Page 5 - Election Commission

Guj Assembly polls: EC Cash, jewellery worth Rs 10.5 cr seized since Nov 3

Police and surveillance teams deployed by the Election Commission have so far seized cash and jewellery worth Rs 10.49 crore, while more than 91,000 persons have been placed under preventive detention in the run-up to the Assembly polls in Gujarat, an official said on Friday. The model code of conduct has been in force since November 3 in the state where elections will be held on December 1 and 5. "From November 3 till November 25, local police along with flying and static surveillance teams of the EC have seized Rs 4.01 crore in cash and Rs 6.48 crore worth of jewellery. Various narcotic substances worth Rs 61 crore have also been seized," an official release said. The police have, so far, lodged more than 29,800 cases under Prohibition laws and arrested 24,170 persons with liquor worth Rs 13.51 crore. Liquor sale and consumption are completely banned in Gujarat. In all, 91,154 persons were put under preventive detention so far under various provisions of the Code of Criminal ..

MCD elections: State election commission bars publication of exit polls

The State Election Commission in Delhi on Thursday prohibited the publication of exit poll projections in both print and broadcast media after polling for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on December 4.A release by the State Election Commission on Thursday read, "As per the schedule of election notified by the State Election Commission, Delhi, polling for MCD elections will be held from 0800 hrs to 1730 hrs on 04.12.2022."The state poll panel further notified that "between 0800 hrs of December 4, 2022 till 1730 hrs of December 5, 2022, as the period during which conducting of any Exit Poll and publishing or publicising by means of the print or electronic media & dissemination in any other manner whatsoever the result of any exit poll in connection with General Elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi shall be prohibited".The state poll panel took cognizance of the fact that the Election Commission (ED) had prohibited the publication exit poll projections from 0800

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SC questions tearing hurry in appointment process of EC Arun Goel

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the "haste" and "tearing hurry" in appointing Arun Goel as Election Commissioner. The Centre vehemently resisted the observations, with Attorney General R Venkataramani saying the whole issue pertaining to the appointment of Goel be looked into its entirety. At the outset, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph perused the Centre's original file pertaining to Goel's appointment as EC, and said, "What kind of evaluation is this? Although, we are not questioning the merits of Arun Goel's credentials but the process." As the bench questioned the "lightning speed" with which Goel was appointed as an EC and also that his file did not even move within departments for 24 hours, the Centre through Venkataramani vehemently urged the bench not to make observations without looking into the entire issue pertaining to the appointment process. During the hearing, lawyer Prashant Bhushan attempted to make submissions before the bench

Election Commission team reviews preparedness for Tripura assembly polls

An Election Commission team reviewed Tripura's preparedness for next year's assembly polls, a senior official said on Thursday. The team had visited the poll-bound state on Tuesday and Wednesday and held meetings with all the eight district election officers and DSPs, he said. All key issues covering electoral roll, special summary revision, EVM/VVPAT, assured minimum facilities at polling stations, manpower management, transportation and law and order were discussed in detail, and feedback was taken from the districts, the official said. The team also held a separate meeting with various enforcement agencies to ensure strict vigil in the run-up to the elections. Tripura goes to polls early next year.

Wrong to assume having judge in EC appointment will ensure clarity: Govt

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday it was a wrong presupposition that the mere presence of someone from the judiciary in the panel for appointment of Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner would ensure transparency and independence. A five-judge bench headed by Justice K M Joseph was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, "A presupposition that only with the presence of the judiciary, independence and fairness will be achieved, that is an incorrect reading of the Constitution. Mere presence of someone from judiciary will ensure transparency is fallacious statement." Mehta told the bench also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar that the petitioners' proposal that a collegium-like system with the Chief Justice of India as one of the members be put in place in the absence of law for the appointment of ECs and CEC cannot be done. "This court cannot say that in the absence of law, thi

Any 'hanky panky': SC asks for govt file on Arun Goel's appointment as EC

The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Wednesday to produce before it the file related to the appointment of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, who was appointed on November 19. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph said it wants to know whether there was any "hanky panky" in Goel's appointment as election commissioner as he was only recently given voluntary retirement from service. The bench rejected the objections of Attorney General R Venkataramani on the court willing to see the file related to Goel's appointment while the hearing is on. Venkataramani said the court is dealing with the larger issue of appointment of ECs and the chief election commissioner (CEC) and it cannot look at an individual case flagged by advocate Prashant Bhushan. "I take serious objection to this and have my reservation to the court seeing the file amidst the hearing of a Constitution bench," he said. The bench said it started hearing the matter last Thursday and Goel's appointment

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Election commission needs a person like the late T N Seshan to lead it: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Constitution has vested enormous powers on the "fragile shoulder" of the chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners and it wants a CEC of strong character like late T N Seshan. Seshan was a former cabinet secretary to the Union government and was appointed as the election commissioner (EC) on December 12, 1990 with a tenure till December 11, 1996. He completed his six-year tenure and died on November 10, 2019. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Justice K M Joseph, said its endeavour is to put a system in place so that the "best man" is selected as the CEC. "There have been numerous CECs and T N Seshan happens once in a while. We do not want anyone to bulldoze him. Enormous power has been vested on the fragile shoulder of three men (two ECs and the CEC). We have to find the best man for the post of CEC. The question is how do we find that best man and how to appoint that best man," the bench, also comprising justices .

Ex-bureaucrat Arun Goel takes charge as new Election Commissioner of India

Welcoming Goel to Election Commission, Rajiv Kumar said his administrative experience will further strengthen the Commission's endeavours in making the electoral process more inclusive, participative

BJP asks govt, EC to note TMC MLA's statement on 'Bangladeshi' immigrants

The BJP leadership in Bengal on Friday urged the union home ministry and Election Commission to take cognizance of comments by a TMC MLA who allegedly asked party workers to ensure that only those 'Bangladeshi' immigrants in the state who support the ruling party, find a place in the voters' list. The BJP said such comments from an elected representative are detrimental to national security. A video of a West Bengal MLA allegedly asking TMC workers to ensure that only those Bangladeshi immigrants who support the ruling party in the state find a place in the voters' list, which is being circulated on social media has created a controversy in the state. The draft electoral roll revision is underway in the state and the rest of the country. In the purported video, Bardhaman Dakshin MLA Khokan Das is heard saying, "Many new people are coming...they are from Bangladesh. Many of these people vote for BJP based on Hindu sentiments. Please ensure that only those who support our party get

999 nomination forms out of 1,362 valid for 1st phase of Gujarat polls

A total of 999 nomination forms have been found valid out of the 1,362 forms filed for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls in 89 seats, state election officials said on Wednesday. Tuesday was the last day for the scrutiny of nomination forms for the first phase of elections to be held on December 1. The Election Commission started accepting forms for the first phase on November 5 and the last date was November 14. After due scrutiny, 999 forms were held valid, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer said in a release. For the second phase of election to be held on December 5 in 93 seats, 341 nomination forms have been received so far since November 10 when the process began, it said. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is contesting from Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad where voting will be held in the second phase, will file his nomination on Wednesday. The Assembly seats in Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda, ..

Himachal Pradesh records 65.92% turnout till 5 pm: EC provisional data

Himachal Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 65.92 per cent till 5 pm on Saturday, the Election Commission said, citing provisional polling figures for the state where the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are locked in an aggressive fight. Voting began at 8 am on a slow note but picked up as the day progressed and the sun warmed the winter chill. The assembly election is a crucial test for the BJP which is hoping to beat precedent and return to power while the Congress has urged voters to go by tradition of voting out the incumbent. Only around five per cent polling was recorded in the first hour, while till 11 am, it was 19.98 per cent. It notched up to 37.19 per cent by 1 pm and 55.65 per cent till 3 pm. Till 5 pm, a 65.92 per cent turnout was recorded, the Election Commission (EC) said. The highest polling of 72.35 per cent was recorded in Sirmour district followed by 68.48 per cent in Solan and 67.67 per cent in Una and 67.5 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti. The high-altitud

Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls: 55.65% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm

Himachal Pradesh, where the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are locked in an aggressive fight, recorded a voter turnout of 55.65 per cent in the first five hours of polling till 3 pm on Saturday, the Election Commission said. Voting began at 8 am on a slow note but picked up as the day progressed and the sun warmed the winter chill. The assembly election is a crucial test for the BJP which is hoping to beat precedent and return to power while the Congress has urged voters to go by tradition of voting out the incumbent. Only around five per cent polling was recorded in the first hour, while till 11 am, it was 19.98 per cent. It notched up to 37.19 percent by 1 pm and till 3 pm, the state recorded a 55.65 per cent turnout. The highest polling of 62.75 per cent was recorded in Lahaul and Spiti district, followed by 60.38 per cent in Sirmour and 58.9 per cent in Mandi, the home district of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. The high-altitude district of Lahaul and Spiti had recorded

BJP subverting independence of Election Commission: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday accused the BJP of subverting the Election Commission to an extent that it was no more an independent body. She alleged that the Election Commission has become "an extension" of the BJP. "It will do whatever the BJP tells it to do." "Election commission has been subverted to an extent that it is no more the independent body of which the country was proud. Our election commissioners were invited by other countries to seek expert advice on conducting elections," Mufti told reporters in Khiram area of Anantnag district. She said the Election Commission has failed to act against the BJP even though the ruling party has violated the laws. "In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP leadership campaigned for polls on religious basis. Muslims are being threatened openly but election commission remains a silent spectator," the PDP leader said. The former chief minister said election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held only when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) giv

17.98% voting recorded in Himachal polls till 11 am: Election Commission

Himachal Pradesh, where the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are locked in an aggressive direct fight, recorded a voter turnout of 17.98 per cent in the first three hours till 11 am on Saturday, Election Commission said. The voting commenced on a tardy note and gradually picked up pace in a state where the BJP is eyeing history by repeating its government, while the Congress is urging voters to go by the tradition of voting out the incumbent government. The voting started on a slow note with only around 5 per cent polling recorded in the first hour. Till 11 am, the highest polling of 21.92 per cent was recorded in Mandi, the home district of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. Sirmour district recorded 21.66 per cent polling, Solan 20.28 and Kinnaur 20 per cent, according to the EC. Lahaul and Spiti district recorded the lowest polling of 5 per cent in the first three hours. Top leaders, including Chief Minister Thakur, voted in Mandi along with his wife and daughters after offeri

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Now, notification for Rampur assembly bypoll to be issued on Nov 11: EC

The Election Commission has issued a revised schedule for the Rampur assembly bypoll and the notification for the electoral contest will be issued on Friday. The decision of the poll panel came after the additional sessions judge refused to grant a stay on the conviction of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mohammed Azam Khan. Polling will still be held on December 5 along with the second phase of Gujarat elections and other bypolls, including the one for Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat which fell vacant after the demise of SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. The vacancy in Rampur assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh occurred on October 27 after the disqualification of Azam Khan following his conviction in a hate speech case. The commission had announced the schedule for Rampur by-election along with other vacancies in various states. According to the earlier schedule, the notification for the bypolls, including that in Rampur, was to be issued on Thursday. A writ petition in Mohammad Azam Khan V

Azam Khan disqualification: No bypoll notification till Nov 10, SC tells EC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Election Commission not to issue till November 10 the notification for the assembly bypoll in Rampur Sadar in Uttar Pradesh, which fell vacant following the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Azam Khan after his conviction in a hate speech case. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed a special sessions court to hear and decide on Thursday itself the appeal of Khan seeking a stay on his conviction so that he survives disqualification as a lawmaker. The Supreme Court said the Election Commission can issue the notification for the bypoll on or after November 11 once the sessions court decides on Khan's plea. On October 27, Khan was convicted in the hate speech case and sent to three years in jail by a Rampur court. The MP-MLA court in Rampur also granted bail to the MLA in the 2019 case. On October 28, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Secretariat had announced the disqualification of Khan from the House.

Have sought copy from EC of guv's request for second opinion: Soren

Amid a deepening political crisis in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren Sunday said he has sought a copy from the Election Commission of Governor Ramesh Bais's request for a "second opinion" in a office-of-profit case through his counsel. The request comes in the wake of Bais saying on October 27 that he has sought a "second opinion" in the case and claiming that an "atom bomb could explode any time in Jharkhand", apparently indicating towards his pending decision in the matter. "I have sought a copy from EC of Governor Ramesh Bais's request for second opinion in office-of-profit case through my counsel," Soren told PTI. "The counsel has placed on my behalf that the EC will provide an opportunity for fair and effective hearing before giving any opinion pursuant to the second request made by the governor," he said. Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the Assembly in the office-of-profit case, the EC had sent its decision to the Jharkhand governo