followed. The repolling process will be

EC compiling details of electoral bonds shared by parties, to submit to SC

The Election Commission is in the process of compiling details of electoral bonds shared by various political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, before submitting them to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover, a poll panel functionary said on Thursday. On November 3, the EC had asked "all such parties" that have ever got any donation through electoral bonds to furnish by November 15 the details of such contributions received by them since the inception of the scheme. It had also sent a reminder to the parties on the issue. The EC's move came after the Supreme Court directed the poll panel on November 2 to produce before it in a sealed cover the "up to date" data of funds received by political parties through electoral bonds till September 30, 2023. "The details are being compiled. Several parties have shared details," the EC functionary said. Major political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, have submitted the details to the EC. In a letter to heads of all poli

Cong seeks EC action against PM, accuses him of 'hate speech' in Rajasthan

The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delivering hate speech in poll-bound Rajasthan and urged the Election Commission to take action against him for asking voters to press the "lotus" button as if they're awarding the "death sentence" to the Congress. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited the prime minister's speech made in Barmer on Wednesday and said the people of the state will surely respond to such "arrogance" of the prime minister. "Jab nash manuj pe chhata hai, pahle vivek marr jata hai (sanity deserts man before destruction)," Modi said in a post in Hindi on X. "Prime Minister Modi's hatred towards Congress leaders can be easily gauged from his statement. How can a person holding a responsible position like the prime minister talk about hanging people through voting? The prime minister is strangling democracy," Ramesh alleged. "This is a clear example of hate speech. If the Election Commission is serious about fair and free elections then they shou

EC sticks to Dec 3 as counting date, despite appeals for change in Mizoram

The Election Commission has decided to go ahead with the scheduled date for counting of votes for the Mizoram assembly polls on December 3, despite repeated appeals by various quarters to change it, a top official said on Thursday. As December 3 is a Sunday, all major political parties of the Christian-majority state, civil societies organisations and others had urged the poll panel to change the day as it will clash with church programmes. "I have discussed the matter with the Election Commission. Counting will be held as per the schedule announced by the commission," Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer Madhup Vyas told PTI. Vyas visited Delhi and talked to EC officials on the issue on Tuesday. Counting, unlike polling, does not involve common people and they are free to do what they like on December 3 as only the designated staff who work directly under the EC would be involved in the counting of votes, he said. "Counting has to take place for all five states at the pre-designated .

Telangana elections: 608 candidates withdraw nominations; 2,290 to contest

Several leaders from Congress and other parties withdrew their nominations on Wednesday, November 15, which was the last date for withdrawal of candidature