Tag: Election Commission

Lok Sabha polls: EC disposes of 90% complaints related to MCC violations

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In the ongoing Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission (EC) said it has disposed off 90% of complaints related to violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The EC said no major complaints were pending against parties except Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.

As many as 425 major complaints, excluding canvassing related or clarificatory complaints were filed by parties and candidates. The EC said action has been taken in 400 cases.

The Congress filed nearly 170 complaints, followed by BJP at 95 and others at 160.

The EC added that a few complaints of Congress and BJP against each other are pending alleging violation of MCC in terms of divisive statements made by star campaigners on communal, caste, regional language divide, or on sanctity of Constitution of India.

In April, the EC took cognizance of alleged MCC violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during campaigning. The EC invoked section 77 of Representation of the People Act (RPA) and held party presidents responsible, as the first step, to reign in star campaigners.

The EC reiterated that star campaigners of national parties should lead by example in the next phases and not vitiate the delicate fabric of society.

Also, 4,22,432 complaints have been filed on C-Vigil App or Commission’s portal on violations as on May 14. The EC said action has been taken in 4,22,079 (99.9%) cases and of these, 88.7% of complaints were resolved in less than 100 minutes.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections is underway. The voting for the fifth phase is on May 20. The result will be declared on June 4.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Election Commission grants shifting of 7 polling stations in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Kinnaur

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Election Commission of India has granted permission to shift seven polling stations in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh in response to proposals sent by the District Election Officers (DEO), officials said on Sunday May 5.

The decision to change the locations of the polling stations was taken to facilitate voters, an Election Commission spokesperson said in a statement.

In Kullu district, the Shirar polling station in Manali will be shifted from Government Primary School to Panchayat Ghar; Pashi polling station in Banjar from Government Middle School to Government Primary School.

Also Read: Delhi, Indore, Surat and Banswara — why these are the most challenging domains for Congress internally

In Mandi district, the Hanogi polling station in Darang will be shifted from Government Primary School Dungar to Community Hall near Gau Sadan; Hiun polling station in Dharampur from Government Primary School Hiun Galu (located at Hiun Doyam) to Mahila Mandal Bhavan Hiun Doyam; and Ghadyatar Polling Station in Balh from Panchayat Ghar Luhakher to Patwar Khana Ghadyatar.

In Shimla district, the Ghandal polling station in Shimla (Rural) will be shifted from Government Degree College, Dhami to Government Primary School, Ghandal.

In Kinnaur district, the Choling polling station in Kinnaur will be shifted from Government Primary School, Choling (new building) to Government Primary School, Choling (old building).

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PDP holds protest against EC for deferring LS poll in Anantnag-Rajouri seat

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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PDP workers led by senior party leader Naeem Akhtar on Wednesday held a protest against the Election Commission of India’s decision to defer the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat from May 7 to May 25. The PDP demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s report which led to the postponement of the poll be made public.

The Election Commission on Tuesday postponed polls to the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat to May 25, citing logistical issues due to adverse weather conditions. Former chief ministers of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) had urged the Election Commission last week not to postpone polls.

Dozens of PDP workers assembled at the PDP headquarters on Residency Road near GPO here and raised slogans against the BJP and the Election Commission of India for deferring the polls. A posse of policemen prevented the PDP workers from marching out on the road. Speaking to reporters, Akhtar said the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency was carved out at the behest of the BJP as part of a process to exploit the religious and caste fault lines in the region.

“The constituency is spread over some parts of south Kashmir and two districts of Poonch and Rajouri. First, it is a geographical oddity. Anyways, they have made it with the purpose of exploiting the caste and religious fault lines and disrupting the unity of the people against abrogation Article 370 and Article 35A,” Akhtar said.

“It was a pre-poll rigging committed through a delimitation commission. The document prepared by the delimitation commission tried to target a particular section by disenfranchising and dispossessing them,” he said.

Abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was not an event but an ongoing process of dispossession and disenfranchisement of people of Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP leader said.

“And a part of that process is that they tried to finish off the PDP by creating new parties like bonsai plants which have been kept by the BJP as showpieces for the world.”

“However, they have realised that the wind is blowing in the opposite direction due to our leader Mehbooba Mufti and our cadres. The people of Jammu and Kashmir getting united despite their efforts to create divisions,” he said.

Akhtar said there are four recognised parties which are taking part in the election –? PDP, Congress, NC and CPI(M). Only the BJP sought deferment of the polls even though it has not fielded a candidate there, he said.

Asserting that the Election Commission has become a tool of the BJP, Akhtar said there was enough evidence of this across the country. “They have snatched everything from Jammu and Kashmir — from autonomy to the constitution to our rights. We tell the Election Commission of India to desist from these things. It should not further this process (of disenfranchisement). You are being part of a crime which is not only against Jammu and Kashmir but the entire country.”

“We demand that the report on the basis of which the polls have been deferred be made public so that we get to know whether the officers serving in Jammu and Kashmir are working for interests of people of Jammu and Kashmir or to fulfil the orders of their masters,” he added.

The Election Commission had asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to immediately submit a detailed report on road conditions, weather and accessibility to the region which covers parts of South Kashmir and areas in Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region.

Akhtar said his party will continue their fight for restoration of rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir through peaceful, constitutional and democratic means. “We assure the people that we will not resign, we will not give up but we will not take the path taken by some after 1987 (militancy). We will fight it constitutionally and democratically,” he added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Congress wants longer voting hours

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Congress on Sunday, April 28, appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to increase the duration of voting due to heatwave in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a media report said.

News24 reported that the Telangana unit of the Congress has appealed to the EC to conduct voting from 7 am to 6 pm. This comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) asked people not to step out from 12 noon to 4 pm as it has issued a warning in many states.

The Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases. The voting for the first two phases is over. The voting percentage has been low vis-a-vis the 2019 General Elections. The voter turnout in the second phase was 66.7%, which was less than the figures of the 2019 parliamentary polls. In the first phase, the turnout was 65.5% as compared to 69.43% in the phase one of the 2019 parliamentary polls

The heatwave is believed to have contributed to several voters not turning up at polling stations in both phases. The polling time was extended till 6 pm in many polling stations in Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger constituencies in Bihar to give some succour to voters against the hot weather.

Special arrangements were made to combat the heat, including a provision of ‘shamiana’, drinking water, medical kits and fans for the convenience of the voters. The usual polling time is 7 am to 6 pm but it varies depending on factors such as terrain, time of sunset, and security situation.

The EC issued a heat wave advisory after the IMD said the country will likely witness a severe heatwave this summer. The IMD had appealed to people to drink and carry enough water, and wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose, porous cotton clothes. It asked people to use a damp cloth to cool down and avoid strenuous activities when temperatures are high.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

SC issues notice to EC on plea seeking repolling on seats where NOTA gets majority

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Supreme Court on Friday, April 26, issued a notice to the Election Commission on a plea seeking direction to frame rules on re-election on seats where NOTA (none of the above) gets a majority. The plea said if NOTA gets a majority, the election held in the particular constituency shall be declared null and void and a fresh election shall be conducted to the constituency.

The plea also sought to frame rules stating that the candidates who garner fewer votes than NOTA shall stand debarred from contesting all elections for a period of five years. The plea also sought an order from the court to the EC to ensure proper and efficient reporting or publicity of NOTA as a “Fictional Candidate”.

A bench headed by chief justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said, “This is about the electoral process also. Let us see what the Election Commission has to say.”

NOTA was introduced into the election process in the 2013. A voter can choose NOTA if he does not wish to vote for any of the candidates fighting in the constituency.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

EC probes allegations of MCC violation by Modi, Rahul; seeks response by April 29

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Election Commission took cognizance of alleged model code of conduct (MCC) violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress had raised allegations of causing hatred and divide based on religion, caste, community, or language.

The EC has invoked section 77 of Representation of the People Act (RPA) and held party presidents responsible, as the first step, to reign in star campaigners. The MCC allegations against Modi and Gandhi were exchanged with BJP President JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge as a first step.

The ECI has sought a response by 11 AM on April 29.

This is the first time that there have been MCC violation allegations against a prime minister. The EC asked the BJP to respond to complaints filed by opposition parties wherein they have accused Modi of delivering a divisive and defamatory speech in Rajasthan’s Banswara. At the same time, the poll panel also asked Congress to respond to complaints filed by the BJP against Kharge and Gandhi regarding their respective remarks.

The ECI said the political parties will have to take primary and increasing responsibility for the conduct of their candidates, star campaigners in particular. Campaign speeches by those holding high positions have more serious consequences, it added.

In its letter addressed to Nadda, the EC asked him to respond by Monday to complaints filed by the Congress, CPI and CPI (ML) regarding the remarks made by Modi on April 21 in Banswara. It also asked Nadda to bring to the notice of the party’s star campaigners to “set high standards of political discourse and observe provisions of model code of conduct in letter and spirit”.

In its complaint to the EC, the Congress said that Modi in his speech had alleged that Congress wanted to redistribute the wealth of the people to Muslims and that the opposition party won’t even spare the ‘mangalsutra’ of women.

The BJP, on the other hand, had written to EC that Gandhi levelled malafide and utterly sinister allegations against Modi during a speech in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It also accused Kharge of violating the model code by claiming that he was not invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony due to discrimination against SCs and STs.

The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases. The voting for the first phase was held on April 19 and the second phase will vote on April 26.

With inputs from PTI

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

SC says it cannot conduct elections, have to trust EC’s technical submissions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 24, said it cannot conduct elections and it has to trust the technical submissions of the Election Commission. The court reserved the judgment on the plea seeking 100% electronic voting machine (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said, “Courts have already intervened twice, if there is room for improvement, we will consider it.”

The EC told the apex court that they VVPAT verification of 5% of EVMs and challenged if candidates can show any case of mismatch. On the queries raised by the court in the morning the EC replied saying that all microcontrollers are burnt into the machines at the time of manufacture, and it cannot be re-programmed.

On the question of Symbol Loading Units, the EC said, “We have two manufacturers – ECIL and BEL. We can make more SLUs and it should take a month for ramping up production.”

The EC said after counting, the machines are stored for 45 days. On the 46th day Chief Electoral Officer writes to high courts to check for any complaints. If an election petition is filed then the machine is sealed and blocked.

After polling, VVPATs are also stored for 45 days.

The petitioner disputed the EC claims that processor chip is one time programmable is in doubt. The petitioner said that the manufacturer admitted in an RTI reply that the microcontroller is made by NXP and it says there are 3 kinds of memories, including a flash memory. Flash memories can be programmed several times.

The EC claim that the microcontroller is not re-programmable is incorrect, the petitioner claimed.

The court on Wednesday raised fresh queries with the EC on EVMs and VVPATs. The court has sought clarity on whether VVPAT machines also have a programmable memory. The court has sought clarity on storage, sealing of EVM machines, questions if VVPAT machines are also secured. It also sought clarity on duration for storage of EVMs, VVPAT machines.

Here are questions raised by the Supreme Court:

Q1. If the microcontroller is installed in the Control Unit or the VVPAT. We were under the impression that microcontroller with the memory is installed in the control unit. One of the FAQs indicates that microcontroller with memory is also in the VVPAT machine.
Q2. Is Microcontroller programmable only one time?
Q3. How mnay symbol loading units are available?
Q4. What is the period of storage of EVMs. The EC had indicated 30 days, the RP Act suggests 45 days. The storage period may need to be increased?
Q5. Securing of EVMs – we take it that both the Control Unit, VVPAT are sealed.

The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with VVPAT. The VVPAT is an independent vote verification system that enables electors to see whether their votes have been cast correctly. NGO ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’ (ADR), one of the petitioners, sought the reversal of the poll panel’s 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass through which a voter can see the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds.

During the hearing, which spanned for nearly two days, the bench had interacted for nearly an hour with senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas to understand the functioning of EVMs and told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO that voter satisfaction and trust are at the core of the electoral process. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, had submitted that EVMs are standalone machines and cannot be tampered with but the possibility of human error cannot be ruled out.

On April 16, the top court had deprecated criticism of EVMs and calls for reverting to ballot papers, saying the electoral process in India is a “humongous task” and attempts should not be made to “bring down the system”.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls began on April 19 and the second phase is slated to be held on April 26. The ADR has sought to match the count in EVMs with votes that have been verifiably “recorded as cast” and to ensure the voter can verify through VVPAT slip that his vote, as recorded on the paper slip, has been “counted as recorded”.

With inputs from PTI

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

TMC lodges complaint with EC against Bengal Governor

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday, April 18, filed a complaint with the Election Commission against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose for allegedly interfering in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in the state.

“A complaint against Governor C V Ananda Bose has been lodged with EC for repeatedly interfering with the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024 and attempting to visit poll-going areas during the silent period and on polling day,” a TMC leader said.

The Election Commission has advised the West Bengal Governor to call off his proposed tour of Cooch Behar on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls’ first phase as it was violative of the Model Code of Conduct, sources said on Wednesday.

Polling is scheduled in Cooch Behar on April 19 and the 48-hour silence period when campaigning is barred began on Wednesday evening.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

SC asks EC to probe allegations of extra votes recorded for BJP in mock polls

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Supreme Court on Thursday, April 18, asked the Election Commission of India to look into an allegation that during a mock poll of EVMs in Kerala, extra votes were recorded for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The allegations came a day before the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections.

The court observed that this is an electoral process and there has to be sanctity to it and let nobody have apprehension that something that is expected is not being done.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan red-flagged that as per Malayalam Manorama, mock polls were done for 20 EVMs in Kerala. And of the 20, 4 EVMs recorded additional votes for the BJP.

The bench has asked the EC counsel to “look at it”.

The Election Commission of India has informed the Court that allegations of EVM showing one extra vote during a mock poll in Kerala’s Kasaragod were false. The top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), an independent vote verification system enabling an elector to see whether his vote was cast correctly.

“These news reports are false. We have verified the allegation from the district collector and it appears that they are false. We will submit a detailed report to the court,” senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow