Page 45 - Election Commission

EC orders transfer of senior officers in five poll-going states for laxity

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered the transfer of several top police and administrative officers, including 25 police commissioners and superintendents of police, nine district magistrates and four secretaries and special secretaries, in the five poll-going states after finding laxity in their work, sources said. During a review, the EC found that the performance of some officers was "unsatisfactory" and they were found "complacent, if not complicit" in various matters, including the illegal supply of liquor as a possible poll inducement, sources said. The poll panel has asked the transferred officials to immediately hand over the charge to their respective immediate juniors. It has also directed the respective state governments to send by Thursday evening a panel of officers to replace those shunted out. The assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram will be held between November 7 and 30, and the counting of votes will take place on

Dispute over NCP's name, symbol: EC fixes Nov 9 as next date of hearing

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday heard the claims of the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP over its claim on the party's name and poll symbol, even as the Sharad Pawar-led group contended that there were discrepancies in the documents submitted by its rival. The EC fixed November 9 as the next date for hearing the warring factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar over their claims to the party's name and election symbol. It also asked the Sharad Pawar camp to file its rejoinder to the claims made by the Ajit Pawar faction by October 30. Sharad Pawar faction's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi claimed that the EC had found discrepancies in the more than 9,000 documents submitted by the Ajit Pawar group to support its claim over the NCP's name and poll symbol. Ajit Pawar, who had moved the EC staking claim to the party's name and poll symbol, submitted that he had the support of 42 of the 53 NCP MLAs in Maharashtra, six of the nine MLCs, al

Five states go to Assembly polls from November 7-30, results on December 3

The results of these elections were thought to indicate the national mood, especially of the heartland states, before the Lok Sabha polls

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EC to use tech for real time updates on seizures during assembly polls

The Election Commission has come up with a technology-based mechanism to keep a record of the seizure of cash, drugs and freebies to induce voters during the assembly poll in five states. Addressing a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the system will be used for the first time in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. He said the 'Election Seizure Management System' is a new technology-driven platform for real-time updates on seizures from the field by multifarious state and central enforcement agencies. "It facilitates qualitative analysis and planning of the seizures... we have told various agencies to work in coordination and not in silos," Kumar said. The chief election commissioner said the agencies have been directed to update the seizures on the platform. It will also show whether the action taken has been uploaded to the system. Money power, drugs and freebies have been identified as some

Madhya Pradesh election 2023: Polling on November 17, result on December 3

The counting of votes will take place on December 3

Chhattisgarh elections: Polling in two phases on Nov 7, 17; result on Dec 3

The election dates for Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh have been announced. Check the Chhattisgarh Assembly election 2023 date and complete schedule here

EC to announce schedule for Assembly polls in five states this noon

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for holding assembly elections in five states at 12 noon on Monday. The commission will announce the dates for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. The term of the Mizoram assembly ends on December 17. The Mizo National Front is in power in the northeastern state. The terms of the legislative assemblies of Telangana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan end on different dates in January next year. While the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rules Telangana, Madhya Pradesh is ruled by the BJP. The Congress is in power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

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Assembly elections 2023: When will ECI announce poll dates for 5 states?

Ahead of announcing the schedule for Assembly polls in five states, the ECI has taken stock of poll preparedness in Rajasthan, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh

Election Commission to hear pleas by NCP factions on party name, symbol row

One faction of the NCP is led by Sharad Pawar and the other by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

52.6 million voters in Rajasthan, 25.1 million women, says state EC

The total number of voters in Rajasthan has reached 5.26 crore, of which 2.51 crore are women, the state election department said on Wednesday. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said during a special brief revision program of voter lists in the state, there has been an increase of over 6.96 lakh voters. Till the date of last publication, over 5.26 crore voters are registered in the state. Of these, over 2.73 crore are men and 2.51 crore are women, he said. Gupta said under this revision program, a total of 11.78 lakh voters above 80 years and 17,241 voters above 100 years are registered in the final published voter list. Similarly, a total of 5.61 lakh specially qualified people are registered as voters. These voters registered in the voter list by the Election Commission of India have been provided the option of voting facility through postal ballot in the form of home voting at the time of elections.

ECI likely to announce Telangana election schedule in Oct second week

As the elections approach closer, parties in the state have started working on a war footing. BJP, for instance, is preparing to field senior national leaders to gain an edge over its opponents

EC team to review preparations for polls in Rajasthan, Telangana

A high-level team of the Election Commission will visit Rajasthan on Friday to assess poll preparedness in the state and hold meeting with representatives of recognised political parties. Polls are slated in the desert state later this year. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goyal are on a three-day visit to state from September 29. The Chief Election Commissioner, Commissioners and other senior officials will hold a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties on Friday, Gupta said in a statement. After this, the Commission will hold a discussion with nodal officers of the state police, income tax, excise, transport, commercial tax department, railways and airport etc. On August 30, a presentation will be given to the team by the Chief Electoral Officer, State Police Nodal Officer and Central Police Force Nodal Officers on the preparations for the polls. Th

Pak's Election Commission releases report on delimitation of constituencies

However, on September 1, the ECP had announced squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 1, Dawn reported

Chief Election Commissioner to review election preparedness in Jaipur

The election commission has also decided to increase the election expenditure limit for candidates to Rs 40 lakh from Rs 30 lakh

Bill on EC appointments may not be taken up in this session: Report

The government may not push for passage of the bill on appointment of CEC and election commissioners in the five-day session of Parliament that began Monday, sources said amid criticism of its provisions including by the opposition and former chief election commissioners. They said one view within the government is to refer the bill to the standing committee on law and justice. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on August 10. Some former CECs, including N Gopalaswamy, V S Sampat and S Y Quraishi, had on Saturday written to the prime minister opposing the provision to equate the CEC and the ECs to the cabinet secretary. As of now, the poll panel members are equivalent to judges of the Supreme Court. It is not only status but symbolism that election commissioners enjoy the same status as an SC judge. It showed that while the Judiciary is independent, so is EC, the letter said. The status of a SC judge showed the autonomy of the institution, th

All-party meet: Oppn dubs bill on EC appointments as anti-Constitutional

Several opposition leaders on Sunday criticised the bill on the appointment and service conditions of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners at an all-party meeting as "anti-Constitution" and "anti-democratic", sources said. Official sources said there is a rethink in the government on whether to take up the bill for discussion and passage in the five-day session, beginning Monday. The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 had featured among the four bills listed by the government a few days back for being taken up in the session. However, criticism, including from a few former CECs and ECs, of some of its provisions might have made the government to reconsider its decision. "We are yet to take a final call," a source said when asked if the government will push for its passage during the session. The bill seeks to replace the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister

Centre to hold all-party meet on Parliament's session eve on Sunday

Ahead of the Parliament session, the government will hold a meeting with leaders of all parties on Sunday to brief them and hear their views, amid an intense buzz on whether it will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the five-day sitting. The unusual timing of the session, which begins on Monday, has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the "'Samvidhan Sabha" (Constituent Assembly). The government has also listed the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage during the session. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session. The government enjoys the prerogative of tabling in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda. Though there is no official word on any probable new legislation,

Pakistan EC decides to frame charges against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry

On the same day, Pakistan's electoral watchdog will resume hearing in a case pertaining to the confiscation of PTI's 'prohibited funding'