Election Commission

Gujarat High Court Notices To Election Commission, Ahmed Patel Over Rajya Sabha Poll

India News | Press Trust of India | Monday August 21, 2017

The Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the Election Commission or EC and Congress leader Ahmed Patel on a petition filed by BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput challenging the poll body's decision to invalidate the votes of two rebel Congress MLAs in Rajya Sabha polls.

To Win At All Costs Is New Narrative: Election Commissioner

India News | Press Trust of India | Saturday August 19, 2017

A new narrative is being scripted which places maximum premium on winning elections "at all costs to the total exclusion of ethical considerations," Election Commissioner O P Rawat has said, criticising the "creeping new normal of political morality".

BJP Candidate Challenges Ahmed Patel's Rajya Sabha Election In Court

India News | Reported by Rohit Bhan, Edited by Arun Nair | Friday August 18, 2017

Balwantsinh Rajput, the BJP candidate who lost to Congress leader Ahmed Patel in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections earlier this month, has challenged the Election Commission's decision to invalidate the votes of two rebel Congress MLAs who had voted for him. The decision helped Ahmed Patel scrape through; he won exactly the number of votes he neede...

Rs 384 Crore Donated To Political Parties Without PAN Details, Says Report: 10 Facts

India News | Reported by Tanima Biswas, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Friday August 18, 2017

A huge number of donations to political parties came from unknown sources over the last four years -- a practice the Election Commission has been trying to discourage. More than 3,000 donations in this period came without donors' details like Permanent Account Number (PAN) or addresses, said the Delhi-based think tank, Association of Democratic Rig...

24,000 Overseas Indians Have Registered As Voters

Indians Abroad | Press Trust of India | Sunday August 13, 2017

A little over 24,000 overseas Indians, who are entitled to cast their ballot in India, have registered themselves as voters.

PM Modi Meeting Expected To Spur AIADMK Merger: 10 Developments

India News | Reported by A Vaidyanathan, Edited by Shylaja Varma | Friday August 11, 2017

The two competing factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling party are trying to accelerate their plans to reunite with the action shifting from Chennai to Delhi today. The leaders of the two wings, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam ("OPS") and his successor, E Palaniswami ("EPS"), were in the capital to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Venkaiah Naidu a...

Shankersinh Vaghela Sees 'Conspiracy' Behind Ahmed Patel's Win

India News | Press Trust of India | Thursday August 10, 2017

Veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela today claimed Ahmed Patel's victory in the Rajya Sabha polls came through a "well thought-out conspiracy" scripted by Congress leaders and voiced reservation over the Election Commission's decision to invalidate the votes of two MLAs.

Jagan Mohan Repeats Death Wish For Chief Minister Naidu

Andhra Pradesh News | Reported by Uma Sudhir, Edited by Divyanshu Dutta Roy | Thursday August 10, 2017

Jaganmohan Reddy abandoned any pretence of protocol today as he said, of political rival Chandrababu Naidu, "For your mistakes and betrayals, nothing wrong if you are punished with hanging." Mr Reddy, 44, has already been issued a showcause notice by the Election Commission for last week stating that he would find it hard to object to Mr Naidu bein...

High Court Issues Notice To Delhi Police On Sukesh Chandrashekar's Bail Plea

India News | Press Trust of India | Thursday August 10, 2017

The Delhi High Court today issued a notice to the Delhi Police on the bail plea of Sukesh Chandrashekar, who was arrested in the Election Commission bribery case involving AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran.

Electronic Voting Machines To Have Paper Trail In Gujarat Assembly Polls: Election Panel Tells Top Court

India News | Press Trust of India | Thursday August 10, 2017

The Election Commission today told the Supreme Court that it will be able to conduct the Gujarat assembly elections, due late this year, using electronic voting machines or EVMs with paper trail

Will Use Paper Trail (VVPAT) Machines in Gujarat, Says Election Commission

India News | Reported by A Vaidyanathan, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Wednesday August 9, 2017

The Gujarat assembly elections, slated for the end of this year, will be held using VVPATs - the Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail machines - along with Electronic Voting Machines, the Election Commission told the Supreme Court today

Thank God For Election Commission, Says Sonia Gandhi On Ahmed Patel's Win

India News | Reported by Sunil Prabhu, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Wednesday August 9, 2017

Hours after her top aide Ahmed Patel snatched a dramatic and close victory in the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat after midnight, Congress president Sonia Gandhi told NDTV today: "Thank God for the Election Commission."

10-Point Guide To Ahmed Patel's Close Shave In Gujarat

India News | Edited by Shuchi Shukla | Wednesday August 9, 2017

Congress leader Ahmed Patel snatched a late night victory in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections after the Election Commission rejected the votes of two Congress rebel legislators. Mr Patel won by the skin of his teeth. He needed 44 votes to win and he got 44, returning to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat for a fifth term in a bitterly fought election th...

Gujarat Battle Shifted To Delhi, Delaying Counting Of Votes By Over 6 Hrs

India News | Reported by A Vaidyanathan, Edited by Arun Nair | Wednesday August 9, 2017

The counting for elections for three Gujarat Rajya Sabha started in Gandhinagar after the Election Commission accepted the Congress petition that votes cast by its two rebel lawmakers should be cancelled because they had shown their ballot paper to the BJP chief Amit Shah.

Pak Election Body Asks Nawaz Sharif's Party To Appoint His Replacement

World News | Press Trust of India | Tuesday August 8, 2017

Pakistan's Election Commission today issued a notice to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) asking it to appoint a new leader to replace former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as its chief.

TDP Seeks Action Against Jaganmohan Reddy Over Chandrababu Naidu Remark

India News | Indo-Asian News Service | Saturday August 5, 2017

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has asked the Election Commission to take action against YSR Congress Party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy for his controversial remark that "there is nothing wrong if (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) N Chandrababu Naidu is shot dead on the road".

Vice President Election 2017: Voting To Take Place Tomorrow, Results To Be Out By Evening

India News | Edited by Arun Nair | Friday August 4, 2017

Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA candidate for the Vice Presidential elections is likely to sail through the elections that will be held on Saturday. Mr Naidu's win is almost certain as his party, the BJP, along with its partners enjoy a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha.

No Plan To Set Up Collegium To Select Election Commissioners: Government

India News | Press Trust of India | Wednesday August 2, 2017

The government today said it has no proposal to introduce a 'collegium' system to appoint election commissioners, a recommendation made by the Law Commission as part of its report on electoral reforms.

NOTA Not Acceptable For Rajya Sabha Polls, Both BJP And Congress Say

India News | Reported By A Vaidyanathan, Sunil Prabhu, Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Wednesday August 2, 2017

Locked in an intense political battle in Gujarat ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls next week, the ruling BJP and the Congress are on the same side on NOTA or the None of The Above option for voters.

Raided Karnataka Minister Was 'Tearing Papers', Says Arun Jaitley: 10 Facts

India News | Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Thursday August 3, 2017

An angry Congress shouted slogans in parliament on Wednesday as its senior leaders accused the BJP-led central government of "abuse of power," questioning the timing of raids on a Karnataka minister, DK Shivakumar, that saw Income Tax officials visit a luxury resort in Bengaluru, where the Congress has kept 43 legislators from Gujarat to prevent de...

Gujarat Lawmakers Fled To Bengaluru In Fear, Alleges Congress

Bangalore News | Reported by Harish Upadhya, Rohit Bhan, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Monday July 31, 2017

The Congress on Sunday produced 42 of its Gujarat lawmakers -- who are penned at a resort in Bengaluru -- before the media and said they have taken refuge in the Congress-ruled Karnataka as they feared for their lives ahead of the coming Rajya Sabha elections.

Election Commission Reacts To Congress SOS, Seeks Answers From Gujarat

India News | Reported by Snigdha Basu, Edited by Aloke Tikku | Sunday July 30, 2017

Its Gujarat lawmakers safely sequestered in a luxurious Karnataka resort hundreds of kilometres away, senior Congress leaders headed to the Election Commission in Delhi on Saturday to complain that the Gujarat government was trying to arm-twist and lure its lawmakers to switch sides ahead of the 8 August elections for three Rajya Sabha seats from G...

No Bail To Alleged Middleman In Election Commission Bribery Case

India News | Press Trust of India | Saturday July 29, 2017

The bail plea of an alleged middleman arrested in the Election Commission bribery case, involving AIADMK (Amma) faction leader TTV Dhinakaran, has been rejected by a city court

By-Polls In Andhra Pradesh, Goa And Delhi On August 23

India News | Indo-Asian News Service | Thursday July 27, 2017

The Election Commission today announced that by-elections to fill four vancancies in Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Delhi legislative assemblies will be held on August 23.

Disqualify Naveen Patnaik As Lawmaker: BJP Tells Election Commission

India News | Press Trust of India | Thursday July 27, 2017

The BJP today accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "lying under oath" and approached the Election Commission (EC) to seek his disqualification as an MLA.

Delhi High Court Worried Over Sukesh Chandrasekhar's Allegations Of Custodial Violence

India News | Press Trust of India | Monday July 24, 2017

The Delhi High Court today warned of "serious action" over alleged "torture" of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, accused in the Election Commission bribery case, in Tihar jail, saying any such incident will not be tolerated.

Government Actively Working On Electoral Bond Mechanism: Arun Jaitley

India News | Press Trust of India | Monday July 24, 2017

The government is "actively working" on the electoral bond mechanism but no party has come forward with a suggestion to make political funding cleaner, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today.

Delhi High Court Says Custodial Violence Won't Be Tolerated

India News | Press Trust of India | Monday July 24, 2017

Custodial violence will not be tolerated, the Delhi High Court today said while directing Tihar Jail authorities to ensure that Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is accused in the Election Commission bribery case, is not tortured in custody.

Politicians Tend To Rake Up Religious Issues During Model Code: Poll Body

India News | Press Trust of India | Sunday July 23, 2017

The poll panel has pointed out that during by-elections, political functionaries tend to issue appeals on religious or communal grounds in areas not covered under the provisions of the model code. And by doing so, they seek to avoid violating its provisions.

Madras High Court Issues Notice To Tamil Nadu Election Commission On Local Body Polls

Tamil Nadu News | Press Trust of India | Tuesday July 18, 2017

The Madras High Court today issued notice to the state election commission and other officials in Tamil Nadu on a fresh petition by the DMK for holding local body polls within a time frame as may be fixed by the court.