Page 3 - Elections

AI, deepfakes real challenges before election commission: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday said artificial intelligence and deepfakes pose a real challenge for the poll panel, which will try its best to tackle them within the framework of law. He also indicated that machine-readable electoral rolls could result in breach of voters' privacy. Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfakes are indeed real challenges for us. Just yesterday, an X handle had shared an AI-generated video that was far from truth." "The Election Commission will try its best to tackle such challenges, but it can only operate within the framework of the law," the chief election commissioner said. On the opposition demand for machine-readable electoral rolls, Kumar said the Supreme Court has already given a judgment in this regard in 2019. "The Supreme Court has already said in 2019 that it can result in a breach of voters' privacy," he said. Kumar added that a few days ago, photos of several voters we

Rajiv Pratap Rudy wins BJP clash: What is Constitution Club, why it matters

Rajiv Pratap Rudy beat BJP rival Sanjeev Balyan in the Constitution Club polls; here is what the club is, why it matters and how this polls turned into a BJP vs BJP fight

Bangladesh to hold general elections in first week of Feb 2026: CEC

Bangladesh's poll body chief on Saturday said general elections would be held in the first week of February 2025 but ensuring it in a free, fair and impartial manner remained a major challenge. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, however said the exact date would be disclosed two months before the schedule was announced. People have lost confidence in the election system, the Election Commission and the administrative machinery involved in the electoral process, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) quoted Uddin as saying at a function in northwestern Rangpur district. Uddin said his office, however, was working tirelessly to restore this lost trust. The CEC's comments come four days after interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that the polls would be held in February next year. Yunus had made the announcement coinciding with the first anniversary of the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5. Uddin feared t

Could a Chandra Shekhar acolyte become India's next Vice President?

If elevated as Vice-President on September 9, Harivansh's career - shaped by his idol, former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar - will acquire a new trajectory

Mamata asks officials to ensure no harassment during voter roll revision

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday directed officials to ensure that people are not harassed in the name of electoral roll revision, even as she accused the BJP of targeting not just religious minorities, but also the poor and other backward classes (OBCs). Chairing an administrative review meeting at Bolpur in Birbhum district, Banerjee announced that a dedicated scheme will be launched to assist the alleged persecuted Bengali migrants who have returned from other states amidst rising cases of harassment. "The scheme must include provisions to help them return safely, issue ration and job cards, and provide temporary shelters to those without a place to stay," the chief minister said. Banerjee said the alleged "persecution" of Bengali-speaking migrants in various states is a "deliberate" and "politically motivated" act. "Not just religious minorities, the poor and OBCs are being targeted by them (the BJP). We must stand beside all persecuted Bengali migrants," sh

Draft Bihar poll roll not final list, clarifies Election Commision

The Election Commission on Sunday hit out at those who, it claimed, were creating an impression that the draft voters' list to be published in Bihar will be the final roll. The poll authority said it is "not able to understand" that when a full one-month period from August 1 till September 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name, "why are they creating such a big fuss now?" The EC's statement came on the conclusion of the month-long phase one of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, where house-to-house surveys were held to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms to the electorate that were to be returned after being filled up. Enumeration forms from 7.24 crore electors have been received. The EC also said that 36 lakh people were found to have either permanently shifted or were not found. It pointed out that seven lakh Bihar electors were found to have been enrolled at multiple places. "Why not ask their 1.6 lakh .

'Japanese First' party rises in election with anti-immigration, tax pitch

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the upper house, leaving them further beholden to opposition support

Japan votes in key election as Prime Minister Ishiba faces possible loss

Japanese were voting Sunday for seats in the smaller of Japan's two parliamentary houses in a key election with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition facing a possible defeat that could worsen the country's political instability. Voters were deciding half of the 248 seats in the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers in Japan's Diet. Early results were expected Sunday night. Ishiba has set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which means his Liberal Democratic Party and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito need to win 50 to add to the 75 seats they already have. That is a big retreat from the 141 seats they had pre-election, but media surveys predict big setbacks for Ishiba. A poor performance on Sunday would not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file no-confidence against a leader, but it would certainly deepen uncertainty over his fate and Japan's political stability.

CEC Kumar thanks Bihar voters for cleaning up exercise of electoral roll

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar thanked the eligible voters of Bihar on Wednesday for their active participation in the "much-needed" cleaning of the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Kumar's remarks came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court hearing a clutch of pleas questioning the intent behind the SIR ahead of the Assembly polls in the state later this year. Opposition parties have asserted that the ongoing exercise will disfranchise crores of eligible Indian citizens for the want of citizenship documents. "I thank all eligible electors of Bihar for actively participating in the much-needed cleaning of the electoral rolls," the CEC told a group of booth-level officers during a training session here. Separately, the Election Commission said only 6.85 per cent of the 7.9 crore voters are yet to fill the enumeration forms under the SIR. "As on today, 6,99,92,926 of the existing electors have given their enumeration form to be included in

Petition in SC seeks electoral roll revision before every election

A plea in the Supreme Court has sought Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, particularly before parliamentary, state assembly and local body elections in the country. On Monday, the top court agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of petitions challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to undertake special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi on Tuesday asked the petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, who sought the matter's urgent listing along with the pending petitions opposing the election commission move, to iron out procedural defects before it could be listed for hearing. Upadhyay sought his plea to be heard on July 10, when the other pleas would be heard. His plea sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to conduct the SIR in order to ensure only Indian citizens decided the polity and policy "not the illegal foreign infiltrators". "Demography of 200 distric

Ex-CJIs endorse constitutionality of simultaneous poll but flag issues

Former chief justices of India, who have conveyed their views to a parliamentary committee on the bill proposing simultaneous polls, have endorsed the constitutionality of the one nation, one election concept but have raised concerns over its various aspects, including the power given to the Election Commission, and offered suggestions. Former CJI D Y Chandrachud, in his opinion submitted to the Joint Committee of Parliament, has dismissed the opposition's criticism that the synchronisation of Lok Sabha and state assembly polls violates the Constitution's basic structure, saying the Constitution never mandated holding national and state elections separately. However, he has joined another ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi in questioning the sweeping powers granted to the Election Commission in the proposed constitutional amendment law without laying down any guidelines for the exercise of the discretion, according to the opinion submitted to the parliamentary panel. Chandrachud and another former

Next elections to be 'most credible' in Bangladesh's history: Yunus' aide

The next general elections will be the "most credible and peaceful" in Bangladesh's history, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' aide has said, asserting that the interim government has taken all necessary measures to ensure free and fair polls. Yunus' Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam made the remarks on Saturday during an interaction with journalists in Khulna city, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported. General elections in Bangladesh are scheduled for the first half of April next year, the chief adviser announced last month. Asserting that the polls will take place in a festive and peaceful environment, Alam said, "The upcoming national election will be the most credible and peaceful one in the country's history." He said that the primary goal of the mass uprising in July 2024, which ousted the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime, was to restore democracy in Bangladesh and added that the interim government has taken all necessary measures to ensure free a

Mamdani is someone to be proud of, but his ideas haven't worked in India

Zohran Mamdani's faith, support for Gaza, and dislike of Modi and Netanyahu are reasons why many in India are unhappy to see his rise, rather than celebrate it as another 'Indian' conquest

Assembly bypolls: AAP bags two seats in Delhi, Congress wins in Kerala

In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) wrested Nilambur from the ruling Left Democratic Front

Polls can't take place without govt's support: B'desh election body chief

The government plays a central role in the election process, the head of Bangladesh's Election Commission said on Saturday, asserting that holding polls is "not possible" without its support. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said that no matter "how independent" the top election body is said to be, "it is not possible to hold an election without the government's support." "We have to conduct the polls with the cooperation of the government," the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted him as saying. He added that the commission requires assistance from law enforcement agencies, the administration, and its officials to conduct the election. Nasir Uddin made the remarks after inaugurating a training programme in the capital. In response to a question, he said while there is no constant communication between the election commission and the government, contact is being maintained both "formally and informally". There are various channels of communication, and we are involved in man

By-elections, Trump takes U-turn, Microsoft layoffs, Khamenei's warning & more

conducted today amid tight security arrangements. Counting of votes is scheduled for June 23.

People 'disappointed' with announcement of B'desh polls in April 2026: BNP

People are "disappointed" by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Saturday, asserting that April is not the "right time" to conduct polls. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year. "April is not the right time for polls in Bangladesh in any way, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists. His statement came a day after Yunus, during a televised address to the nation on the eve of the Eid-ul-Adha festival, announced that national elections would be held in the first half of April next year. Yunus' announcement was followed by an urgent virtual meeting of the standing committee of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, presided over by the party's acting chairman and Zia's son Tarique Rahman from London. In a statement, the BNP said Yunus' address meant an unwarranted delay in arranging the election, adding that it ignored the nation's aspirations, caus

S Koreans vote for new president in wake of Yoon's ouster over martial law

Millions of South Koreans are voting Tuesday for a new president in a snap election triggered by the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who now faces an explosive trial on rebellion charges over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Pre-election surveys suggested Yoon's liberal archrival, Lee Jae-myung, appeared headed for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon's martial law debacle. The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, has struggled to win over moderate, swing voters as his People Power Party remains in a quagmire of internal feuding over how to view Yoon's actions. This election serves as another defining moment in the country's resilient democracy, but observers worry a domestic divide worsened by Yoon is far from over and could pose a big political burden on the new president. The past six months saw large crowds of people rallying in the streets to either denounce or support Yoon, while a ...

South Korea to elect a new president; here's a look at all the candidates

Months of a political drama in South Korea is drawing to a close, with the country poised to elect a new president this week to succeed Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader who was toppled over his ill-fated imposition of martial law. Surveys show liberal Lee Jae-myung maintaining a solid lead over his main conservative rival, Kim Moon Soo, who wants an upset victory. Whoever wins, the new president will forgo the usual two-month transition and serve one full, five-year term at a time when South Korea faces crucial challenges including a severe left-right political divide, the Trump administration's tariff policy and North Korea's expanding military partnership with Russia. Here is a look at the two main candidates standing for the June 3 election: LEE JAE-MYUNG Lee, 60, the Democratic Party candidate, was the driving force behind an opposition-led campaign to oust Yoon, whose December 3 marital law decree plunged South Korea into turmoil. Lee said he initially thought Yoon's ...

Poland votes in tight presidential race between pro-EU, nationalist visions

Voting was due to end at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), with exit polls published soon afterwards. The electoral commission says it hopes final results will be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon