Page 29 - Election Commission

Bias at the ballot box: The ways voters are influenced in elections

Authority figures to availability choice: Our voting decisions are often coloured by biases that are often unconscious

LS polls: EC appoints special observers to ensure level playing field

Election Commission on Tuesday appointed special observers for administrative, security and expenditure monitoring purposes in several states to ensure a level playing field during the upcoming elections. The special observers -- former civil servants with brilliant track record -- have been tasked with overseeing the electoral process with strict vigilance, particularly against the backdrop of challenges posed by the influence of money, muscle and misinformation, the poll panel said. Special Observers (General and Police) have been deployed in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar where the population is more than seven crore and also in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha where the simultaneous elections to the Assemblies are to be held, the poll authority said. Special Expenditure Observers have also been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, it said.

Lok Sabha polls: Drinking water to ORS, EC's advisory to tackle heatwave

Provide polling officials and voters with oral rehydration salts (ORS)

BJP urges EC to file FIR against TMC leader for 'casteist slur' on PM Modi

BJP has asked the Election Commission to lodge an FIR against Piyush Panda and ban his campaigning for the remainder of the election period for his alleged derogatory remarks

BJP files EC complaint against TMC for posting private info of Rekha Patra

TMC is accused of targeting Sandeshkhali victim and BJP candidate Rekha Patra, sharing her private information on social media

BJP writes to EC, seeks 'stringent action' against Rahul over EVM remark

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of engaging in 'match-fixing' in the Lok Sabha election

INDIA bloc urges 'immediate release' of Kejriwal and Soren at Delhi rally

Sunita Kejriwal, conveyed her husband Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's pledge for continuous power supply, accessible quality education and healthcare

EC issues order barring Andhra govt's ward, village volunteers from duties

The Election Commission has issued an order barring the Andhra Pradesh government's ward and village volunteers from carrying out their activities such as disbursing welfare benefits, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena said on Saturday. The Commission has also asked the state government to refrain from releasing the results of Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) and conducting the Andhra Pradesh Teacher Recruitment Test (APTRT) while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force. On the Election Commission's order on ward and village volunteers, Meena said they should not be engaged for extending government schemes and welfare benefits, disbursing pensions and other related activities during the elections. "Cell phones, tabs and other devices given to the volunteers should be immediately deposited with the respective District Electoral Officers," he said in a press release. Further, he observed that the poll body directed that government schemes should be ..

LS polls: Rs 7 cr in cash, drugs, alcohol worth Rs 140 cr seized in Bengal

Gold, drugs, alcohol and various goods worth around Rs 140 crore and more than Rs 7 crore in cash were seized in West Bengal since the dates for the Lok Sabha polls were announced this month, an officer said Saturday. According to data released by the Election Commission, the amount of cash seized till Saturday was around Rs 7.87 crore. The EC also seized 12.7 lakh litres of alcohol with a market value of Rs 33.86 crore, he added. "Drugs weighing around 3.5 kg worth Rs 18.28 crore were also seized," he said. The poll body also seized the yellow metal worth Rs 27.32 crore during this period, the official said. "So far, we have also seized goods worth around Rs 36 crore and the total seizure is worth Rs 147.19 crore, including unaccounted cash," he added. There has been a trend of offering money and alcohol to buy votes for several years. The Election Commission has declared six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal as 'financially sensitive'. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police, dur

Voting is not just a right but a responsibility, say voters in Arunachal

For many first-time voters in Arunachal Pradesh voting is not just a right but a responsibility also for building a strong base for a vibrant democracy. First-time voters in Arunachal Pradesh constitute 46,144 of the total 8,82,816 electorate. Voting for the two Lok Sabha constituencies and the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly will be held simultaneously on April 19. Eighteen-year-old Millo Sunyo who will vote for the first time said: "Voting is not just a right but a responsibility of all eligible voters to exercise their adult franchise for building a strong base for a vibrant democracy". She says elections should be free of money culture, and freebies like distribution of petrol, diesel, liquor, edibles, etc. Sunya, who hails from Ziro-Hapoli assembly constituency, said people, especially new voters, should turn out in good numbers as it is essential for a healthy democratic process. "Many a time, we criticise the government but skip participating in the voting process," s

No exit poll from 7 am of Apr 19 to 6.30 pm of June 1: Election Commission

The Election Commission has issued a notification banning the conduct, publication or publicising of exit polls between 7.00 am of April 19 and 6.30 pm of June 1 when votes will be cast for the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls. The notification issued on Thursday also made it clear that under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would be prohibited during the 48-hour period ending with the time fixed for the conclusion of the poll. Besides Lok Sabha polls, assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim are going for elections. Separately, bye-election to 25 assembly constituencies in 12 states are also being held in this period.

Lok Sabha elections: The rise of the no-result political parties

More parties have begun contesting the elections, with an increase by 45 per cent between the previous election in 2014, and the election conducted in 2019

Using app, citizens send 79,000 complaints of poll code violations: ECI

The Election Commission said that since the announcement of General elections on March 16, there have been numerous complaints of MCC violations on the cVigil app, most of which have been resolved

Ceiling for LS polls expenditure: District poll panels fix menu, rates

Candidates in Punjab's Jalandhar can spend Rs 15 for a cup of tea and the same price for a samosa they offer to people during public meetings and campaign trails in the Lok Sabha elections. However, those in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla can spend Rs 7 for a cup of tea and another Rs 7.50 for a piece of samosa, considered a staple snack in many parts of the country. With polls to elect the 18th Lok Sabha approaching, district poll panels are fixing the rates for expenses as part of the election expenditure monitoring process. The candidates will have to manage their expenditure within the prescribed limit. These rate cards often become a subject of "meme-fest" on social media about the prices not being in sync with the current inflation level. In most states, including Andhra Pradesh, the expenditure ceiling for a Lok Sabha candidate is set at Rs 95 lakh. However, in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim, the limit is slightly lower at Rs 75 lakh per candidate. Similarly, for Union territori

Poll officers can't force electors who refuse' to vote at poll booths: EC

At a time when the Election Commission pledges to leave no stone unturned to bring eligible voters to polling stations to exercise their franchise, not many electors are aware of their right to refuse to vote even after registering their identities before the presiding officer. That right, which is separate from the provision to vote under NOTA, can be exercised under the 'Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 Rule 49-O', which elaborates the little-known option for electors to abstain from voting even after reaching the polling booth. While the NOTA (None Of The Above) option allows voters to express their lack of confidence in any of the candidates seeking mandate, the refusal to vote' option allows an elector to shun the poll process in its entirety. The 49-O clause directs the presiding officer that once an elector refuses to vote inside a booth after having his credentials verified, the officer shall put a remark to this effect against the entry in Form 17A and the signature or thum

Lok Sabha elections: Filing of nominations for second phase begins

The process of filing nominations for 88 parliamentary seats across 12 states in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday. The notification for the second phase of the parliamentary polls -- to be held on April 26 -- was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the president early on Thursday. The last date for filing nomination papers for this phase is April 4. On April 5, the nomination papers will be scrutinised in all states and Union Territories, except Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu and Kashmir, the scrutiny will be held on April 6. Polling in one part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will also be held during this phase. The notification for elections in the Outer Manipur constituency was included in the gazette notification issued for the first phase on March 20. Fifteen assembly segments in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19. Thirteen assembly segments of the constituency will go

Lok Sabha polls: 38 candidates file nomination for first phase in Assam

Altogether 38 candidates, including Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, have filed their nominations for the first phase polls scheduled on April 19 in Assam, an election official said. On the last day of filing of nominations on Wednesday, 26 people filed their papers and they include sitting BJP MP Topon Gogoi in Jorhat, Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa in Kaziranga and MLA Ranjit Dutta in Sonitpur. The constituencies going to the polls in the first phase are Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Kaziranga. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied Gogoi and Tasa during their nomination filing at Jorhat and Golaghat and exuded confidence that both the candidates would win their respective seats and help Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the nation for the third consecutive term. He said that the massive support for Gogoi is reflective of the love and faith people have in the Prime Minister and 'I am sure that he will win by a

EC reaches remotest corner to ensure 'no voter is left behind': CEC

Traversing jungles and snow-capped mountains, wading through rivers with life jackets on, trekking for miles and carrying EVMS on horseback and on elephants, Election Commission teams reach the remotest corner and the most inaccessible spot to ensure no voter is left out. Fanning out across the length and breadth of India, right from the world's highest polling station at 15,000 feet above sea level to a booth in a shipping container in an islet, the EC could well be moving mountains to conduct elections in the world's largest democracy. The idea, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, is that no voter is left behind. "We will walk the extra mile so that voters don't have to. We will go in the snowed mountains and jungles. We will go through horses and helicopters and on the bridges and even ride on elephants and mules just to ensure everyone is able to vote," Kumar said earlier this month while announcing the schedule for 18th Lok Sabha polls this month. In the upcoming Lok

EC to ensure 100% webcasting of all polling booths in Punjab: CEO Sibin C

Sibin C said that they have introduced a revamped NextGen District Information System for Elections (DISE) this time

Summer heat: EC asks poll officers to ensure facilities at polling stations

The Election Commission has sought "strict compliance" of its directive of providing assured minimum facilities at polling stations, including drinking water, shade and medical kit, for the Lok Sabha elections in the backdrop of the IMD predicting a harsh summer. It has also shared with its state chief electoral officers a set of 'dos and don'ts' issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to minimise the impact of the impending heat wave. In a letter sent out to its CEOs on March 16, the day it announced schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, the EC reminded them about its earlier set of instructions on assured minimum facilities at polling stations. According to the June 2023 instructions on assured minimum facilities, which have been circulated afresh, during summer, every polling party shall be supplied with oral rehydration salts (ORS) for their own use as well as for any voter needing the same due to heat-stroke. "A hand bill on 'Dos and Don'ts' in case of heat