Page 3 - Election Commission

Bihar mandate rejects infiltrators, backs EC's voter list review: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar polls was a mandate against infiltrators in the country because citizens will never favour those parties that support such illegal immigrants. Shah said some political parties are opposing the ongoing SIR (special intensive revision) of the Election Commission as they want to make sure that names of infiltrators remain on the electoral rolls. He described the SIR as purification of voters' list. He was addressing the BSF Diamond Jubilee (61st Raising Day) celebrations in Bhuj, in Gujarat's Kutch district. Today, the BSF (Border Security Force) is engaged in preventing infiltration at all borders of the country. Stopping infiltration is not only essential for national security but also to protect the democratic system of the country from being polluted, he said. However, some political parties are trying to weaken the government's anti-infiltration campaign, he said. The Opposition, including t

Suvendu accuses Mamata of undermining EC, shielding 'illicit vote-bank'

Ratcheting up the political temperature around the SIR, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has written to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of trying to undermine the Election Commission and shield an illicit vote-bank her party has nurtured for years. Adhikari's letter to the CEC came hours after Banerjee's communication to the poll panel on Thursday in which she slammed the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as chaotic and coercive. The Leader of the Opposition in the assembly hit back late on Thursday with a four-page counter, calling her missive to the EC misleading, politically motivated and factually distorted. He dubbed the CM's objections as nothing less than a desperate attempt to derail a clean-up drive that threatens her political ecosystem. The Chief Minister's letter is a calculated attempt to sow discord among election officials, discredit the ECI's constitutional mandate and protect a vote-bank of ineligible and .

West Bengal SIR: Mamata Banerjee writes to EC, seeks immediate intervention

The Chief Minister expressed serious concerns about the ongoing SIR, citing inadequate planning, insufficient training, and unrealistic timelines that are "compromising the process's credibility"

Mamata slams ECI after death of BLO, alleges 'unbearable SIR pressure'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed shock over the death of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Jalpaiguri's Mal block, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has imposed "inhuman" pressure on field workers and led to 28 deaths so far. The chief minister claimed the deceased an anganwadi worker engaged as a BLO died by suicide due to the "unbearable pressure" of the revision exercise being undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI). In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Banerjee criticised the Election Commission for what she described as an "unplanned, relentless workload" ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. "Deeply shocked and saddened. Today again, we lost a Booth Level Officer in Mal, Jalpaiguri an anganwadi worker who took her own life under the unbearable pressure of the ongoing SIR work," she wrote on X. She said 28 people have already lost their lives since SIR began, some due to fear and .

Assam to undergo special electoral roll revision as ECI sets 2026 deadline

During the SIR drive being carried out in other states, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are tasked with conducting house-to-house verification using blank forms

EC clarifies to SC that Aadhaar won't be used to verify citizenship

The Election Commission of India has told the Supreme Court that it had already issued instructions for using the Aadhaar card as proof of identity and not of citizenship, for inclusion or exclusion in the revised voter list of Bihar. In a reply filed in the top court, the poll panel said that the court on September 8 had already clarified the usage of Aadhaar for updating the voter list. It said the court had stated that the Aadhaar card was to be used for the purpose of establishing identity in view of Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950 . Section 23 of the RPA deals with the inclusion of names in electoral rolls. " by following the aforesaid order, the commission has already issued instructions dated September 9, 2025, to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bihar for usage of Aadhaar card as proof of identity and not as proof of citizenship for the purpose of inclusion or exclusion in the revised voter list of the state of Bihar," the poll panel ...

Akhilesh Yadav blames SIR after Mahagathbandhan rout in Bihar elections

Akhilesh Yadav's remarks came after Congress' Pawan Khera described the contest in Bihar as one between CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the people of Bihar

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