Page 27 - Election Commission

After saying no, EC allows environment ministry to issue green clearances

The environment ministry had sought permission to environmental clearances while the Model Code of Conduct is in place

Election Commission issues notification for fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls

According to the poll body's notification, the last date for making nominations is April 25. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 26

General elections: Campaigning ends for 102 seats going to polls in phase 1

The election campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded at 3 pm today in the North East, and in other areas, it ended at 6 pm

Coast Guard apprehends fishing boat involved in smuggling off Maha coast

The fishing boat was allegedly reported to be involved in the smuggling of diesel and carrying an unauthorised amount of foreign or Indian currency

Referring to electoral bonds, Rahul calls PM Modi 'champion of corruption'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged the electoral bonds scheme was the biggest "extortion scheme" in the world and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the "champion of corruption". Addressing a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav here, Gandhi said there is a strong undercurrent in favour of the opposition INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections and the BJP will be limited to 150 seats. Yadav said the winds of change will start blowing from Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh to Ghazipur and the BJP will be given a grand farewell in the Lok Sabha elections. "We have to ensure that not a single vote is divided in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav said. Criticising the now-scrapped electoral bonds, Gandhi said the prime minister claims that the scheme was brought to bring transparency in poll funding but then why was it struck down by the Supreme Court. "The electoral bonds scheme is the biggest extortion scheme in the world. India's businessmen kn

Elections 2024: ECI receives 200 complaints on code violations; acts on 169

BJP has filed 51 complaints, Congress 59 and other parties 90 with the Election Commission

EC asks political parties to share details of aircrafts used in campaigning

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked parties to furnish details about aircraft and helicopters being used for political campaigning, including their origin and destination and details of people ferried in them. A letter by Tejas Samel, Deputy Election Officer of Mumbai Suburban district, dated April 12, said such information has to be furnished three days before the journey to the District Election Office, but that duration has now been reduced to 24 hours. "We are sending a revised letter tomorrow (April 17). Instead of three days, they have to inform us 24 hours in advance," Samel told PTI on Tuesday night. The details should also include the make of the aircraft/helicopter and people travelling in them. The letter said this information has to be furnished under the Model Code of Conduct in force for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, which has to be sent to the ECI. Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, which has 48 seats, will be held in five phases between April 19 and .

Aamir Khan clarifies on viral deepfake political ad, team lodges FIR

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a video of the actor purportedly promoting a political party recently went viral, evoking reactions from the audience

Committed to protect level playing field: EC on probe against politicians

Amid the Opposition charge of being targeted by central probe agencies in the poll season, the Election Commission on Tuesday said it is committed to protecting level playing field but asserted that it is not correct to take any step that can overlap the legal and judicial process. Several political parties from the INDIA bloc had approached the poll panel seeking its intervention in the alleged misuse of probe agencies by the government to target their leaders over graft. Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam, the opposition parties had mounted renewed attack on the government for its alleged bid to silence their leaders ahead of parliamentary elections. In a statement, the EC said it was guided by constitutional wisdom when presented with "live situations" involving political persons which have been under active consideration and orders of the courts based on criminal

Lok Sabha polls: ECI has seized over Rs 100 crore per day since March 1

Lok Sabha polls: The Election Commission of India seized Rs 3,475 cr during the entire 2019 Lok Sabha polls. This time it has seized Rs 4,650 crore already

LS polls: EC inspects helicopters of Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee

Surveillance and inspection of non-scheduled aircraft and helicopters by the agencies during poll season is part of standing instructions, the Election Commission sources said Monday as authorities checked the helicopter of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Tamil Nadu. A few days back, the helicopter of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was also inspected by the authorities in West Bengal. Responding to queries on the issue, the sources referred to the EC's statement issued on Monday on the seizures made by the authorities in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. The statement referred to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar's remarks while announcing the poll schedule where he had stressed on strict compliance of BCAS instructions on surveillance and inspection of non-scheduled aircraft and helicopters by the Income Tax department, airport authorities and the SPs of concerned districts. "The Commission during reviews had always emphasised that there will be multi-pronged surveillance

Mamata criticises EC over 'favouring' BJP; threatens to go on hunger strike

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the Election Commission for "favouring" the BJP and threatened to go on a hunger strike outside the Commission if there is a single riot in the state. While addressing a rally at Alipurduar, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of removing the Deputy Inspector General of Police of Murshidabad at the behest of the BJP. "Even today, just based on BJP's instructions, the DIG of Murshidabad was changed. Now, if there are riots in Murshidabad and Malda, the responsibility will lie with the Election Commission. The BJP wanted to change the police officers to trigger riots and violence. If there is even one riot, the ECI will be responsible as they are looking after law and order here," she said. The TMC supremo said she would conduct a hunger strike outside the EC office for 55 days if needed. "If I can fast for farmers for 26 days (during anti-land acquisition protests in Singur), I can go on a hunger strike for 55 days outside you

EC sets up more than 200 polling stations within housing societies in UP

The Election Commission of India has set up more than 200 polling stations within housing societies in the urban areas of Uttar Pradesh to increase the voter turnout in the politically crucial state. In an interview with PTI, state's Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said the poll body is targeting urban areas that have registered a low voter turnout in the past and expressed that Uttar Pradesh will secure the first position as far as voting percentage is concerned. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the voting percentage in Uttar Pradesh was a tepid 59.11 per cent. "We have taken a number of important steps to ensure that all kinds of barriers that prevent voters from casting votes are removed. We have ensured that the polling station is located within a two-kilometre radius of every voter. "Also in urban areas, we have undertaken a new initiative of setting up polling stations within gated communities and multi-storeyed housing societies where there has been a low voter turnout

Andhra CM Jagan Reddy injured in stone pelting incident in Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was on Saturday injured after stones were pelted by unknown persons during the YSRCP chief's election campaign in Vijayawada, his office said. The chief minister suffered a small cut on the left side of his temple above the eye during his Memanta Siddham' (we are all ready) election canvassing bus tour. "The stone struck the CM while he was acknowledging the crowds as part of his bus tour at Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada," said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The stone hit Reddy at a very high velocity and officials are suspecting that it could have been launched from a catapult, prompting the people standing around him atop the bus to wipe his forehead with a handkerchief initially. Immediately, the chief minister was administered first aid inside the bus by a doctor. Reddy was seen being attended to by a doctor inside the bus and also grimacing from pain. However, unfazed by the stone

It's 'King' versus 'Queen' in Mandi as Cong fields royal against Kangana

The stage is set for a battle royale in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat as the Congress on Saturday pitted state minister Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, against BJP candidate and actor Kangana Ranaut. Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from Mandi and the Congress' state unit president. Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952. Vikramaditya Singh, the two-time MLA from the Shimla (rural) assembly segment, is not new in the parliamentary constituency as his father and mother each won the seat thrice. In the 2021 Lok Sabha bypoll to the seat, Singh had campaigned extensively for his mother. Even before his candidature was announced, Vikramaditya Singh was involved in a spat with the actor-politician of ...

Model code violation case filed against BJP's Brij Bhushan Singh in Gonda

A case for violation of the Model Code of Conduct and prohibitory orders was on Saturday filed against BJP MP from Kaiserganj and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a senior official said. District Magistrate (DM) Neha Sharma said the MP visited several villages in the Katra assembly segment of his constituency under the Khargupur police station area with a convoy of about 25-30 vehicles on Friday without permission. As a result, in-charge of the flying squad team of the Katra market area Dr Nazmul Islam filed a case under relevant sections against Singh, Sharma said. The DM said restrictions under CrPC section 144 is in force in the district in view of the Lok Sabha elections ahead and that the district administration was committed to complying with the Model Code of Conduct. Strict action will be taken if anyone violates it, the official added. Police station in-charge Dinesh Singh said a case has been registered under relevant sections and the

BJD moves EC against Sambit Patra for distributing clocks with BJP symbol

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday moved to the Election Commission (EC) accusing BJP nominee for Puri Lok Sabha constituency Sambit Patra of distributing clocks adorned with the saffron party symbol, and his photograph to shopkeepers ahead of the polls. A BJD delegation led by Rajya Sabha Member Sulata Deo has submitted a petition to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha in this regard. "It has come to our attention that Sambit Patra and his campaign team have resorted to gross misconduct by distributing clocks adorned with the BJP logo, lotus symbol, and even Patra's photograph," the BJD alleged in its petition. Alleging this move of Patra is a blatant attempt to influence voters and also a clear violation of the model code of conduct, the BJD said, "We strongly condemn such reprehensible actions by Patra and his team. It is imperative that immediate and stringent action be taken by the EC to rectify this situation and ensure that the sanctity of the electoral process is ..

Nominations for Phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls to begin tomorrow: ECI

The Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases, with voters across the country going to the polls on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1

SC's order on disclosure of moveable assets upholds voters' right to know

The apex court held candidates didn't need to disclose every moveable property in polls

LS polls: EC orders action on anonymous political hoarding after complaints

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed clear identification of the printer and publisher on printed election-related material, including hoardings, in a bid to ensure accountability and transparency in poll campaigning. The poll authority said the decision was taken by it after representations were received stating that in hoarding spaces controlled by municipal authorities, hoardings without the identity of the printer or publisher have been noticed. The Aam Aadmi Party had also approached the EC on the issue recently. The EC pointed to section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which prohibits the printing or publishing of election pamphlets, posters, placards, or banners without prominently displaying the name and address of the printer and publisher. This requirement of disclosing the identity of publishers serves as a cornerstone for regulating campaign financing and fixing of responsibility in case content is found unbecoming of the framework of the Mo