New Delhi, October 27 The Election Commission has announced that the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will commence in 12 states and union territories from November 4, with the final voter list scheduled for publication in February next year. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that this phase follows the successful completion of the exercise in Bihar.

As per agency report, the second phase will cover Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. Of these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal are expected to go to polls in 2026. Kumar clarified that a separate announcement would be made for Assam, which is also expected to hold assembly elections next year.

The process will begin with house-to-house verification from November 4 and continue till December 4. The draft electoral roll will be published on December 9, and the final list will be released on February 7, 2026. The Chief Election Commissioner explained that Assam will not be part of the current schedule since the state is governed by separate provisions under the Citizenship Act, and the citizenship verification process there is nearing completion under Supreme Court supervision. Therefore, a separate order and date will be issued for Assam’s SIR.

Kumar noted that this is the ninth such nationwide revision since independence, with the last one conducted between 2002 and 2004. He said the exercise in Bihar was completed successfully without any appeals, marking it as a significant achievement.

He explained that the SIR aims to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the list and no ineligible person remains included. The second phase will cover around 510 million voters. The process will begin on November 4, the draft roll will be published on December 9, and the final list on February 7.

Addressing concerns raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Kumar said there was no confrontation between the Election Commission and the state government. He stated that both institutions are performing their respective constitutional duties, and state governments are legally bound to provide the necessary personnel for the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.

Regarding Kerala’s request to defer the SIR due to upcoming local body elections, Kumar clarified that no notification for the local polls had been issued yet.

In Bihar, the voter list revision has already been completed, covering about 74.2 million voters, with the final roll published on September 30. Polling in Bihar will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14.

The Election Commission has already held two rounds of meetings with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from various states to finalize the SIR framework. Several states have uploaded their previous SIR voter lists on official websites. For instance, Delhi’s CEO website displays the 2008 voter roll, when the last intensive revision was conducted, while Uttarakhand’s website hosts the 2006 list.

The final SIR in each state will serve as a reference base similar to the 2003 list used in Bihar for deep revision. In most states, the last SIR was conducted between 2002 and 2004, and the mapping of current voters against those rolls is nearly complete.

The primary objective of the SIR is to identify and remove ineligible names, including illegal foreign migrants, from the electoral rolls. The move is particularly significant in light of concerns regarding unauthorized migrants from countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.

New Delhi, August 1: The Election Commission has announced that the election for the post of Vice President of India will be held on September 9. The official notification for the election will be issued on August 7, and the last date for filing nominations is August 21.

As per agency report, if voting becomes necessary, it will take place on September 9 between 10 am and 5 pm in Room No. F-101, Vasudha, on the first floor of Parliament House. The results will also be declared on the same day.

The Vice President’s post became vacant on July 21 following the resignation of incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Election Commission has appointed the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha as the Returning Officer for the election and two officers from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat as Assistant Returning Officers.

The Electoral College for the Vice Presidential election consists of members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote in this election. The Electoral College currently includes 233 elected members and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, along with 543 members of the Lok Sabha.

With five seats vacant in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha, the total strength of the Electoral College stands at 782. A candidate would need at least 391 votes to secure a majority, assuming all eligible voters cast their vote.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is seen to have an advantage in the upcoming election. Of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, one—Bashirhat in West Bengal—is currently vacant. Among the five vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha, four are from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Punjab.

Within the Lok Sabha, the NDA led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enjoys the support of 293 out of 542 members. In the Rajya Sabha, which currently has 240 effective members, the ruling alliance is supported by 129 members, provided all nominated members vote in its favour. This brings the NDA’s total support to 422 members in the Electoral College.

To be eligible for election as Vice President, a candidate must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years of age, and qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi, February 19 – Gyanesh Kumar assumed office as India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday, while Vivek Joshi took charge as an Election Commissioner.

Kumar, who had been serving as an Election Commissioner since March 2024, was promoted to the top post on Monday. His appointment came a day after the retirement of Rajiv Kumar, who previously held the position.

With Kumar leading the Election Commission of India (ECI), Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are the two other Election Commissioners. Joshi, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Haryana cadre, was appointed to the commission on Monday.

Upon assuming office, Kumar emphasized the significance of voting, stating, “The first step in nation-building is voting. Every Indian citizen who has turned 18 should register as a voter and participate in elections.” He reassured the public of the commission’s commitment to democracy, affirming, “The Election Commission has always stood by the voters and will continue to do so.”

New Delhi – Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, the first to take office under the newly enacted election commission appointment law. The Law Ministry confirmed his appointment on Monday, and he is set to serve until January 26, 2029. His tenure is expected to oversee key elections, including the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

Alongside Kumar’s appointment, Vivek Joshi, a 1989 batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, has been named as an Election Commissioner. Born on May 21, 1966, Joshi is expected to remain with the Election Commission of India (ECI) until 2031.

As per the new legal framework, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) serve for a maximum of six years or until the age of 65, whichever comes earlier. Kumar replaces Sushil Chandra, the former CEC, who had previously served as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) before joining the ECI.

Kumar’s role as the 26th CEC will involve overseeing major electoral events, including the Bihar Assembly elections in 2024 and the assembly elections in Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal in 2026.

A 1988 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, Kumar has held several prominent positions in both the Kerala government and the central government. Notably, during his tenure at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), he played a crucial role in implementing the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir.

Kumar holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur and has furthered his studies in Business Finance at ICFAI and Environmental Economics at Harvard University’s HIID. His administrative experience spans across various departments, including finance, infrastructure, and public works in the Kerala government.

At the central level, he has served in key positions, including Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Secretary in the Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation. His extensive experience in governance and policy implementation is expected to shape the future of electoral reforms and processes in India.

New Delhi, June 10 (HS): The Election Commission on Monday announced by-elections on 14 assembly seats in seven states. Voting will be held on all these seats on July 10. According to the commission, notification for this will be issued on June 14 and voting will be held on July 10.

The seats on which by-elections are to be held are Rupauli of Bihar, Raiganj, Ranaghat South (SC), Bagda (SC), Maniktala of West Bengal, Vikravandi of Tamil Nadu, Amarwara (ST) of Madhya Pradesh, Badrinath, Mangalore of Uttarakhand, Jalandhar West (SC) of Punjab, Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh of Himachal Pradesh. These seats have fallen vacant due to resignation or death of MLAs.

New Delhi, May 24 (HS): The Supreme Court refused to issue any order on a petition seeking direction to the Election Commission to publish the actual voting figures within 48 hours. The vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Dutta said that the demand of the petition filed in 2019 has been raised again through an interim application in the middle of the elections. "We are not ruling it out. This petition will be heard after the summer vacation."

During the hearing, the Supreme Court said that five phases of elections have taken place. It would not be right to put pressure on the Election Commission to change the process now. Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, said that the aim of the petitioner is to confuse the voters. Questioning the intentions of the petitioner, the Supreme Court had rejected a petition on April 26.

On May 17, the court had directed the Election Commission to present its side. During the hearing, the court had asked lawyer Amit Sharma, appearing for the Election Commission, what problem the Commission had in uploading Form 17C on the website. Then Sharma had said that this process takes time and it cannot be completed overnight. The Commission takes this form from every booth.

Then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had asked whether the polling officer of every booth sends Form 17C to the returning officer. Then Sharma had said that it takes time and sometimes he is not able to reach on the day of voting. Then the Chief Justice had said that it is okay, it will reach the next day. Despite that why don't you upload. Then Sharma said that the election officer looks at every data to see if there is any difference between them.

It was said in the petition that the Election Commission is delaying a lot in publishing the voting data of Lok Sabha elections 2024. This has given rise to the possibility of large-scale changes in the figures. It was said in the petition that in the current Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission published the data after several days. The first phase of voting took place on 19 April, with data published after 11 days. The second phase of voting took place on 26 April, with data published four days later.

It was said in the petition that there was a difference of more than 5 percent between the initial figures released by the Election Commission on the day of voting for both the phases and the final figures. The delay of several days in releasing the actual data by the Election Commission creates doubt in the minds of voters. In such a situation, the Election Commission should be instructed to publish the voting figures immediately after the voting.

Following the emergence of a viral video depicting booth capturing, the Election Commission has mandated re-polling at booth number 220 in Parthampura village, Mahisagar district, under the Dahod Lok Sabha seat. The incident, which occurred on May 7, involved Vijay Bhabhor, son of a BJP leader, who was arrested along with an associate.

The complaint of booth capturing was lodged at the polling booth in Parthampura village of Santrampur tehsil. According to reports, Vijay Bhabhor, during the primary school's polling at Parthampur village, captured booth number 220 and live-streamed the incident on social media.

Vijay Bhabhor, son of former head of Gothib Tehsil Panchayat Ramesh Bhabhor, allegedly entered the booth, assaulted Congress agent Sanabhai Taviad, and threatened him with dire consequences. Neha Kumari, Mahisagar District Collector, confirmed the arrests and the registration of an FIR in the case.

The District Election Officer submitted a report to the Election Commission, citing instances of bogus voting and mentioning the viral video. The report indicated that booth capturing occurred for 5 to 10 minutes. Notices were issued to the presiding officer and other officials, questioning their inaction during the incident. Four officers were served notices and asked to respond within a day.

Ahmedabad - Campaigning for the by-elections of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 5 assembly seats in Gujarat, except Surat, concluded at 6 pm on Sunday evening. Voting is scheduled to take place on 7th May, and the Election Commission has finalized all preparations for the elections. Special arrangements have been made considering the ongoing heat wave in the state.

Dr. Kuldeep Arya, the state's Additional Electoral Officer, stated that as per Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, campaigning cannot be conducted in favor of any party or candidate for 48 hours from 6 pm on May 5 until the completion of voting. Political leaders who had traveled to other Lok Sabha seats for election campaigning have been instructed to return. The use of loudspeakers has also been banned for the next 48 hours.

Arya emphasized that any predictions regarding voting outcomes are prohibited during this period. He assured that the Commission has made all necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and systematic voting process. The installation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices has been completed, along with the distribution of Voter Information Slips.

The Election Commission has completed preparations to conduct peaceful and fair voting. There are a total of 266 candidates for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state and 24 candidates for the assembly by-elections. The Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat has the highest number of candidates with 18, while Bardoli seat has the least with 3. Similarly, the Vijapur assembly seat has 8 candidates, while Waghodia has only 2 candidates.

Arya mentioned that voter awareness booths have been set up at all polling stations, and 175 model polling stations have been prepared. Shades have been installed at polling stations due to the heatwave. Medical teams will be deployed for medical arrangements and immediate treatment facilities. Complaints regarding not being granted leave from work on the day of voting can be lodged at 1950. The District Election Officer has made special arrangements at sensitive and highly sensitive booths.

New Delhi - The International Election Visitors Program (IEVP) has brought 75 delegates from 23 countries to India to observe the Indian general elections. The program was inaugurated in New Delhi, with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu present at the event.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addressed the delegates, emphasizing the significance of Indian elections in the global democratic landscape. He highlighted the unique nature of Indian elections, where both electoral registration and voting are voluntary. He praised the efforts of the Election Commission in motivating citizens to participate in the electoral process through systematic voter awareness programs.

During the event, the Election Commission also held bilateral talks with the Chief Election Commissioners of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Nepal, along with their delegations. The discussions aimed to exchange insights and experiences in the field of election management.

Earlier in the day, the delegates were briefed on various aspects of the Indian General Elections 2024, including the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems, IT initiatives, and the role of media and social media in elections.

The presence of international delegates underscores the importance of the Indian electoral process on the global stage and highlights the Election Commission's efforts to ensure transparency and efficiency in the conduct of elections.

Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the Election Commission's delay in presenting accurate and transparent election data. They argue that despite two phases of elections, precise voting percentages have not been disclosed, with only approximate figures provided.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the delay, noting that 11 days have passed since the first phase of voting without final voting figures being made public. He highlighted that the Commission previously released figures within 24 hours and questioned the reason for the current delay. So far, only approximate figures have been available on the website, raising questions about the transparency of the process.

Ramesh also pointed out the lack of detailed information about the number of voters listed in each Lok Sabha and Assembly constituency. He noted that the ECI website only provides information about the total number of voters in the state and the number of voters in each booth, which is insufficient for comprehensive analysis.

Similarly, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien criticized the government regarding the delay in disclosing voting figures. He questioned why the Election Commission is not holding press conferences after every phase of voting, emphasizing the importance of transparency and timely information dissemination in the electoral process.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has complied with the Supreme Court's order, submitting all information related to electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India today, March 21st, 2024.

In an affidavit filed with the Supreme Court, SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara confirmed the details provided include:

• Electoral bond number
• Denomination of the bond
• Name of the political party that received the bond
• Last four digits of the party's bank account number used for encashment

However, citing cybersecurity concerns, SBI has withheld certain information from public disclosure. This includes:

• Complete bank account numbers of political parties
• KYC details of the political party and the bond purchaser

The affidavit emphasizes that SBI has not retained any information beyond what was submitted to the Election Commission.

This action follows the Supreme Court's directives on March 18th, 2024, requiring SBI to provide comprehensive details of electoral bond transactions to the Election Commission for public access. The Court also directed SBI to file an affidavit by today's date to confirm compliance.

The Election Commission is expected to publish the information on its website once received.

This development comes after the Supreme Court raised concerns on March 15th regarding incomplete data provided by SBI earlier. The Court had specifically noted the absence of electoral bond numbers, which had previously been mandated for disclosure.

With the submission of this information, the Election Commission is now empowered to increase transparency surrounding electoral bond transactions in India.

New Delhi, March 19: In a significant move ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday approved new Home Secretaries for six states and a new Director General of Police (DGP) for West Bengal.

The newly appointed Home Secretaries are Pratyaya Amrit (Bihar), AK Rakesh (Gujarat), Deepak Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Omkar (Himachal Pradesh), Vandana Dadel (Jharkhand), and Dilip Jawalkar (Uttarakhand).

The EC also announced the appointment of Sanjay Mukherjee as the new DGP of West Bengal. This comes after the commission rejected the state government's nomination of Vivek Sahay, who was earlier suspended by the EC in 2021 for security lapses.

This decision follows the EC's directive on Monday to remove the Home Secretaries of the aforementioned six states and the DGP of West Bengal. The commission reportedly expressed concerns about potential bias, as some officers were previously associated with the Chief Minister's Office.

The EC's actions appear to be aimed at ensuring a level playing field by placing officials with a neutral standing in crucial positions during the upcoming elections.