Page 44 - Election Commission

SC seeks EC reply in 3 weeks on NGO's plea for cross verification of EVMs

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Election Commission of India to a plea by an NGO seeking cross verification by the voters of votes cast by them as "counted as recorded" in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi said it is not issuing notice to the Election Commission but only asking for a copy of the petition filed by NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms' (ADR) to be served upon the standing counsel of the poll panel. The bench asked the EC to file its reply within three weeks. "We think that it appears to be a case of over suspicion. We sometimes tend to be overly suspicious on certain matters. We are sure that they (EC) might have taken steps to rectify any such problems, if they existed. Therefore, we are not issuing notice and only asking for the copy to be served," the bench told advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for the NGO. Bhushan said he too

SC to hear Uddhav's plea against EC order on party name, symbol on Jul 31

The Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear on July 31 Uddhav Thackeray's plea against the Election Commission's order allotting the name 'Shiv Sena' and the undivided party's bow and arrow election symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said the matter was listed for hearing after advocate Amit Anand Tiwari sought its urgent listing. "It is listed on July 31, we will hear it on that day," the bench said and allowed Tiwari to file a rejoinder to the reply submitted by the Shinde faction. The top court had on February 22 sought the response of the Shinde faction and the Election Commission on Thackeray's plea. In his application, Thackeray said the matter required urgent hearing as the impugned order is completely illegal in view of the recent Constitution bench judgment of the top court pronounced on May 11. The apex court, in a unanimous judgment, had held the then Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari's direction to Thackera

CBIC issues SoP to check use of freebies to lure voters during elections

The CBIC has come out with detailed instructions for tax officers to implement the directions of the Election Commission with regard to the use of freebies, illicit cash, liquor and drugs to lure voters, and asked them to share information with other enforcement agencies. The GST and Customs officials will also be required to monitor the distribution of coupon-based or free fuel or cash for alluring prospective voters under the new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP). The officials would also monitor fuel consumption by candidates and parties and keep a tab on expenditure on food, hotels, parties, tent house etc. The GST officers would keep an extensive check on restaurant/eateries, marriage hall/ farm houses/ slaughter house/ meat house in the poll-bound area, said a detailed SoP issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The GST and Customs officials would also set up "flying squads and static surveillance teams" for the effective conduct of road and transit

Election Commission doesn't have powers to change party's name: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the Election Commission (EC) can allot an electoral symbol to a party, but it does not have powers to change the name of a party. Speaking to reporters in Amaravati district during a tour of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, the former state chief minister also said the name 'Shiv Sena' was given by his grandfather (Keshav Thackeray) and he will not let anyone "steal" it. In February this year, the Election Commission allotted the name Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol bow and arrow' to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The EC allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to retain the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the flaming torch' poll symbol, given to it in an interim order last year. After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray broke ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with the help of the NCP and Congress. In June last year, Shinde

Bengal SEC orders repolling on July 10 in booths where voting declared void

The West Bengal State Election Commission announced that repolling will be held on Monday in all booths where voting for the rural elections has been declared void. The SEC, which held a meeting on Sunday evening, went through reports of vote-tampering and violence which affected polling in many places, and passed the order, an official said. Among districts where repolling was announced, Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 112. Violence-hit Nadia will see repolling in 89 booths, while North and South 24 Parganas districts will witness repolling in 46 and 36 booths respectively.

BJP holds protest outside SEC office against Bengal rural poll violence

BJP supporters on Sunday staged a demonstration in front of the office of West Bengal State Election Commission here, protesting against the panchayat poll violence that left 15 people dead. Security was beefed up around the SEC office in the city as BJP workers shouted slogans against the alleged "inability" of the commission to conduct the elections peacefully. A delegation of the BJP's state unit went inside the office to meet State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, a party leader said. A total of 73,887 seats in the state's three-tier panchayat system went to the polls on Saturday, with 2.06 lakh candidates in the fray. A voter turnout of 66.28 per cent was recorded provisionally, officials said. The toll in the violence during the rural polls rose to 15 after a person was found dead in South 24 Parganas, and two others succumbed to their injuries, they said. The BJP, which blamed the state election commissioner for the poll-related deaths, shot off a letter to Union Home ..

Ajit Pawar elected NCP president on June 30: Group to Election Commission

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP has informed the Election Commission that he has been elected national president of the party. A statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Ajit Pawar-led faction said the Election Commission has been informed through an affidavit that he was elected NCP chief through a resolution dated June 30, 2023 signed by an "overwhelming majority" of members of NCP, both from the legislative and organisational wing. Praful Patel continues to be NCP working president, the release said. The NCP has also decided to appoint Ajit Pawar as the leader of NCP Legislative Party in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and this decision was also ratified by the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority of NCP MLAs, the statement said. An attempt is being made by certain elements within the NCP to spread a sense of fear and confusion amongst the elected representatives of the NCP and also the party cadre working in different organisational ...

NCP factional war reaches EC, Ajit Pawar files over 40 affidavits

The factional fight of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has reached the doorstep of the Election Commission with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support. The Sharad Pawar camp has filed a caveat with the poll authority urging it to hear them first before passing any directive in connection with the factional fight, Election Commission sources said. The Election Commission is likely to process applications in the coming days and ask both the sides to exchange the respective documents submitted before it. The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday. Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to b

485 more companies of central force sanctioned for WB rural polls: SEC

The West Bengal State Election Commission on Monday informed the Calcutta High Court that the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned the balance 485 companies of central force for the panchayat elections, taking the total to 822 companies. The SEC counsel submitted that 4,834 booths for the rural polls have been identified as sensitive, which is 7.8 per cent of the total 61,636 booths. The commission informed a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam that it received intimation on Monday that the ministry has sanctioned 485 companies, in addition to the 337 approved earlier. The 822 companies of central force are higher than what was deployed during the 2013 panchayat elections, which was considered as the benchmark by the court for deciding their requisition for the July 8 polls. The high court had on June 21 directed the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 central forces' personnel for deployment in panchayat elections. During the hearing of contempt petitions agains

EC launches portal for parties to file financial statements, contributions

The Election Commission on Monday came up with an online portal to allow registered political parties file their financial statements, including contribution reports and poll expenditure accounts, a move seen as an effort to bring in more transparency in disclosures made by political entities. The move is part of the poll panel's "3C strategy" comprising clean up, crackdown and compliance to strengthen transparency and accountability in the political funding and expenditure on which it had been working for a year now under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, sources said. Political parties not intending to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not doing so in writing and may continue to file reports in hard copy format along with CDs or pen drive in the prescribed formats. "The Commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online,"

Suitable action to be taken on Ajit Pawar's disqualification plea: Speaker

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Monday said he will take appropriate action on the NCP's plea seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and other eight party MLAs, who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. State NCP president Jayant Patil on Sunday said his party has moved the disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight others. He said an e-mail has also been sent to the Election Commission of India informing that the rank and file of the NCP is with party chief Sharad Pawar. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Narwekar said, I have received the petition filed by Jayant Patil seeking disqualification of the nine NCP MLAs. I will read it carefully. I will study the points mentioned and take appropriate action on the petition. Asked how many NCP MLAs have supported Ajit Pawar, Narvekar said, I have no information about it. The Speaker also said it is his prerogative to decide on the appointment of a new opposition leader in the ...

Poll preparedness: Deputy election commissioner team to visit MP next week

A team of deputy election commissioners will visit Madhya Pradesh next week to take stock of the preparedness for the assembly polls slated for October-November, sources said on Friday. They said the team is likely to be in Bhopal for two days beginning Monday. Election Commission officials had earlier visited four other states going to polls later this year -- Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan -- to review the preparations. Polls in the five states are likely to be held together in October-November this year. While the term of the Mizoram legislative assembly ends in December this year, the terms of the legislative assemblies of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh end on different dates in January 2024. Before the "full Commission" comprising the chief election commissioner and election commissioners visit a poll-bound state to interact with stakeholders, including representatives of political parties, deputy ECs tour the state to take stock of the

EC discusses Telangana Assembly poll preparations, assures logistic support

An Election Commission (EC) team held meeting with Telangana Chief Secretary here on Saturday as part of the preparations for the Legislative Assembly polls to be held later this year. Telangana Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari met with the EC officials and assured them of all logistical support required to conduct the elections smoothly, a release from the office of state Chief Electoral Officer said today. The three-day visit of the senior EC officials, led by Dharmendra Sharma and Nitesh Kumar Vyas, senior Deputy Election Commissioners (DECs) concluded today. During the visit, the EC team met with state bureaucrats, senior officials of enforcement agencies, including Income Tax (CBDT), excise department, State GST, CGST, Enforcement Directorate, State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), DRI, CISF, and the state Commercial Tax department with a view to curtail use of money power in the elections, the release said. Further, the EC team convened a crucial meeting with district Collector

MHA offers to deploy 337 companies of central forces for WB panchayat polls

The State Election Commission (SEC) made a requisition for 822 companies for the upcoming WB panchayat polls to be held on July 8

Calcutta HC directs EC to deploy more Central forces than in 2013

The court observed that there are more districts now compared to 2013, and it is going to be a single-phased election while in 2013 there were five phases of elections

WB guv returns SEC's joining report to state govt ahead of panchayat polls

West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday night returned the joining report of State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha ahead of the July 8 panchayat polls, a well-placed source at the Raj Bhavan said. The step came days after Sinha failed to appear before the Governor after he was summoned on an urgent basis for an explanation of the incidents of murders, violence and clashes during nomination filing for the panchayat poll earlier this month. The governor tonight returned the joining report of SEC Rajiva Sinha. The SEC failed to appear before the Governor even when he wanted him to come to Raj Bhavan over the incidents of murders, violence and clashes, the source told PTI. Sinha, who was called by the Governor on June 17 at Raj Bhavan, did not appear stating that he was preoccupied with scrutiny of the nominations for the ensuing panchayat polls. The former state chief secretary had requested Bose to exempt him from appearing before him during the day and give an .

Rural polls: Governor summons Bengal poll panel chief; SEC seeks fresh date

Hours after West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose summoned State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha to Raj Bhawan, the senior officer said he will not be able to meet him due to his preoccupations with panchayat polls, an official said. Sinha requested Bose to exempt him from appearing during the day and give him an appointment any other day, he said. "Sinha is not skipping. He sought exemption for today. He has requested the Governor to give him time any other day," the official told PTI. Bose had summoned Sinha to Raj Bhavan at 2pm on Saturday to update him about the violence that claimed four lives in the state and steps taken by the state government to contain the situation. After visiting Bhangore on Friday, the Governor said measures must be taken end political violence and assured that "perpetrators would be permanently silenced" and brought to book. After talking to local residents and senior police officers there, Bose said violence would not be tolerated. More than

EC issues directions for officials' transfer in states where polls are due

As it gears up to hold Assembly polls in five states in the next few months, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the chief secretaries of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana to transfer the officials directly connected with elections who are posted in their home districts and those who have spent three of the last four years in one district. In a letter written on June 2 and addressed to the chief secretaries of the five states, the poll panel has reminded them that while the term of the Mizoram Assembly ends on December 17, the terms of the Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana assemblies end on different dates in January next year. The commission said it has been following a "consistent policy" that officers directly connected with the conduct of elections in a poll-bound state or Union Territory are not posted in their home districts or places where they have served for a considerably long period. "Hence, the commission has decided

EC to hold bypoll in Wayanad LS seat earlier held by Rahul Gandhi

The Election Commission has initiated the process to hold a bypoll in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had held until he was disqualified following his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. A court in Gujarat had sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail, following which the Lok Sabha Speaker disqualified him from the lower house. A communication sent to recognised political parties by Kozhikode deputy collector on June 5 in his capacity as district election officer said that a mock poll after verification of the Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems will be held on June 7 ahead of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency bypoll. The parties were informed that the mock poll and verification of the EVMs and VVPAT system will be held at the Kozhikode Civil Station Aswasakendram Godown. The Election Commission's move comes at a time when Gandhi's criminal revision application against the

EC should tell people why no elections in Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Election Commission should muster courage to tell people why assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are not being held. "Is there a pressure on them (EC) not to hold elections? Let the Election Commission show some courage and say that they are under pressure. There is something fishy," Abdullah told reporters outside the party headquarters here. Abdullah, a former chief minister, said the Election Commission should be asked when it plans to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir. "The media seems to be more concerned about the elections than us. Election is our right but we are not going down on our knees for it. If they want to snatch the right of people of Jammu and Kashmir, if they get some pleasure out of it, let them do it. We also have some self-respect and dignity, he said. He said the Chief Election Commissioner, during his last visit to the Union territory, admitted that there was a vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir. "