Page 15 - Election Commission

Election Commission initiates proceedings to delist 345 RUPPs across India

It has come to the notice of the Commission that of the over 2,800 RUPPs currently registered with ECI, many RUPPs have failed to fulfil the essential conditions required to continue as an RUPP

Cong opposes EC's electoral roll revision, says 'willful voter exclusion'

In a statement, the Congress' empowered action group of leaders and experts (EAGLE), said this revision of electoral rolls by the EC is a "cure worse than the disease"

EC to review voters' lists in six states to weed out illegal immigrants

As part of the intensive review, poll officials will carry out house-to-house verification to ensure an error-free voters' list, starting immediately with Bihar

Sharing video of polling station violation of voter privacy: EC officials

Amid demands to make public webcasting footage of polling stations, Election Commission officials on Saturday said such a move is violative of privacy and security concerns of voters. They said while such demand suits their narrative in making it sound quite genuine and in the interest of voters and safeguarding the democratic process, it is, in fact, aimed at achieving exactly the "opposite objective". Officials claimed that what is veiled as a very logical demand is actually "entirely contrary" to the privacy and security concerns of voters, the legal position laid down in the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951 and the directions of the Supreme Court. Sharing the footage, which would enable easy identification of the electors by any group or an individual, would leave both the elector who has voted as well the elector who has not voted vulnerable to pressure, discrimination and intimidation by anti-social elements, they asserted. Creating an instance, they said if a

Election Commission mandates 100% webcasting for Bihar assembly elections 2025 | Bihar polls

Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission has made webcasting mandatory at all polling stations with internet access.

EC to go for full webcasting of polling stations for surveillance

Seeking to ensure increased monitoring of the poll procedure on voting days, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday decided to carry out webcasting at all polling stations, up from the present 50 per cent. The webcasting data will be for internal consumption of the poll authority. Bihar assembly elections are due later this year and it will be the first state where 100 per cent webcasting will be implemented. In a communication to all state chief electoral officers, the poll panel said webcasting will be done in areas with internet connectivity. "However, in shadow areas, suitable alternate arrangements of videography, photography, etc. may be made," it said. So far, webcasting was done in 50 per cent of the polling stations and in "critical polling stations" to ensure that the polling process is not vitiated. In December last year, the government tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as we

Write to EC formally: Poll panel to Rahul seeking reply on rigging claim

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought the Election Commission's response on his article alleging rigging in Maharashtra polls, sources in the poll authority said Sunday the constitutional body would respond only if the Leader of the Opposition writes to it directly. They also pointed out that as part of its outreach, the EC had invited all six national parties for separate interactions. While the other five met the EC brass, Congress cancelled the May 15 meeting. Gandhi had on Saturday hit back at the Election Commission after sources in the poll panel rejected allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would. In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing". Responding to a question on Gandhi's demand for CCTV footage of polling ..

Maharashtra polls: Rahul urges EC to publish rolls, share CCTV from booths

In response, ECI described Rahul Gandhi's Maharashtra election poll rigging as 'unsubstantiated allegations'

Evasion won't protect credibility, telling truth would: Rahul Gandhi to EC

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at the Election Commission after sources in the poll panel rejected allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would. In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing". "Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions," Gandhi said on X. "If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by: Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra and by releasing all post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths," he said. "Evasion won't protect your credibility.

First time in 2 decades, EC holds revision of voters' list for bypolls

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Election Commission revised the voters' list of five constituencies for holding assembly bypolls there in a bid to ensure a "spotless" electoral roll. The last time a special summary revision took place for a bypoll was in 2006 in Tamil Nadu, officials pointed out. Citing provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, officials said the electoral roll is to be revised before every election and bypoll unless otherwise directed by the EC. If the electoral roll is not revised, the validity or continued operation of the said electoral roll shall not be affected, they said, quoting the law. The validity of the current electoral roll continues till the completion of the special revision. Officials underlined that it is for the commission to decide if revision of electoral rolls has to be conducted or not, depending on the requirement. Bypolls to five assembly seats in four states will be held on June 19, the poll authority announ

EC takes 21 initiatives in 100 days to streamline poll management

In a bid to enhance voter experience and streamline poll management, the Election Commission has launched 21 new initiatives over the past 100 days, officials said on Thursday. These measures, they pointed out, span procedural reforms, training programmes and stakeholder engagement. The measures have marked the first 100 days of the 26th Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, they noted. To improve voter access, the poll authority has revised the maximum number of electors per polling station from 1,500 to 1,200. Additional polling booths will be set up in densely populated areas such as gated communities and high-rise buildings. The Commission, they said, aims to ensure that no voter is required to travel more than 2 km to cast their vote. Voter information slips have been redesigned for clarity on the polling station number. As a significant boost to the convenience of voters, a mobile phone deposit facility will be set up at the entrance of every polling station. Booths se

EC investigates Bengal BJP chief's wife for holding two voter IDs

The Election Commission (EC) has started an investigation into a complaint alleging that the wife of BJP's West Bengal president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar possesses two voter identity cards, a senior official said on Friday. Initial probe found that the minister's wife, Koel Majumdar, holds two voter ID cards with different EPIC numbers one registered in Balurghat and another in Jalpaiguri. While one card was issued under her maiden name, Koel Chowdhury, the second was created after her marriage under the name Koel Majumdar. "This could have been avoided had she submitted Form 18. It is the responsibility of the cardholder to notify the EC of any changes. In this case, the commission was not informed," the official said. He further explained that a new voter card was issued in Balurghat after she submitted Form 6. "Because the EPIC numbers and surnames were different, the error was not immediately detected. We are now verifying the photographs and other personal details

'Not sure if India bloc is still intact': Chidambaram hopes for revival

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday voiced concerns about the INDIA bloc, saying he was not sure if the opposition alliance was still intact. Speaking at the launch of Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav's book "Contesting Democratic Deficit", Chidambaram also said he felt that it showed at the seams that the alliance was frayed. "The future (of INDIA bloc) is not so bright, as Mritunjay Singh Yadav said. He seems to feel that the alliance is still intact, but I am not sure. It is only Salman (Khurshid) who can answer because he was part of the negotiating team for the INDIA bloc. If the alliance is totally intact, I will be very happy. But it shows at the seams that it is frayed," Chidambaram, a Rajya Sabha MP, said. He also hoped that the alliance can "still be put together, there's still time". The former Union finance minister warned that the INDIA bloc was fighting against a "formidable machinery", which must be fought on all fronts. "In my experience and m

EC interacts with BSP chief Mayawati for better understanding of issues

The Election Commission on Tuesday held an interaction with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati here as part of an initiative to push for greater and regular engagement with different stakeholders, including political parties. BSP's national general secretary Satish Chandra Misra and party treasurer Shridhar were also present. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi spoke with the BSP leadership at the Nirvachan Sadan. The meeting is in continuation of the Election Commission's emphasis on fostering greater and regular engagement with different stakeholders. The poll authority has initiated interactions with national and state political parties to provide a long-felt need of constructive discussions which enable party chiefs to share their suggestions and concerns directly with the Commission. This initiative aligns with the Commission's broader vision of further strengthening the electoral process in accordan

EC building unified digital platform to integrate 40 mobile, web apps

The Election Commission is developing a new digital interface for voters, poll officials and political parties which will integrate over 40 of its existing mobile and web applications. ECINET will provide a singular platform for all electoral-related activities, the poll panel said on Sunday. The new platform will reduce the burden of users from downloading and navigating multiple Apps and remembering different logins. The platform was proposed by the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during a recent conference of chief electoral officers. ECINET will also enable users to access relevant electoral data on their desktops or smartphones. To ensure that data is as accurate as possible, the data on ECINET will be entered solely by the authorised EC official. Entry by the official concerned would ensure that the data made available to the stakeholders is as accurate as possible. However, in case of any conflict, the primary data as duly filled in statutory forms will prevail, t

EC to seek death details digitally for more accurate electoral rolls

In a bid to update voters' list at a faster pace and make it free of errors, the Election Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India. The EC said on Thursday this will ensure that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) receive timely information about registered deaths and allow booth level officers (BLOs) to reverify the information through field visits, without waiting for a formal request by the kin of the deceased. The poll body has the authority under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to seek such details. To make voter information slips (VIS) more voter friendly, the EC has also decided to modify its design. The serial number and part number of the voter will now be displayed more prominently, with increased font size, making it easier for voters to identify their polling station and for polling officials to locate their names in the electoral roll ...

Cong did not flag abnormal voting in Maha polls: EC on Rahul's allegations

Election Commission sources on Tuesday rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations of abnormal voter turnout in the last two hours of the assembly polls in Maharashtra, asserting that the Congress did not flag any such abnormality during or after voting. On Monday, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged in Boston, US, that, in simple terms, more people voted in the Maharashtra assembly election than there were adults in the state. "The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5:30 pm, and between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible. For a voter to vote, it takes approximately three minutes and, if you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 am but this did not happen," he had said. Rejecting the claims, the sources underlined that 6,40,87,588 (6.40 crore) electors who reached the polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm voted in the Maharashtra polls. About 58 lakh votes were polled per hour on an average, they

Election rules row: SC gives EC 3 weeks to reply to Jairam Ramesh plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted three more weeks to the Election Commission to respond to the pleas of Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and others against the recent amendments to the 1961 election rules. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had issued a notice to the Centre and the poll panel on January 15 on Ramesh's plea and sought a response. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the poll panel, sought three more weeks to file the reply. The bench allowed Singh's prayer and set the July 21 week for hearing. Aside from Ramesh, two similar PILs filed by Shyam Lal Pal and activist Anjali Bhardwaj are pending. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi represented Ramesh. The petitioners have said the amendments to the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules were made "very cleverly" and barred any access to CCTV footage claiming it would reveal the identity of the voter. Singhvi previously said voting choices were never rev

SC to hear pleas on CEC, ECs' appointment under 2023 law on May 14

The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed May 14 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (EC) under the 2023 law. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan fixed the date after advocate Prashant Bhushan urged the bench to accord urgent hearing in the matter. Bhushan, appearing for a petitioner NGO challenging the appointment process, said the issue was covered by the Constitution bench verdict of 2023. Justice Kant told Bhushan that the court will take up the matter on May 14 by cancelling a special bench matter on the said date. Bhushan said though the matter is listed in the business of the day of the bench, they are urging the court to take it on top of the board. Justice Kant said the bench will be taking several part-heard matters involving land acquisition on Wednesday. On March 19, the top court had fixed April 16 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of

Election Commission 'dysfunctional', 'failed institution', says Kapil Sibal

Terming the Election Commission "dysfunctional" and a "failed" institution, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has claimed that a large section of the people do not have faith in the poll body as it has not discharged its functions in accordance with its constitutional responsibilities. In an interview with PTI, Sibal said the quicker the issue of lack of faith in the Election Commission is dealt with, the greater is the chance of saving democracy. "The Election Commission is a dysfunctional body. The Election Commission has not discharged its functions in accordance with its responsibilities which are expected of it under the Constitution," he said when asked about the Congress' and TMC's allegations about voters list irregularities. The Election Commission as it stands today is a "failed institution" and there is no confidence in the Election Commission among a large section of the people of this country, the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said. "Therefore, the quicker we deal with this issu