Page 46 - Election Commission

EC grants national party status to AAP; Trinamool, NCP, CPI lose tag

The Election Commission on Monday recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). In an order issued on Monday, the Commission also revoked the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram. The Commission said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four states -- Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab. The poll panel said that the status of NCP, CPI and the Trinamool Congress as national political parties would be withdrawn. The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People's Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties. The Commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as state parti

After losing national party status, TMC likely to challenge EC decision

After losing the national party status, the Trinamool Congress is exploring legal options to challenge the decision of the Election Commission, a party source said on Monday. The EC withdrew the national party status of the TMC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) earlier on Monday. The party is exploring legal options to challenge this decision by EC, a TMC source said. The Mamata Banerjee-led party did not issue any official reaction. The opposition BJP mocked the TMC following the development. "TMC lost the national party status & will be recognised as a regional party. Didi's aspiration to grow TMC find no place as people know TMC runs a most corrupt, full of appeasement & terror govt. Govt's fall is also certain as people of WB will not tolerate this govt for long," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said in a tweet. In an order issued on Monday, the EC said that NCP and TMC will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and ...

Have actively taken steps for decriminalisation of politics: EC to SC

Contending that it has been raising the issue of criminalisation of politics since 1998, the Election Commission has told the Supreme Court it has actively taken steps for its decriminalisation. In an affidavit filed in the top court, the poll panel said any further steps to effectively decriminalise politics would require legislative amendments which are beyond the scope of the Election Commission of India. The poll panel told the apex court that in its "Proposed Electoral Reforms, 2016", it had reiterated its 2004 recommendation that people charged with cognisable offences, which are punishable with imprisonment of at least five years, where charges have been framed and where the cases have been filed at least six months prior to the election, should be debarred from contesting elections. "It is submitted herein that the Election Commission of India has actively taken steps for decriminalisation of politics, and has also made recommendations in that regard. However, any further ..

National party status to AAP in such a short time a miracle: Kejriwal

It is nothing less than a "miracle" for AAP to get the national party status in such a short time, its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said after the Election Commission granted the recognition to it on Monday. Kejriwal credited people for the recognition and sought blessings from God to enable his party fulfil their expectations. Soon after the Election Commission's announcement, he tweeted in Hindi, "National party in such a short time? This is nothing less than a miracle. Many congratulations to all." "Crores of people of the country have brought us here. People expect a lot from us. Today people have given us a huge responsibility, he said and sought blessings from God so the party fulfils this responsibility well. Formed in November 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party has got national party status in just 10 years. The party is currently in power in Delhi and Punjab.

UP urban local bodies polls on May 4 and 11, vote counting on May 13

As per the State Election Commissioner, the total number of urban voters has risen to 4,32,31,827 from 3,35,95,547 in 2017 after final publication of the voter list

Pak's election commission announces Punjab poll on May 14 as directed by SC

Pakistan's election watchdog on Wednesday announced that it will hold the polls in the politically crucial Punjab province on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court a day earlier. A three-member bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday fixed May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly, as it quashed the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to extend the polls date from April 10 to October 8. As per the schedule announced by the election commission on Wednesday, polling for elections in Punjab will be held on May 14. The last date for filing an appeal against the decision of the Returning Officer regarding the nomination papers will be April 10. "The ECP hereby recalls its notification of even number dated March 22, 2023 and in partial modification to this commission's notification of March 8, 2023 hereby revises the following stages of the election programme for the conduct of general elections to the provincial assembly o

Elections in Shimla Municipal Corporation on May 2, results on May 4

Elections in 34 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will be held on May 2 and the results will be declared on May 4, as per the Himachal Pradesh state election commission. According to the schedule released by the commission, filing of nominations will take place on April 13, 17 and 18 between 11 am and 3 pm, and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on April 19. About 87,000 voters will be able to exercise their franchise in the polls, it said. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is April 21 and the symbols would be allotted on the same day. The elections would be held on May 2 and results would be declared on May 4. The Himachal Pradesh government had on Saturday notified reserved wards for women and Scheduled Castes for the 34-ward Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Only 14 wards are unreserved while three are reserved for Scheduled caste. The BJP had wrested the SMC from the Congress after 32 years in 2017 and later, the BJP government increased the

Draft bills in simple language to allow layman understand them: Par panel

Bills should be drafted in a language which helps a layman understand them and reasons for bringing the proposed legislation, a Parliamentary panel has recommended. The department-related parliamentary standing committee on law and personnel also said that currently all the bills that are being drafted by the Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry can be understood either by the intelligentsia of the country or the people having legal acumen or knowledge. "For a layman to understand the bills which are presented to Parliament is very difficult. The Committee, therefore, would like to recommend that the bills should be drafted in such a simple language so that even a common man can also understand about the proposed objective and implications of the bill like the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 and Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 recently brought by the government," the committee chaired by BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi said. "The key mandate of the Legislative ..

K'taka: Cong, BJP lodge complaint against each other about code violation

The BJP and Congress have lodged complaints against each other with the Election Commission about Model Code of Conduct violations. While the Congress alleged that cookers and other inducement materials were found at Byatarayanapura in Bengaluru, the BJP charged that former chief minister Siddaramaiah distributed cash in Varuna in Mysuru. In his complaint, Congress candidate and former minister Krishna Byre Gowda alleged that about six days ago GST officers raided a premise and seized the inducement material worth Rs 3.6 crore. The BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy lodged the complaint on Wednesday in which he alleged that Siddaramaiah went to his constituency and distributed money. Meanwhile, Congress state president D K Shivakumar landed in trouble for allegedly throwing cash among people during an election campaign in Mandya on Tuesday. The police registered a non-cognisable offence against him. Assembly elections in Karnataka would be held on May 10.

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Karnataka Assembly elections to be held on May 10, results on May 13

CEC Rajiv Kumar said the elections have been scheduled on a Wednesday, and not on a Monday or Friday, to encourage greater participation of voters

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Bypolls to 1 Lok Sabha, 4 assembly seats on May 10: Election commission

Bypolls to one Lok Sabha and four assembly seats across four states will be held on May 10 along with the Karnataka assembly polls, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday. The counting of votes will take place on May 13, it said. The Jalandhar parliamentary constituency fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, 76, in January this year following a heart attack while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The poll panel also announced a bypoll to the Jharsuguda assembly seat in Odisha which was necessitated by the death of Naba Kisore Das, who was shot dead by a police officer in January this year. Bypoll to the Suar assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh was necessitated following the disqualification upon conviction of Samajwadi Party MLA Abdullah Azam Khan. He was convicted in a 2008 case relating to a 'dharna' on a highway and sentenced to two years in jail. He is son of SP veteran Mohd Azam Khan, who also stands disqualified in another case. Chhan

Election Commission to announce Karnataka Assembly elections schedule today

The Election Commission of India will announce the schedule of the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka slated this year at 11

SC order on EC appointments being examined, will take apt action: Govt

The government is examining the Supreme Court's verdict on the appointment of chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners and it will take "appropriate action" on it, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Supreme Court in its judgment of March 2 held that until Parliament makes a law in consonance with Article 342(2) of the Constitution, the appointment of the CEC and election commissioners will be made on the recommendations made by a three-member committee comprising the prime minister, chief justice of India and leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, and in case no LoP is available then the leader of the single largest opposition party in LS. "The judgement of Supreme Court is being examined by the government and appropriate action will be taken," he said. Rijiju pointed out that the Election Commission is a permanent constitutional body established in accordance with Article 324(1) of the Constitution of .

Election Commission of Pakistan postpones Punjab by-elections till Oct 8

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday postponed the Punjab by-elections till October 8. The elections were earlier scheduled to be held on April 30, Pakistan-based ARY News reported

EC proposal for overseas voters to use e-postal ballot under talks with MEA

An Election Commission proposal to facilitate electronically-transmitted postal ballot system for overseas Indian voters is under discussions with the Ministry of External Affairs to "iron out" logistical challenges involved in its implementation, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju also said the total number of overseas electors as on January 1 this year stands at over 1.15 lakh. "The Election Commission of India has taken up a proposal to amend the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 to facilitate electronically-transmitted postal ballot system for overseas electors. The matter is under discussions with the Ministry of External Affairs to iron out the logistical challenges involved in the implementation of the proposal," Rijiju said. According to the EC website, as of now an overseas voter is not issued a photo identity card they are allowed to vote in person at the polling station by producing their original passport. The EC has ...

Recognition of CM Eknath Shinde-led faction well reasoned: EC tells SC

The Election Commission of India has told the Supreme Court it passed a "well reasoned" order recognising Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotting to it the original 'bow and arrow' symbol in its quasi-judicial capacity. The poll panel said it has become a functus officio (a body which has discharged its duty) in the case after the passing of the order. In its affidavit filed on a plea by Uddhav Thackeray challenging its order dated February 17, the Commission said, "It is stated that the answering respondent (EC) had passed the impugned order..in exercise of its quasi-judicial powers provided under paragraph of the Election Symblos (Reservation and Allotment) order, 1968." The poll panel said the apex court in a catena of cases had held where an order passed by a quasi-judicial body is under challenge before an appellate court, such a body need not be arrayed as a party to the appeal. "The answering respondent humbly submits that sin

Passed 'well-reasoned order', EC tells SC on Shiv Sena symbol row

The Election Commission has told the SC it has passed a "well-reasoned" order, in a quasi-judicial capacity, allotting the name and party symbol of the Shiv Sena to Eknath Shinde faction

ECI chief Rajiv Kumar says it gives 'Agnipariksha' in every election

Election Commission of India (ECI) gives 'Agnipariskha' every election despite having conducted 400 Assembly elections, 17 general elections, and 16 Presidential and Vice Presidential polls