Page 59 - Election Commission Of India

Gujarat elections to be held in two phases on Dec 1, 5; result on Dec 8

Gujarat has a 182 member assembly and the BJP had pulled off its sixth consecutive victory winning 99 seats in the last polls, while the Congress put up a spirited fight by bagging 77 seats

Election Commission to announce Gujarat poll schedule at 12 pm today

The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Gujarat assembly polls at 12 noon on Thursday. The poll panel has convened a press conference to announce the schedule. The term of the 182-member Gujarat assembly ends on February 18 next year. Citing the convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat election schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh poll dates last month. While elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting of votes will take place on December 8. By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after the polling, the commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8. In 2017, the polls in the two states were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18. Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after the Himachal Pradesh poll schedule was announced.

Gujarat elections 2022: EC likely to announce poll schedule this week

The Election Commission is likely to announce schedule for the Gujarat Assembly polls this week. Citing convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat poll schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh election dates earlier this month. While election in HP will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting will take place on December 8. By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after polling, the Commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8. In 2017, the polls in the two state were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18. Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after Himachal poll schedule was announced. According to the EC website, assembly polls in Gujarat and HP were held together at least in 1998, 2007 and 2012. The term of the 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly ends on February 18, 2023.

EC doesn't have jurisdiction to regulate issues like freebies: Congress

The Congress on Friday said the Election Commission does not have the jurisdiction to regulate issues such as freebies, and urged the panel to focus on ensuring free and fair polls through proper implementation of Election Laws. The poll panel on October 4 had 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 came amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that had triggered a political slugfest. Such issues are part of the dialectics of a vibrant democratic system and depend on wisdom, discernment and analysis of the electorate which should never be taken to be less than acute, the opposition party said. "It is really something which is to be decided, be it pre-election or post-election, be it by way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance and reward that the electorate decides the wisdom of such poll promises or campaign assurances and equally decides the

Substantiate claims on deletion of voter names, says EC to Akhilesh Yadav

The Election Commission has asked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to substantiate his allegation against the poll authority of mass deletion of voters from Yadav and Muslim communities from the electoral rolls of every assembly seat during the Uttar Pradesh elections this year. In a letter to Yadav, the Commission has asked him to submit by November 10 assembly-wise evidence of the wrongful deletions and complaints filed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) with the district and state electoral authorities in this regard. Addressing a party meet last month, Yadav had accused the poll panel of "deleting" the names of Muslim and Yadav votes in every assembly constituency. It is learnt that the Commission had told Yadav that it had not received any complaint about deletion of names of 20,000 voters from the electoral rolls of any constituency. The Commission also said that its district and state electoral officers had not flagged any such issue of mass deletion of voters' names from ...

ECI asks Gujarat chief secy to transfer 51 officers, send compliance report

The ECI had earlier sought an explanation from the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) for failing to file a compliance report on the transfer of officials

Proposed amendment to election promises should be withdrawan: Yechury

CPI(M) chief Sitaram Yechury has written to CEC Rajiv Kumar saying that EC's move regarding the amendment to the Model Code of Conduct on promises made in election manifestos was unwarranted

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), ...