Election News

SC directs states to deploy more staff to support BLOs on SIR duty

Amid reports of multiple BLO deaths during the electoral roll revision, the Supreme Court ordered states to deploy additional staff and consider exemptions on a case-by-case basis to reduce hardships

WB govt offers ₹2 lakh aid to families of 39 dead amid SIR-related panic

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government will provide a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 39 people who, she claimed, have died in the state due to "SIR-induced panic", including cases of suicide. Thirteen others who fell ill during the SIR exercise including three booth-level officers (BLOs) allegedly burdened by "excessive workload" would also be given Rs 1 lakh each, she said. The chief minister, citing government assessments, said the rollout of SIR on November 4 has triggered widespread fear and distress among sections of the public. "Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to the SIR panic, including suicides. Their families will be provided financial assistance," she said after a review of the state's 14-year development record at the state secretariat Nabanna. Banerjee added that 13 others were currently under treatment after collapsing or falling critically ill during ...

Who are BLOs and what is their role in the statewide SIR exercise?

Here's a look at who BLOs are, what their work involves, their role in the SIR process, and what is causing rising stress levels among them

Battle of the rolls in Bengal: How SIR is deepening political faultlines

The report looks at how the SIR has widened political faultlines, and triggered anxiety among voters, ahead of Assembly polls next year

No need to postpone Kerala's SIR, process nearing completion: ECI tells SC

The Election Commission said 99 per cent of voters have already received the forms, and 50 per cent of the forms are already digitised

Bihar Assembly elections results 2025: Top losing candidates and parties

Bihar elections results: The turnout in the first phase was recorded at 65.08 per cent, while in the second phase, 68.76 per cent of voters went to the polls

Congress' dismal outing in Bihar polls: Tracing party's past performances

In the 2025 elections, the Congress contested 60 seats as part of an alliance with the RJD. This was noticeably fewer than the 77 seats it contested in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections

Bihar election results: Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj draws blank on debut

Bihar elections 2025: Jan Suraaj positioned itself as a new-age party promising to create more job opportunities in Bihar, but early ECI trends show it will lose

Phulwari Assembly election results 2025: JDU's Shyam Rajak in lead

Phulwari constituency results: Phulwari, a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes in Patna district, has a mix of Dalit, Muslim, and other communities

Tarapur Assembly election results 2025: BJP's Samrat Choudhary wins seat

Tarapur constituency results: Tarapur is one of Bihar's important constituencies because of its strong political history

Patna Sahib Assembly election results 2025: BJP's Ratnesh Kumar wins seat

Patna Sahib constituency results: In the 2025 assembly elections, the state saw a record voter turnout in both phases, with the overall turnout at 67.13 per cent, making it the highest since 1951

Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: What are exit polls and how to read them

Exit polls for Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 will be released after voting ends. Here's what exit polls mean, how they're conducted, and why they often differ from actual results

Campaigning ends for Mizoram's Dampa bypoll, voting scheduled for Tuesday

Hectic campaigning for the by-election to the Dampa assembly seat in Mizoram's Mamit district ended on Sunday, election officials said. Polling for the Dampa seat will be held on Tuesday, where 21,003 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of five candidates, they said. Counting of votes will be held on November 14, they said. Polling officials assigned for six far-flung polling stations have left for their respective polling stations on Sunday, Mamit election officer Lalnunfela Chawngthu said. Additionally, three sections of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to be deployed at three critical polling stations in Silsury near the Bangladesh border have also left for their destination on Sunday, he said. Polling officials for the remaining 35 polling stations will leave for their destination on Monday, he said. Meanwhile, political parties were busy making the last pitch to woo the voters on Sunday. Although the deadline for the campaign ended on Su

Modi, Shah can go anywhere but will be caught for 'vote chori': Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah can go anywhere, but they will eventually be caught for indulging in vote chori'. Gandhi, addressing a poll rally in Bihar's Kishanganj, also alleged that the BJP and RSS were trying to divide the nation, while the INDIA bloc was making efforts to unite the country. Modi, Shah and the Election Commission have no replies to our vote chori' (vote theft) allegations, as the truth is now out in front of people The PM, Shah can go anywhere they like, but they will eventually be caught for indulging in 'vote chori', the former Congress president claimed. Gandhi asserted that the INDIA bloc will 100 per cent form government in Bihar if the people come together and stop vote theft. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha also hit out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that he does not want employment for the youth of Bihar.

Shah charges Oppn with trying to build 'corridor for infiltrators' in Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday charged the INDIA bloc with trying to build a corridor for infiltrators, unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wanted to build an industrial corridor. Addressing a rally in Sasaram town of Bihar, on the final day of campaign for the second and final phase of assembly elections, Shah also promised a future that "mortar shells that will be dropped on Pakistan will be manufactured at an ordnance factory in this state". Recently, Rahul and Lalu's son (Tejashwi Yadav) took out a 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. It was not aimed at bringing about any improvement in the lives of the poor living in Bihar, the Dalits and the EBCs. It was aimed at protecting infiltrators," Shah alleged. The former BJP president said that "the opposition's vote bank politics has led them to make attempts for building a ghuspaithiya (infiltrator) corridor, unlike Narendra Modi, who is setting up an industrial corridor. "When the government at the Centre was helmed by Manmohan .

No repoll recommended in Phase 1 of Bihar assembly elections: EC

The Election Commission on Friday said no repoll has been recommended for the over 45,000 polling stations in 121 seats that went to polls in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly election on November 6. The poll authority said scrutiny of documents took place in all 121 assembly constituencies in the presence of 121 returning officers (RO) and 121 general observers (GO) appointed by the commission. Around 455 candidates or their agents also participated in the process. After the scrutiny, no discrepancy or malpractice was found at any of the polling stations, and no repoll was recommended in phase one of the elections. A record voter turnout of nearly 65 per cent was registered in the first phase. Voting for the second phase will take place on November 11.

Over half of Bihar's unrecognised parties skip financial disclosure: ADR

According to ADR, only about one-fourth of the parties disclosed both their audit and contribution reports for FY24, declaring a combined income of ₹85.56 crore

Bihar sees record 64.46% voter turnout in first phase of Assembly polls

A voter turnout of 64.46 per cent was recorded provisionally at the close of polling in 121 seats in the first phase of assembly elections in Bihar on Thursday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said. A total of 3.75 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase, to decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, he said. Voting took place across 45,341 polling stations, of which 36,733 were in rural areas, he added. Gunjiyal said that barring a few incidents of "minor scuffles" in Lakhisarai and Saran, polling passed off peacefully. "Voting began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm amid tight security. Around 64.46 per cent voter turnout was recorded," he said. "A total of 143 complaints were received and were immediately resolved," he added. Gunjiyal said polling was boycotted in certain booths in Buxar, Fatuha and Suryagarha. The remaining 122 seats of the 243-member assembly will vote on November 11, while the counting will take place on Nove

Bihar records 64.46% voter turnout in first phase of Assembly polls

Amid stray incidents of violence, including an attack on Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha's vehicle, 60.18 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Thursday across 121 constituencies in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections. Begusarai district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 67.32, followed by Samastipur (66.65) and Madhepura (65.74). Stakes are high for both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc in the first phase of the assembly elections, with several key leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and several ministers, in the fray. The ruling NDA, which has been in power in the state for 20 years, except for a few brief interruptions, is banking on its image of "sushasan" (good governance) in contrast to the alleged "jungle raj" that marked the 15 years old rule of the RJD-Congress combine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed rallies in a couple

Patna sees smooth voting, rising women participation in phase-1 polling

Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: The elections, to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, commenced on Thursday, with the final results set to be declared by November 14