Page 2 - Election Commission

Bihar polls Phase-2: 37 million voters set to decide fate of candidates

The concluding phase of Bihar polls on Tuesday will see 1,302 candidates, including several ministers, contesting 122 seats, even as the EC faces opposition criticism over turnout data

Rahul Gandhi alleges SIR of voter rolls to institutionalise 'vote theft'

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in an attempt to cover up "vote theft" and institutionalise it. Gandhi arrived in Pachmarhi hill town in Narmadapuram on Saturday to take part in the Madhya Pradesh district Congress presidents' training camp. "Vote theft is an issue and SIR now, it is about covering it up and institutionalising the system," the Congress MP claimed while talking to reporters here. The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list commenced in nine states and three Union territories on November 4. Gandhi said he believes that like Haryana, "vote theft" took place in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh too. "A few days ago, I gave a presentation on Haryana, and I clearly saw that vote theft was taking place...25 lakh votes were stolen, 1 in 8 votes were stolen," he alleged. "After looking at that, after looking at the data, I belie

Over 15.6 million voter enumeration forms distributed in Rajasthan for SIR

More than 1.56 crore voter enumeration forms have been distributed across Rajasthan in the first five days of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said on Saturday. According to Chief Electoral Officer Naveen Mahajan, Barmer, Chittorgarh and Alwar districts have reported the highest distribution so far, while nine districts --? Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jhalawar, Hanumangarh, Sirohi, Kota, Balotra, Pali and Jaisalmer --? recorded less than 25 per cent distribution. Mahajan directed the district election officers in these regions to intensify efforts and ensure that the distribution percentage rises to at least 35 per cent by Sunday, noting that most voters are expected to be home during the weekend. The chief election officer added that under the SIR exercise, voters can also fill and submit their enumeration forms online. The Election Commission has provided this facility to make the process more accessible and efficient for public, he added.

Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of vote theft, says PM ruined independent agencies

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday alleged that after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he "destroyed all constitutional and independent institutions in the country" and made them, including the Election Commission, subordinate to the central government. Claiming that the BJP has proved itself to be "experts in vote theft", the CM accused the saffron party of coming to power at the centre and in several states through such means. He was speaking after announcing that the Congress party has gathered more than 1.12 crore signatures against 'vote theft' in the state as part of its signature campaign. "We call BJP experts in lying; they are not just experts in lying, lies are their home deity. They are not just limited to it. They have proved that they are experts in vote theft. Vote theft has become their profession," Siddaramaiah said. "BJP in recent years, through vote theft, have won Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and has come to power at the Centre and in several .

Who is the 'Brazilian model' Rahul Gandhi says voted 22 times in Haryana?

Rahul Gandhi highlighted the image of a woman he claimed was a 'Brazilian model' allegedly used for vote fraud in Haryana, saying her photo appeared under multiple names across 10 booths

Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP, Election Commission of 'vote chori' in Haryana

Gandhi described the Haryana polls as a "theft," accusing the Election Commission of India of failing to ensure a fair process

SIR exercise to begin in Bengal, UP today amid charged political climate

The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will begin in West Bengal on Tuesday, amid soaring political temperatures over the routine administrative exercise in the state. The exercise turned into a political battleground, pitting the BJP's clout and the poll body's push for "transparency" against the TMC's grassroots resistance ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. While the BJP has welcomed the SIR as a step towards ensuring greater transparency in the electoral rolls, the ruling TMC has questioned its timing and intent, alleging that the Election Commission (EC) is acting under pressure from the saffron party to manipulate the voter list ahead of the state elections next year. With both parties treating the SIR as a prelude to the 2026 Assembly elections, the contest has morphed into what many in political circles describe as "the battle of two forces, the administrative and the organisational". The BJP, buoyed by the Election Commission's "proacti

SIR exercise to begin in 12 states, Union territories from Tuesday

Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission's voters' list cleanup exercise, will commence in nine states and three Union territories from Tuesday. SIR in these states and Union territories with 51 crore voters will conclude on February 7, 2026, with the publication of the final electoral roll. After Bihar, this is the second round of SIR. The state's final voter list with nearly 7.42 crore names was published on September 30. The 12 states and Union territories where the second round of SIR will be conducted are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026. In Assam, another state where polls are due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls will be announced separately as a Supreme Court-supervised exercise to verify citizenship is underway in the state. Also, a ...

Voter list revision drive milestone in making of Indian democracy: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has said the voter list revision drive in Bihar was a "purification" exercise and a milestone in the making of Indian democracy. Addressing the gathering at IIT-K on its foundation day on Sunday, the CEC said "the world's biggest voter list purification exercise was conducted in Bihar alone and once the drive is extended to 51 crore voters in 12 states, it will mark a historic achievement for the Election Commission and the nation". When this process is completed across the country, people will feel proud not just of the Election Commission but of India's democratic strength, Kumar said while addressing the gathering. The Election Commission recently announced that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) would be conducted between November and February in 12 states and Union Territoriesincluding Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengalall of which are scheduled to hold assembly elections in 2026. The CEC was in the city to attend the ..

ECI has zero tolerance for violence, ready for peaceful Bihar polls: CEC

He assured the voters of Bihar that the numerous police officials, returning officers, zilla parishad officials are ready to conduct a free and fair elections

Election Commission begins training booth-level officers for SIR in Bengal

The Election Commission on Saturday began a training programme for booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The training programme, being held in various districts, would be completed by November 3, with the SIR process scheduled to begin the following day, officials said. In south Kolkata's Nazrul Mancha, training was underway for BLOs of Bhabanipur, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Tollygunge, Kasba, Jadavpur, Metiabruz, Behala Purba and Behala Paschim assembly constituencies, they said. The sessions are being held in batches, they added. The EC has issued a 16-point guideline for BLOs as part of the SIR exercise, and introduced a new mobile app to streamline field operations, officials said. During the training, BLOs are being provided with special kits and detailed instructions on the SIR process, they added. From November 4 to December 4, BLOs will visit households to carry out voter verification and form-filling work. A

No provision for use of VVPATs in local body polls: Maharashtra SEC

The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has said there is no provision in the laws or rules governing local body elections for the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The Opposition parties have demanded that the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra be conducted using VVPAT machines to ensure transparency in the voting process. If the deployment of VVPAT machines is not feasible, the elections to rural and urban civic bodies should be held using ballot papers, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Wadettiwar had said. Elections to various local bodies in the state, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are to be completed by January 2026. The SEC in a statement on Wednesday said that except for a few exceptions, almost all local body elections in the state are conducted under a multi-member ward system. The Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), comprising all State Election Commissions across the country, is ...

Bypolls on 12 MCD wards on November 30, results on December 3: Delhi EC

The bypolls for 12 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) wards will be held on November 30, Delhi State Election Commission said on Tuesday. The nominations will begin on November 3. Voting will be held from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm without any break, on November 30. Counting of the votes polled will be held on December 3, according to a press note issued by the Commission. The last date of filing of nominations will be November 10 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on November 12. The last date of withdrawal of nomination will be November 15, it said. The bypolls will be held at Mundka, Shalimar Bagh-B, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Chandni Mahal, Dwarka-B, Dichaon Kalan, Naraina, Sangam Vihar-A, Dakshin Puri, Greater Kailash and Vinod Nagar. Shalimar Bagh-B ward was represented earlier as a councilor by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, while Dwarka-B ward was vacated by BJP counsilor Kamaljeet Sehrawat after getting elected as West Delhi Lok Sabha seat. Remaining war

Prashant Kishor listed as voter in both Bihar and West Bengal: EC official

Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor figures in the electoral rolls of both Bihar and West Bengal, an election official said on Tuesday. Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party is contesting the assembly elections in Bihar. According to official records, Kishor is enrolled as a voter in West Bengal at 121, Kalighat Road, the address of the Trinamool Congress headquarters in Kolkata's Bhabanipur assembly constituency, which is Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's seat, he said. "His polling station is listed as St Helen School on B Ranishankari Lane," the official added. During the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, Kishor had worked as a political consultant for the TMC. Kishor is registered at Kargahar assembly segment under Sasaram parliamentary constituency in Rohtas district of Bihar, the poll official said, adding that his polling booth is Madhya Vidyalaya, Konar. Further talking about the matter, the poll official referred to Section 17 of the Representation o

EC announces phase two of SIR, Cyclone Montha landfall, Justice Surya Kant to become next CJI & more

The Election Commission on Monday announced phase two of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 12 states, starting Tuesday. These include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry,

Election Commission announces phase two of SIR in 12 states: Check details

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said SIR exercise is being carried out in 12 states of India after several political parties raised concerns about the quality of electoral rolls

EC may appoint volunteers to assist in SIR of West Bengal electoral rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) may appoint volunteers to assist booth-level officers (BLOs) during the probable special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, a senior official said on Sunday. The volunteers are likely to be drawn from among government employees in each block for the exercise that may be launched soon, he said. "This is at the planning stage... These assistants will help the BLOs fill out enumeration forms and may also be deployed as substitutes, if required," the official told PTI. The volunteers will primarily be assigned to polling stations having more than 1,200 voters, he added. "As a result of this cap on the number of voters per booth, the number of polling booths in the state is likely to increase by around 14,000, from the existing 80,000 to around 94,000," the official said. For the exercise, the block development officers (BDOs) in several districts have written to school inspectors seeking lists of permanent teachers, clerk

EC top brass meets state chief poll officers to discuss pan-India SIR

The Election Commission top brass is meeting its state chief poll officers here on Wednesday to firm up its plans to roll out a pan-India special intensive revision to clean up voter lists. The two-day meet is the second since September to decide on the massive exercise. Officials said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are meeting all state chief electoral officers here. The confabulations will continue till Thursday. One strong opinion within the top EC brass is to hold SIR in phases, beginning with the states going for assembly elections next year. More states may be included in the first phase. At the same time, it will not hold the electoral roll cleanup exercise in states where local body elections are taking place or are due, as the grassroots poll machinery is busy with it and may not be able to focus on SIR, officials said Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are due in ...

Bihar polls: Bulk SMSes, voice messages during 'silence period' on EC radar

As Bihar prepares for phase one of assembly polls on November 6, the Election Commission has warned that bulk SMSes and audio messages during the 48-hour 'silence period' which starts before the conclusion of voting, is prohibited. In a note issued on October 9 outlining campaigning restrictions, the poll authority said, political advertisements on any election matter in TV, cable networks, radio, cinema halls, use of bulk SMS/voice messages, audio visual displays in any polling area during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll for any election in the polling area is prohibited. Separately, in a statement on Tuesday, the EC said it has issued orders on October 9, requiring every registered and national and state political party and every contesting candidate to apply to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media, including social media before ...

Maharashtra SEC asks EC to defer voter list revision until local body polls

The Maharashtra State Election Commission has requested the Election Commission to defer its plan, if any, to roll out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state until January 2026, citing the upcoming local body polls. The State Election Commission (SEC), in its letter dated September 9, stated that officials will be busy conducting the elections to local bodies. "The honourable Supreme Court of India has vide its order dated 6th May 2025 directed the State Election Commission to make an endeavour to conclude the elections to local bodies in Maharashtra within a period of four months while granting liberty to the State Election Commission to seek extension of time in appropriate cases," it said. Elections to all 29 municipal corporations, all 247 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats out of 147 town councils, 32 out of 34 zilla parishads, and 336 out of 351 panchayat samitis are due in Maharashtra, a senior official said on Monday. The SEC also pointed out