Page 52 - Election Commission Of India

Sena UBT writes to ECI, takes exception to BJP's election promise in MP

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that after Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh will arrange a trip to Ayodhya for the state's people if it retained power, the Sena has written to the Election Commission of India asking whether it has relaxed the Model Code of Conduct. The letter written by the Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the ECI of practising "double standards" in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Speaking at a news conference here, Thackeray said the 1987 bypoll in Vile Parle assembly constituency in Maharashtra was fought on the issue of Hindutva which led to the poll body revoking Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's voting rights. We feel the Model Code of Conduct has been relaxed (this time around). If that is the case, we should know about it, the former Maharashtra chief minister said. Giving the BJP a free hit and dismissing us as a hit wicket does not amount to holding free and fair elections, Thackeray ...

Priyanka Gandhi gets EC notice over 'unverified' comments against PM Modi

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for allegedly making unverified and false statements with regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Acting on a complaint made by the BJP that she had made "false" and "unverified" statements against Prime Minister Modi at an election rally in Madhya Pradesh recently, the poll panel asked her to explain her statement by 8 pm on Thursday. In its representation to the poll panel, the BJP had accused Priyanka Gandhi of making a "baseless and false" claim that the Narendra Modi government had privatised public sector undertakings (PSUs). She had purportedly alleged that Prime Minister Modi had given away PSU BHEL to his industrialist friends.

EC issues show-cause notice to AAP for disparaging remarks against PM Modi

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to the Aam Aadmi Party for alleged disparaging remarks made against the prime minister on its social media handle and asked it to respond to the charge of model code violation by November 16. The notice has been issued to the national convener of the AAP. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the national convener of the AAP, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab. The BJP had on November 10 approached the Election Commission and demanded action against the AAP for posting "very unacceptable" and "unethical" video clip and remarks on a social media platform targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AAP on Wednesday last had posted a video story on 'X' featuring industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Modi. The next day, the party posted a picture of Adani and Modi, and alleged that the prime minister works for the industrialist and not the people. A BJP delegation, comprising Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, .

Rajasthan polls 2023 LIVE: BJP to release Sankalp Patra for state on Nov 16

Rajasthan state Assembly elections LIVE: Catch all the latest updates of Rajasthan elections 2023 here

Telangana elections: Congress leader Jana Reddy's nomination rejected

For the Nagarjunasagar constituency, 57 nominations had been filed and the RO had rejected 13 nominations. This included the nomination of Jana Reddy as well

Telangana elections LIVE: Elect BRS for bright future of state, says KCR

KCR also slammed the Congress goverments in the past and said that Congress ruled the state for decade but did not make provisions for electricity and water for the common of people

EC removes 3 election observers for misconduct in MP, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram

The Election Commission on Friday removed three poll observers from duty for "misconduct" and violation of the code of ethics, sources said. The action was taken against two general observers deployed in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and an expenditure observer in Mizoram, they said. In place of IAS officer Laltinkhuma Franklin in Chhattisgarh's Dantewara assembly constituency, Anurag Patel, another IAS officer, has been deployed as general observer. IAS officer R Girish will replace IAS officer Udaya Narayan Das as general observer in Madhya Pradesh Seoni Malwa and Hoshangabad assembly constituencies. IRS officer Gaurav Awasthi, an expenditure observer deployed in Lunglei district in Mizoram, has been removed. Sources said they were removed for "misconduct" and violation of the observers' code of ethics. They said a "recordable caution" in their service books has also been ordered by the commission. Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held November 7. The first-

Mizoram churches, parties, NGOs appeal to EC to change poll counting date

A conglomerate of major churches, political parties and other organisations in Mizoram, on Thursday appealed to the Election Commission to reschedule the date of counting of votes cast in the November 7 state Assembly election. Representatives of the bodies met the state chief electoral officer Madhup Vyas on Thursday and requested for the change in date for the third time. They also requested him to take steps to change the date of counting, a leader of Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), the church conglomerate, said. They also submitted a written appeal to the CEO requesting for a change in the date of counting from December 3, a Sunday, to either December 4 or 5, he said. As per the Election Commission's schedule the counting of votes in Mizoram will be held along with four other states - Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana where Assembly elections are being held. Vyas assured that he will inform the matter to the Election Commission for consideration,

Voting to be held again in a polling station in Mizoram on technical ground

The Election Commission has directed that voting will be held again in one polling station in Mizoram's Aizawl South-III constituency on Friday, officials said. The repolling was necessitated as voting personnel did not clear the mock poll there ahead of the assembly election held on Tuesday, they said. Voting will take place between 7 am and 4 pm in Muallungthu polling station on Friday. A total of 1,084 electors, including 548 female voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polling station, the officials said. The Mizoram assembly elections passed off peacefully on Tuesday with over 77 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors casting their votes. The voting percentage is likely to increase, as final reports are yet to come from far-flung districts, they added.

Assembly polls: PM Modi calls for record voting in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged voters in Chhattisgarh and Mizoram to exercise their franchise as the two states go to polls to elect members of their respective assembly. In his message for voters in Chhattisgarh, Modi urged them to be a part of the democracy's auspicious festival by casting their votes in the first round of polls. He congratulated the first-time voters. He also appealed to people in Mizoram to come out and vote in record numbers. "I call upon the people of Mizoram to vote in record numbers. I particularly urge the young and first time voters to exercise their franchise and strengthen the festival of democracy." Voting is taking place for 20 seats in the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly and all the 40 seats of the Mizoram assembly on Tuesday.

Over 2,100 candidates lose deposits in past Chhattisgarh Assembly elections

In the last four elections in the state, only Vimal Chopra had won from the Mahasamund Assembly constituency as an independent

ECI notifies Telangana assembly polls; filing of nominations ends on Nov 10

The nominations filed by the candidates will be scrutinised on November 13, and the last date for withdrawal is November 15

Parties in Telangana highlight women-centric schemes to woo female voters

The Congress party is busy campaigning about its Mahalskshmi scheme, including the promises of Rs 2,500 financial assistance and free travel for women in government buses

Chhattisgarh Assembly elections: All-women team to guard 900 polling booths

Women officers and employees will conduct voting in the polling stations and handle security arrangements as well

Rajasthan Police seizes Rs 200 cr worth poll 'freebies' since model code

The Rajasthan Police has seized Rs 200-crore worth election "freebies" including cash, liquor, narcotics and jewellery since the Model Code of Conduct came into force in the state on October 9, a top official said on Saturday. Leading a team of 12 officers, Inspector General of Police Vikas Kumar has created a 'STORM CLUB' to keep a strict vigil across the state to ensure voters are not illegally influenced by the candidates during the campaign for November 25 polls. "So far, we have made recoveries to the tune of Rs 214 crore which includes cash amounting to Rs 25 crore, liquor worth Rs 20 crore and jewellery and gold worth Rs 20 crore," Kumar, a 2004-batch IPS officer, said here. Besides this, he said, drugs worth Rs 60 crore, petrol, diesel and illegally stored fertilizer, meant to influence voters, were also seized in various districts. He said it was a team work of the Rajasthan Police especially the officers manning the war room of 'STORM CLUB', an acronym for Supervision, ..

Telangana polls: BJP fields AP Mithun Reddy from Mahbubnagar in Telangana

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on October 9 that the Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled to be held on November 30. The counting of votes will be done on December 3

Telangana polls LIVE: Congress likely to release its second list today

Telangana Assembly elections LIVE: Congress is expected to include Rajgopal Reddy in the second list who recently switched to Congress from BJP

Himanta defends speech against Md Akbar; says Cong withheld info from EC

Notwithstanding the show-cause notice by the Election Commission for his alleged "communally charged statements", Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday defended his speech and said it was a "legitimate criticism" of Chhattisgarh Minister Mohammed Akbar. The Election Commission on Thursday slapped a show-cause notice to Sarma for prima facie violation of the Model Code of Conduct and asked him to respond by October 30 evening. "Congress has withheld the material information from the Hon'ble Election Commission that Mohammed Akbar is their candidate from Kawardha Constituency. Therefore legitimate criticism of a candidate does not amount to communal politics," Sarma said in a post on X. The senior BJP leader asserted that the Congress will have to face the legal consequence of not revealing the crucial fact in their representation. "I have full faith in the collection (sic) wisdom of the Hon'ble Election Commission," he added. The Assam chief minister was reacting to a

EC to require 3 mn EVMs, 1.5-yr preparation time for simultaneous polls

The Election Commission will require around 30 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) and a preparation time of nearly one-and-half years for the smooth conduct of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, sources have said. An EVM comprises one control unit, at least one ballot unit and one voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit. According to the sources, the commission will require nearly 30 lakh control units, about 43 lakh ballot units and about 32 lakh VVPATs for the simultaneous polls, taking into consideration the reserve units kept for replacement in case of any malfunction or damage. Sources said there is a shortfall of nearly 35 lakh voting units -- control units, ballot units and VVPAT units -- for the simultaneous conduct of Lok Sabha and assembly polls. As deliberations on the conduct of simultaneous polls gathered steam, the Election Commission had informed the Law Commission a few months ago that it would also require adequate warehousing

Telangana polls: TPCC Prez Reddy accuses BRS of moral code violation

Reddy also talked about the issue of sinking pillars of the Medigadda barrage, which is a part of the prestigious Kaleshwaram project