Page 4 - Election Commission

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

SC seeks Centre, EC's reply on PIL for restoring undertrials' voting rights

The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses of the Centre and the Election Commission on a PIL seeking recognition of voting rights for nearly 4.5 lakh undertrial prisoners lodged in jails across India. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the present blanket ban imposed under Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, violates constitutional guarantees and international democratic norms. The petition filed by Sunita Sharma, a resident of Patiala in Punjab, made the Centre through the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Election Commission as respondents. It seeks judicial intervention to ensure that prisoners, who have not been convicted of electoral offences or corruption, are not arbitrarily deprived of their democratic right to vote.

ECI allows 12 alternative IDs for voting, special measure for veiled women

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Aanganwadi workers will assist in verifying the identity of 'burqa-clad' or voters in 'ghunghat' at all Bihar polling booths

Bihar govt spent ₹3,200 crore on pre-poll welfare schemes, shows data

Bihar announces ₹3,200 crore pre-poll welfare schemes, including ₹10,000 for 15 million women, ahead of election schedule announcement

Don't misuse AI-based tools in Bihar poll campaigning: EC to parties

The Election Commission has warned political parties against misusing AI to create deepfakes or distort information in the Bihar assembly polls. In a statement on Thursday, the poll authority also reminded parties of its instructions to prominently label Al-generated or synthetic content being shared for campaigning through their social media platforms or in the form of advertisements. Parties, star campaigners and candidates should prominently declare that the content is "Al-Generated", "Digitally Enhanced", or a "Synthetic Content". It cautioned that a strict watch on social media posts is being kept to ensure that the election atmosphere is not vitiated. "The Commission advised the parties against misuse of AI based tools to create deep fakes that distort information or propagate misinformation over social media platforms emphasizing the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process," it said. Amid the last Lok Sabha elections, EC had come out with a set of directives

Poll code applicable to Central govt too for policy decisions on Bihar: EC

The Election Commission on Wednesday said the provisions of model code of conduct are also applicable to the Central government as far as announcements and policy decisions on Bihar are concerned. The poll code came into force immediately after the Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Bihar on Monday. The polls will be held on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes will be taken up on November 14. In a statement issued here, the EC said, "The MCC shall also be applicable to the Central government so far as announcements/policy decisions for Bihar are concerned." The poll authority also said that privacy of citizens must be respected, with no demonstrations or picketing outside private residences. "Land, buildings, or walls shall not be used for flags, banners or posters without the owner's consent," it said. The EC has also issued directives to the Bihar chief secretary related to the removal of defacement from government, public and