Page 33 - Election Commission

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

LS polls: Cong MP files complaint against Assam CM over MCC 'violation'

Congress MP and Lok Sabha poll candidate from Nagaon constituency in Assam, Pradyut Bordoloi, has filed a complaint against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that he violated the model code of conduct by offering money to all ration cardholders during the ongoing election campaign. Bordoloi filed the complaint to the chief election commissioner on Tuesday night, alleging that Sarma, in a public meeting in Lakhimpur during the day, made a promise to transfer Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of every ration cardholder after the election. Stating that such assurances are a "clear violation" of MCC, the Congress leader said, "Such promises are not only unethical but also an attempt to influence voters through financial inducements, thereby compromising the integrity of the electoral process". He urged the ECI to investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action against the chief minister for his "misconduct". Bordoloi also filed another complaint with the chief ...

LS polls: Special polling stations set up in Gujarat's remote areas

Election authorities in Gujarat have set up special polling stations in 11 remote and difficult-to-access places, including deep forests and small islands, to ensure no eligible person is deprived of voting in the Lok Sabha polls. All the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will go to polls in a single phase on May 7. The Election Commission has already erected necessary infrastructure for the special polling stations. One such remote area is Banej, situated deep inside the protected Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, where a polling booth has been set up for a lone voter, Mahant Haridasji, who is the priest of a Lord Shiva temple there, a release from the office of the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer said. The nearest human-populated area from Banej is several kilometers away, as per the release. While the area falls under the jurisdiction of Gir Somnath district, Banej booth comes under Junagadh Lok Sabha seat. "A special polling booth has been set up for this single voter during every election

Smriti Irani accuses Rahul Gandhi of taking PFI support in Wayanad

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the support of the banned Popular Front of India to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat. Referring to Gandhi, who represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha earlier, the BJP leader said the people of the constituency tolerated an MP for 15 years who did nothing for them. Irani is seeking a re-election from the seat. "We have received information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI to contest the elections in Wayanad," she said. Irani also claimed that according to a charge sheet filed against the PFI, the outfit has listed the number of Hindus to be killed in every district. "Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why he is contesting the Wayanad election with the help of such an organisation," Irani told reporters. "I was in Wayanad a few days ago and I came to know that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family. It is s

10 TMC MPs sit on 24-hour dharna outside Election Commission office

The leaders are alleging that the probe agencies are targeting Opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections

Cong moves EC against PM Modi, BJP over 'Muslim League' jab at manifesto

'We are deeply saddened by what the Prime Minister says in his speeches,' said the Congress

Story in Numbers: Voters' pie in population getting larger, shows data

Current estimates suggest that voters now make up almost 70 per cent of total population

LS elections 2024: EC uses social media to nudge electors to vote

The Election Commission has launched a variety of campaigns across social media platforms to nudge young and urban voters to cast their ballot in the Lok Sabha elections. The poll watchdog has also initiated a campaign urging people to first verify then amplify what they get on social media related to elections. Polling for seven phase Lok Sabha elections will commence from April 19 with June 1 being the last phase. According to the EC, it is nudging young and first-time voters through 'Turning 18' campaign, urging them to come to the polling station to vote. 'You are the One' campaign seeks to recognise importance of different stakeholders in the election process, including polling machinery, in ensuring that no voter is left behind. From voters and political parties to booth level officers (BLOs), ground staff, polling parties, administrative personnel, media professionals, central forces, and security personnel, each stakeholder plays a vital role in ensuring the integrity and

Suvidha portal gets 73,000 applications for campaign-related activities

The Election Commission on Sunday said its Suvidha portal has received over 73,000 applications since the Lok Sabha polls were announced, seeking permission for various campaigning activities. The applications submitted by by parties and candidates include requests for booking rally grounds, opening temporary party offices and operating video publicity vans, the EC said. More than 44,600 requests have been approved with first in-first out principle ensuring level playing field for parties and candidates, it said. Of the total requests received, nearly 11,200 or 15 per cent were rejected, and 10,819 applications cancelled as they were invalid or duplicate, the data released by the commission showed. Maximum requests were received from Tamil Nadu (23,239), followed by West Bengal (11,976) and Madhya Pradesh (10,636). The least number of requests so far have been received from Chandigarh (17), Lakshadweep (18) and Manipur (20), the poll authority said. The Suvidha portal has stream

Tripura: Senior citizens, specially-abled can vote from home from April 9

Earlier, the Election Commission announced 'vote-from-home' facilities for citizens over 85 years of age and persons with disabilities for the Lok Sabha elections

EC asks Atishi for facts to back her statement on BJP's 'poaching' bid

The Election Commission on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi, asking her to back with facts her statement that the BJP approached her to join the party. The BJP moved the poll commission a day back against Atishi's "false statement" that the party had reached out to her through someone close and asked her to join it. The Election Commission notice to Atishi read, "...you are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from public forum by their leaders and in that sense the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse." The poll panel said it expects that there must be a "factual foundation" to the statements made by the AAP leader. "...when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested then you must be able to back your statements by a factual basis," it added. On April 2, the AAP leader claimed that the BJP approach

LS elections: 53.5 mn voters in Rajasthan, 4.5 mn up since 2019 polls

A total of 5.35 crore voters are registered in Rajasthan for the Lok Sabha elections. Of these, 1.40 crore are service voters. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 4.89 crore voters were registered. The total number of voters in the state has increased by 45.51 lakh. Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said on Friday that the voter lists of all 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state have been published. He said out of all the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, Pali has the highest number of registered voters at 23.48 lakh and Dausa Lok Sabha constituency has the least number of voters at 19.03 lakh. Gupta said as compared to 2019 Lok Sabha elections, there has been a total increase of 45.5 lakh voters. During this period, the number of male voters has increased by 23.13 lakh and the number of female voters by 22.37 lakh and the number of third gender voters increased by 361. Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases, on April 19 and April 26.

EC identifies 266 parl seats with lower voter turnout; plans intervention

The Election Commission on Friday said it has identified 266 parliamentary constituencies, including 215 in rural areas, with low voter turnout and is planning targeted intervention to enhance voting percentage in Lok Sabha polls. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers (DEOs) from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low voter turnout here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and union territories, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approac