Page 58 - Election Commission Of India

Himachal goes to polls on November 12; announcement for Gujarat later

A new actor in Himachal Pradesh is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

Constant social media monitoring to check fake news in upcoming polls: EC

The Election Commission on Friday said its teams will constantly monitor social media platforms to check fake news in the upcoming assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and respond immediately as it asserted it will not hesitate in taking criminal action wherever required. Announcing the dates for Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said the panel has "established social media teams to keep strict vigil on fake news being spread during elections. Social media will be monitored constantly and any fake news would be acted upon immediately penal actions can be taken too". Addressing a press conference, Kumar said keeping in view increasing incidents of "misuse of social media", social media platforms agreed to observe Voluntary Code of Ethics formulated by them in March, 2019. Citing an example of fake news about EVMs during elections, Kumar said the commission works so hard to conduct free and fair polls and then a particular news comes up and a

Centre's 'colonial settler project' initiated: Mehbooba on latest ECI order

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday flayed the Election Commission's order for registration of new voters in Jammu, charging that the Centre's "colonial settler project" has been initiated in the region. The former J-K chief minister said the BJP's alleged attempts to create religious and regional divisions between Jammu and Kashmir must be "thwarted" because "whether its a Kashmiri or a Dogra, safeguarding our identity and rights will be possible only if we put up a collective fight". "ECI's latest order for registration of new voters makes it clear that GOIs colonial settler project has been initiated in Jammu. They will bear the first blow to Dogra culture, identity, employment & business," she charged on Twitter. Her remarks come after authorities in Jammu on Tuesday authorised tehsildars (revenue officials) to issue certificate of residence to those residing in the winter capital for more than one year to facilitate their entry in the ongoing special summary revision of

'Mashaal' will reach every home, says Aaditya Thackeray on new poll symbol

Former Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray has said that the new symbol of a 'Mashaal' given to their group by the Election Commission for next month's bypoll will be taken to every home

"No freebies": Govt, Supreme Court and Election Commission in concert

While challengers can promise the moon, the govt knows that the economic situation is tight and might even worsen before 2024. It would like to restrict the Opposition's ability to promise freebies

EC's Sena order doesn't mean Thackeray faction weak or demoralised: NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday said the Election Commission's order on the use of the Shiv Sena party name and election symbol in an upcoming Assembly bypoll was surprising, but it did not mean the Uddhav Thackeray-led group was weak or demoralised. The Election Commission on Saturday barred the Shiv Sena factions led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol in the Andheri East Assembly bypoll. In an interim order over the claims by the rival factions for control of the organisation, the commission asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups. The bypoll to Andheri East Assembly seat in suburban Mumbai, scheduled on November 3, has been necessitated due to the death of incumbent Sena MLA Ramesh Latke. The Congress and the NCP have decided to support Ramesh Latke's wife Rujuta Latke, the candidat

'Freezing democracy': Kapil Sibal slams EC over Sena symbol freeze

A day after the EC froze the symbol of Shiv Sena amid a tussle between the two factions of the party, Kapil Sibal slammed the move, saying that it amounts to "freezing democracy"

Thackeray faction calls EC order on Shiv Sena symbol and name 'injustice'

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Saturday termed the Election Commission's order barring both the Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions from using the party name and election symbol in the coming Andheri East Assembly bypoll as "injustice". The group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on the other hand, termed the EC order appropriate. The poll body should have holistically taken a decision rather than passing an interim decision for the bypoll, said Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, a Thackeray loyalist. "This is injustice," he told PTI. Shiv Sena leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the rebel Sena leaders after the EC order. "Khokewale" traitors committed this shameless and vile act of freezing the name Shiv Sena and symbol", he tweeted, adding that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate it. "We will fight and win. We are on the side of the truth. Satyamev Jayate!" he said in the

Aaditya Thackeray blames 'traitors' for EC order on party symbol and name

Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the rebel Sena leaders after the Election Commission barred the rival factions of the party from using the party's election symbol and name in the coming Andheri Assembly bypoll. "Khokewale" traitors committed this "shameless and vile act of freezing the name Shiv Sena and symbol", he tweeted, adding that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate it. "We will fight and win. We are on the side of the truth. Satyamev Jayate!" he said in the Marathi tweet. On his Instagram page, Aaditya posted Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem "Agnipath." Aaditya and other leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray faction have been accusing the rebels led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of committing treachery for the lure of 'khoke' or boxes of cash.

EC asks Thackeray to respond to Shinde faction's claim on Sena poll symbol

The Election Commission has asked the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to respond by Saturday on rival Eknath Shinde group's claim on the party's 'bow and arrow' election symbol in view of the upcoming assembly bypoll in the state. The Commission's directive came on Friday after the Shinde faction submitted a memorandum seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching. In a letter to Thackeray, the Commission directed it to furnish comments along with requisite documents latest by 2 pm on October 8. "In case no reply is received, the Commission will take appropriate action in the matter accordingly," the Commission said. The Commission told Thackeray the Shinde faction had staked claim to the bow and arrow' on October 4. The Andheri East bypoll was notified on Friday. Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, said the party would respond to the Commission within the stipulated time. Desai met Commission offici

EC wants parties to give info on financial viability of election promises

The Election Commission on Tuesday proposed amending the model code to ask political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, a move that comes amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that has triggered a political slugfest in the recent weeks. In a letter to all recognised national and state parties, the Election Commission(EC) asked them to submit their views on the proposals by October 19. The EC also said empty poll promises have far-reaching ramifications, adding it cannot overlook the undesirable impact inadequate disclosures on election promises have on financial sustainability. "The Commission notes that the consequences of inadequate disclosures by political parties get attenuated by the fact that elections are held frequently, providing opportunities for political parties to indulge in competitive electoral promises, particularly in multi-phase elections, without having to spell out their financial ...

Assembly bypolls for seven vacant seats in six states on Nov 3: EC

Bypolls to seven vacant assembly seats spread across six states will be held on November 3, the Election Commission announced on Monday. Bypolls will be held on two seats -- Mokama and Gopalganj -- of Bihar , Andheri (East) of Maharashtra, Adampur of Haryana, Munugode of Telangana, Gola Gorakhnath of Uttar Pradesh, and Dhamnagar of Odisha. The notification for the bypolls will be issued on October 7, the EC said. The counting of votes will take place on November 6, the poll panel said in a statement.

Ajay Bhadoo appointed Dy Election Commissioner, Akash Tripathi MyGov's CEO

Senior bureaucrat Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a senior level bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Sunday by the Centre. Bhadoo, a 1999 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre, has been appointed to the post up to July 24, 2024, a Personnel Ministry order said. As many as 35 civil servants from different services have been appointed as joint secretaries in the central government departments as part of the reshuffle. Akash Tripathi, a 1998 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MyGov, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. Basant Garg, a 2005 batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, has been named Additional CEO, National Health Authority under the Department of Health & Family Welfare. Lochan Sehra, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, will be joint secretary, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), ...

Story in numbers: Mystery of unknown sources of political party funding

Known sources have been defined as donations above Rs 20,000, whose donor details are available through contribution reports as submitted by national parties to the ECI

EC holds meetings in Gujarat to review preparedness for Assembly polls

A team of the Election Commission of India held a series of meetings with Gujarat director general of police, chief secretary and other senior officials during its three-day visit to review the situation in the state for the Assembly polls. Elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat are due later this year. A team of nine senior officials appointed by the ECI visited Ahmedabad between Friday and Sunday and reviewed preparations for the state elections, a government release said. On Saturday and Sunday, the ECI team held a review meeting with Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi on poll preparedness in the presence of district election officers, commissioners and superintendents of police. They discussed in detail various topics related to voters' roll and special summary revision, electronic voting machine (EVM/VVPAT), minimum facilities at polling stations, manpower, transportation, law and order, security, training and capacity building, the release .

EC team visits Gujarat ahead of polls, reviews election preparedness

The Election Commission of India informed that a team of officers visited Ahmedabad from September 16-18 to take stock of election preparedness in the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

EC delists 86 more non-existent political parties; total tally at 537

The Election Commission on Tuesday ordered delisting of another 86 'non-existent' registered unrecognised political parties, raising the number of such organisations red flagged by the poll panel for failing to comply with electoral rules to 537. In a statement, the EC said "immediate corrective measures" were required to be taken in larger public interest as well as for the "purity" of electoral democracy and hence it has also declared an additional 253 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) as "inactive". The decision was taken by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, it said. "The EC today further delisted 86 non-existent RUPPs and declared additional 253 as 'Inactive RUPPs'. This action against 339 non-compliant RUPPs takes the tally to 537 defaulting RUPPs since May 25, 2022." The Commission said the 86 RUPPs that have been delisted were found to be "non-existent either after a physical verification carried out by the

EC declares 253 registered unrecognised political parties as 'inactive'

The action against 339 non-compliant RUPPs takes the tally to 537 defaulting RUPPs since May 25, 2022.

No contribution received, no donations made: Two electoral trusts tell EC

Delhi-based Swadeshi Electoral Trust and Jaybharath Electoral Trust registered in Coimbatore have told the Election Commission that they neither received any contribution nor made any donation to a political party in financial year 2021-22. In their annual reports for FY 2021-22 submitted to the poll panel, the two trusts said they received "nil" contributions from all sources permissible under the income tax law. Hence they made "nil" donations to any political party in the fiscal. Electoral trusts have to submit their contribution reports to the EC containing details of contributions received and disbursed by them to political parties in the interest of transparency.

LIVE update: After Azad, senior leader RS Chib quits Congress party

Live news updates: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, delivering another blow to the embattled party