Page 9 - Elections

Congress files writ petition in SC against amendments to election rules

The Congress on Tuesday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process. The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who filed the petition, said, "The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding. Hopefully the Supreme Court will help restore it." "A writ has just been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961," he said in a post on X. Ramesh said the Election Commission, a Constitutional body charged with the conduct of free and fair elections cannot be allowed to unilaterally, and without public consultation, amend such a vital law in

Election rules tweaked to restrict public inspection of electronic records

The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. Based on the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC), the Union law ministry has amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of "papers" or documents open to public inspection. According to Rule 93, all "papers" related to elections shall be open to public inspection. The amendment inserts "as specified in these rules" after "papers". Law ministry and EC officials separately explained that a court case was the "trigger" behind the amendment. While documents such as nomination forms, appointment of election agents, results and election account statements are mentioned in the Conduct of Election Rules, electronic documents such as CCTV camera footage, webcasting footage and video recording of candidates during the Model Code of Cond

In every country, elections are held only once: BJP MP Hema Malini on ONOE

Malini argues that simultaneous elections would conserve resources, which could then be allocated to vital sectors like education and health

Simultaneous polls: Gains must be weighed against Constitutional concerns

The idea of holding simultaneous elections is not new for India. In fact, elections for many years after Independence were held simultaneously

Govt tables One Nation, One Election Bill after 269-198 division vote

Government pushes forward controversial 'One Nation, One Election' Bills amid objections from the Opposition

Concept of simultaneous polls not new to India, says govt in explainer

Ahead of the introduction of bills on holding simultaneous polls, the government Tuesday said the concept is not new to the country. Following the adoption of the Constitution, elections to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies were conducted simultaneously from 1951 to 1967, it noted. The government said the first general elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies were held together in 1951-52, a practice that continued for three subsequent general elections in 1957, 1962, and 1967. "However, this cycle of synchronised elections was disrupted in 1968 and 1969 due to the premature dissolution of some State Legislative Assemblies," an official explainer said. The Fourth Lok Sabha was also dissolved prematurely in 1970, with fresh elections held in 1971. Unlike the first, second, and third Lok Sabha, which completed their full five-year terms, the fifth Lok Sabha's term was extended until 1977 under Article 352 because of the declaration of Emergency. Since then, only a few Lo

Punjab: Elections to 5 MCs, 44 councils to be held on December 21

Elections to five municipal corporations and 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab will be held on December 21, the State Election Commission said on Sunday. All necessary arrangements have been made for the civic body polls, it said. Addressing the media here, State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri said polling for five municipal corporations and 44 municipal councils and Nagar panchayats will be held from 7 am to 4 pm. "The model code of conduct will come into force from today," he said. The five municipal corporations going to polls are Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Phagwara. The process of filing nominations will start from December 9 and the last date will be December 12. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on December 13 and the last date for the withdrawal of nominations will be December 14, Chaudhuri said. He said, 37.32 lakh voters, including 17.75 lakh females and 204 others, are eligible to cast their votes in these ...

Priyanka Gandhi likely to take oath as Wayanad MP on November 28

Congress leaders from Wayanad handed over the election certificate of the parliamentary by-election to party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the presence of Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday. Sources said Priyanka Gandhi is likely to take oath in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Leaders from Wayanad handed over the election certificate of the Wayanad parliamentary by-election to Priyanka Gandhi and conveyed their best wishes. On the occasion, Rahul Gandhi was seen treating Priyanka Gandhi with sweets. Priyanka Gandhi extended her heartfelt gratitude to the people of Wayanad for their overwhelming support and trust. She expressed her deep appreciation of the leaders for their unwavering efforts during the election, they said. During the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi also engaged in meaningful discussions with the leaders about the future course of action, focusing on addressing local concerns and working collectively for the development and welfare of Wayanad, the sources said. Priya

Businesspersons, older legislators dominate India's Assemblies, Lok Sabha

India's legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha show trends of rising educational qualifications, and increased representation of businesspersons, but women's representation remains critically low

SC dismisses petition for reverting to ballot paper voting in elections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country. "What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale. Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters during polls. When petitioner-in-person K A Paul said he filed the PIL, the bench said, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?". The petitioner said he is the president of an organisation which has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows. "Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different," the bench retorted. After Paul revealed he ha

Jharkhand Assembly results 2024: Date, time, where to watch live updates

Jharkhand Assembly election results is set tp be announced on November 23, with a tight contest between the INDIA bloc and NDA

Jharkhand polls: From violence to accusations, here're the top 5 events

Jharkhand elections: The second phase of the state Assembly elections concluded on Wednesday, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23

LIVE: PM Modi leaves for Delhi in another aircraft after his IAF plane developed snag, says official

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

Sri Lankan president's NPP secures majority in parliamentary election

The ruling National People's Power party led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is poised for a sweeping victory in the Sri Lankan parliamentary election held on Thursday. As of 11 pm local time, with partial results declared, the NPP has secured a substantial 70 per cent of the vote. The main opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and the National Democratic Front (NDF), backed by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe, have been reduced to just 11 and 5 per cent of the vote, respectively. In the only polling division result announced so far, the NPP won decisively in the southern province capital of Galle with over 70 per cent of the vote. Analysts note that the NPP has increased its vote share compared to the September presidential election. If this trend continues, the party will surpass the 150-seat mark, achieving an absolute majority in the 225-member parliament. Thursday's election was the first major test for NPP. The snap parliamentary polls were the first after the

Sri Lanka votes in parliamentary election that's key for its new president

Sri Lankans are voting in a parliamentary election Thursday that is key for the country's new Marxist-leaning president to consolidate his party's power and follow through on promises of economic recovery. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election on September 21 in a victory that marked a rejection of the traditional political parties, which have governed the island nation since its independence from British rule in 1948. However, Dissanayake's failure to secure more than 50 per cent of the votes has fuelled concerns over his party's outlook in Thursday's election. His National People's Power party must increase its votes significantly from the 42 per cent it won in the presidential election if it is to acquire a minimum of 113 seats to take control of the 225-member Parliament. The biggest challenge for the NPP which was founded in 2019 and is a relative newcomer on Sri Lanka's political scene is that many of its candidates are new faces in politics ...

Prism Johnson posts bigger-than-expected Q2 loss on tepid cement demand

Average cement prices slumped to a 51-month low around July-end and the first half of August, and only rose marginally in the later part of the quarter

Let's ensure resounding victory together: Rahul to Wayanad voters

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Wayanad voters to support his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and said she will be more than just a representative for them and be their sister, daughter and advocate. "I'm reaching out to my family in Wayanad this election, my sister Priyanka Gandhi is ready to be your voice in Parliament," Gandhi said in a post on X. "She will be more than just a representative - ?she will be your sister, your daughter, and your advocate. I am confident she will help unlock Wayanad's full potential," Rahul Gandhi said. "I urge all of you to come out, vote, and support her. Let's ensure a resounding victory together!" the former Congress president said. Voting in the bypolls for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat commenced at 7 am on Wednesday The Wayanad constituency comprises seven assembly segments of Mananthavady (ST), Sulthan Bathery (ST), and Kalpetta in Wayanad district; Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district; and Eranad, Nilambur, and

Sri Lanka set for parliamentary polls on Nov 14, all arrangements in place

Sri Lanka is set to hold its parliamentary election on Thursday with all arrangements in place to ensure a fair and transparent process, a top election commission official has said. Voting will take place at over 13,314 polling stations across the country, from 7 am to 4 pm local time on Thursday. Director General of the Elections Commission Saman Sri Ratnayaka on Tuesday said that all ballot boxes and other equipment needed at the polling stations would be dispatched on Wednesday. The polling station officials will carry out rehearsals from 7 am on Wednesday," Ratnayaka said. Over 17 million voters from the island's 21 million population are eligible to vote. 225 members would be elected from voting based on proportional representation. The western province district of Gampaha would elect the highest number of Members of Parliament 19 with the capital district of Colombo from the same province having 18 MPs elected. The eastern province district of Trincomalee will elect the lo

Mauritius holds election with ruling party seeking second five-year term

People in Mauritius voted on Sunday for a new Parliament with the ruling party seeking to secure a second five-year term for Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in one of Africa's most stable democracies. Jugnauth's government has faced criticism recently after it banned social media websites following a wiretapping scandal in which recorded conversations involving politicians, businesspeople, activists and journalists leaked and were published online. The ban was lifted after a few days but has raised concern among the opposition and civil society. At least 1 million people were registered to vote in the 12th elections since Mauritius gained independence from Britain in 1968. An alliance of parties led by Jugnauth's center-left Militant Socialist Movement won a majority of seats in Parliament to cement his leadership in 2019. He is being challenged by opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam's Alliance for Change. Mauritius, which sits about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) off Africa's east .

Rajasthan bypolls: 9,000 security personnel to be deployed on polling day

More than 9,000 security personnel will be deployed on the polling day for the by-elections to the seven assembly seats in Rajasthan, officials said. "Strong law and order arrangements have been made for free, fair and transparent elections in all seven assembly constituencies of Ramgarh, Dausa, Jhunjhunu, Salumber, Chaurasi, Khinvsar and Deoli-Uniyara," Rajasthan Chief Election Officer Naveen Mahajan said. Mahajan said strong security measures will be implemented in these areas on the polling day on November 13, for which over 9,000 security personnel, including 43 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) and 17 companies of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), will be deployed. A total of 6,275 personnel of state police and 650 jawans of Home Guard are also being deployed, he added. Mahajan said flying squads and static surveillance teams will be deployed in every assembly constituency for intensive checking and monitoring on the polling day. Additional monitoring teams h