News Analysis India

Tag: Election Commission of India

  • UP Assembly Polls: SP writes to EC seeking a ban on opinion polls by TV channels

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The opinion polls being aired by various news channels seem to have unnerved the Samajwadi Party (SP) which, on Sunday, shot off a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking an immediate ban on opinion polls.

    Writing the letter to the ECI and marking it to the UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), SP State chief Naresh Uttam Patel said that the opinion polls should be banned immediately as they were misleading the electorate.

    Patel wrote that after the notification of the poll dates on January 8 and the nomination for Phase I already over, “the opinion polls being aired by several television news channels are misleading the voters and the elections are getting affected.”

    “At the same time, it is also an open violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections…So for free, fair, fearless polls, it is necessary to ban opinion polls on television news channels with an immediate effect,” he wrote.

    According to Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, there is no point in having an election, if TV channels are issuing verdicts like this that might affect voters’ mindset.  “The opinion polls must be banned so as to make it a level playing field for all the political players,” he said adding that the history of opinion polls was there before everyone as they have turned so wrong many a times. “Even the credibility of such survey is a dispute,” he said.

    “Who conducts these surveys. I have yet to come across any surveyor of any such opinion polls. Moreover, the sample size also matters a lot. If a small chunk of the population is surveyed, how it could convey the sentiment of the majority. Surveys must be banned,” said a senior SP leader.

  • Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi writes to ECI, demands polling be postponed

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has urged the Election Commission of India to postpone the February 14 assembly polls by six days in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

    Voting for Punjab’s 117 assembly seats will be held on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.

    In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, Channi wrote that it was brought to his notice by some representatives of the Scheduled Castes community, which contributes around 32 per cent of the state’s population, that the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas falls on February 16.

    “On this occasion, a large number of SC devotees (about 20 lakh) from the state are likely to visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16,” Channi wrote.

    “In such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes for the state assembly, which is otherwise their constitutional right,” he stated in the letter written on January 13.

    “They have requested that the voting date may be extended in such a way that they are able to visit Banaras from February 10 to February 16 as also participate in the assembly elections,” he said.

    Channi said, “It is considered fair and appropriate that the voting for Punjab assembly elections 2022, may be postponed for at least six days, enabling about 20 lakh people to utilise their right to vote for the state legislative assembly.”

    Earlier, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Punjab chief Jasvir Singh Garhi had demanded from the ECI to reschedule polls from February 14 to February 20.

  • EC takes stock of situation in states where LS, assembly bypolls are due

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Top officials of the Election Commission on Wednesday took stock of the situation in various states, including West Bengal, where Lok Sabha and assembly by-polls are due, as part of an exercise to allow the poll panel to take an informed decision on holding the democratic exercise.

    Sources aware of the meeting said the idea was to know about the issues and challenges being faced by various states due to the coronavirus pandemic, floods and other issues.

    They were also asked about local festivals, holidays as well as the law and order situation.

    In some states, panchayat polls are in progress, the sources pointed out adding that details of events that result in large gatherings were also sought.

    Seven assembly seats are due to go to polls in West Bengal.

    These include two seats where polls were deferred during the assembly elections in the state following the death of candidates.

    Five other bypolls are due in the state due to the death or resignation of sitting MLAs.

    The ruling Trinamool Congress is keen on an early bypoll schedule.

    Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee lost from Nandigram in the assembly elections and needs to get elected as a member of the state legislative assembly by November 5.

    Besides West Bengal, bypolls are due in at least three Lok Sabha and eight assembly seats in other states and UTs.

    According to an EC statement of May 5, there were notified three vacancies in parliamentary constituencies of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) and Mandi (Himachal Pradesh).

    Also, there were eight vacancies in assembly constituencies of Kalka and Ellenabad in Haryana, Vallabhnagar in Rajasthan, Sindgi in Karnataka, Rajabala and Mawryngkneng in Meghalaya, Fatehpur in Himachal Pradesh and Badvel in Andhra Pradesh.

    On May 5, the poll panel had decided to defer bypolls in these three Lok Sabha and eight assembly seats due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • West Bengal bypolls: ECI to hold meeting with West Bengal Chief Secretary today

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a meeting with West Bengal Chief Secretary on Wednesday via video conferencing.

    The discussion will be on conducting by-polls that is pending for seven seats in Bengal, informed the officials to ANI today.

    The seven vacant constituency seats are Jangipur and Samserganj in Murshidabad district, Gosaba in South 24 Parganas district, Kharagpur in South Medinipur district, Nadia district’s Shantipur, Cooch Behar’s Dinhata and Bhowanipore.

    On July 15, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had urged the Election Commission to conduct by-elections to fill seven casual vacancies in the State Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.

    A TMC delegation had met with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra in the national capital and handed over a letter on this matter. The delegation included Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Saugata Roy, Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

    “We have appealed that all by-polls are held within six months. They listened to us and we hope that our discussions are successful,” TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay had told reporters.

    Notably, the general elections to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2021 were held in eight phases between March 27, 2021 to April 29, 2021 and concluded on May 2, 2021 with the announcement of results.

    Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 213 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state assembly. 

  • Election Commission writes to political parties about criminal antecedents of candidates

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Days after the Supreme Court directed that political parties have to publish information regarding criminal antecedents of candidates on the homepage of their websites, the Election Commission has written to heads of recognised political parties saying that it has created a fund in which fines for contempt of court can be deposited for failing to comply with the apex court’s directions.

    It also reminded the political parties that the Commission was directed by the apex court to carry out an extensive campaign to make every voter aware of his or her right to know and the availability of information regarding criminal antecedents of all contesting candidates.

    For this purpose, a fund was to be created within four weeks.

    The EC was also directed to create a separate cell that will also monitor the required compliances so that the court can be apprised promptly of non-compliance by any political party of the directions contained in the court’s orders.

    The court had said that if such a political party fails to submit such compliance report with the EC, the poll panel will bring such non-compliance by the political party to the notice of the court “as being in contempt of this court’s orders/directions, which shall in future be viewed very seriously”.

    The letter sent out on August 26 said in compliance with the Supreme Court directions, the Election Commission has created the “fund” in which fines for contempt of court can be deposited.

    It also gave out details f the bank account where such fines can be deposited.

    On August 10, the Supreme Court had said that political parties have to publish information regarding criminal antecedents of candidates on the homepage of their websites.

    The apex court had directed the Election Commission to create a dedicated mobile application containing information published by the candidates regarding their criminal antecedents so that voter gets information on his or her mobile phone at one stroke.

    A bench of justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai passed these directions in its verdict on a plea seeking contempt action against several political parties including the BJP and the Indian National Congress for non-compliance of its February 13, 2020 directions during Bihar assembly polls last year.

    The bench modified one of its earlier directions given in its February last year order on furnishing of details about the criminal antecedents of candidates.

    “We clarify that the direction in paragraph 4.4 of our order dated February 13, 2020, be modified and it is clarified that the details which are required to be published, shall be published within 48 hours of the selection of the candidate and not prior to two weeks before the first date of filing of nominations,” it said.

    It also directed the EC to carry out an extensive awareness campaign to make every voter aware of his right to know and the availability of information regarding criminal antecedents of all contesting candidates.

    The apex court held several political parties guilty of its contempt in 2020 Bihar assembly polls for disobeying an order requiring them to publish antecedents of candidates within 48 hours of selection or not less than two weeks before filing of nominations and imposed varying fines on them.

    It directed that fine imposed for contempt of court in the matter may be directed to be paid in the fund which must be created within four weeks.

    In its February last year verdict aimed at decriminalising Indian politics, the apex court had directed the political parties to upload on their websites and social media platforms the details of pending criminal cases against their candidates and the reasons for selecting them as also for not giving ticket to those without criminal antecedents.

  • Busy day for EC as BJP and rivals walk in with complaints 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Election Commission of India (ECI) was busy on Friday, receving complaints from political parties of several hues. While TMC went to the Commission with allegations of malpractice in the ongoing polls in West Bengal, a BJP delegation led by Union Minister Prakash Javdekar complained against Mamata Banerjee. Congress approached the Commission to seek the cancellation of election in the constituency in Assam where a BPF candidate has defected to BJP.

    Javdekar alleged that Mamata violated the code of conduct. The BJP’s allegation came after drama in the Nandigram constituency where the Bengal CM is pitted against BJP’s  Suvendu Adhikari. “We have demanded action against her for violating the model code of conduct,” said Javdekar. 

    A TMC team headed by Yashwant Sinha met Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab and complained that Central security forces are following BJP’s instructions at certain polling centers. The delegation said the Commission must ensure free and fair polls.

    The Congress delegation said that defections induced by illegal means in Assam even before the counting of votes is a new phenomenon. It robs the electorate of the freedom of choice in the election of their representative, they argued. The delegation lso sought an enquiry into how EVMs were loaded in a vehicle belonging to a BJP candidate. The Election Commission informed the delegation that officers stand suspended.

  • EC seeks report over violence during polling in Bengal’s Nandigram

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India on Thursday sought a detailed report from the administration in connection with an incident of violence in Boyal area in Nandigram where Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee paid a visit to oversee the polling process.

    The West Bengal chief minister visited several booths across the high-profile Nandigram constituency, where she is pitted against her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP.

    As soon as Banerjee reached Boyal, BJP supporters started chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans.

    Supporters of the two parties then indulged in violence, as TMC leaders demanded re-polling in booth number 7, police said.

    Central forces tried to restore law and peace in the area.

    Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain sought a report from the administration regarding the incident outside a polling booth in Boyal area, and the death of a person in Keshpur area earlier in the day.

    A Trinamool Congress worker was allegedly stabbed to death in Keshpur area in Paschim Medinipur district in the early hours of Thursday.

    Polling is being held in phase two of the elections at 30 assembly constituencies in South 24 Parganas, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur districts.

  • ECI bars political appointees in Bengal municipal corporations from work

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Assembly polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has restrained political appointees serving as board administrators of West Bengal municipal corporations, whose term has ended, from discharging their functions until the model code of conduct is in force.

    ECI in its order on Saturday said the decision had been taken to avoid a situation wherein critical functions of the urban local bodies were discharged, thereby affecting a level-playing field during the operation of the model code of conduct or had the potential of giving rise to apprehension in the minds of the voters about the fairness and impartiality of the election process.

    The poll panel passed the order by using its plenary powers under Article 324.

    The Commission directed the Chief Secretary-led committee comprising Principal Secretary, Urban Development, and Principal Secretary Personnel would appoint the government officials to discharge the functions, in accordance with the EC instructions.

    “It is expected of Chief Secretary to ensure a level playing field in all other Municipal Bodies in the State of West Bengal by rigorous reviews of their decisions which can disturb the level playing field,” ECI said in its order.

    The Commission took the decision after it was brought to its notice that the municipal corporations whose terms had ended were being run by the erstwhile chairpersons(s)/mayor(s) who were politically affiliated and had been appointed on completion of their respective elected terms by the Government of West Bengal as Administrator(s)/Head of Board of Administrators.

    Elections to the 294-member state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

  • Bengal polls 2021: TMC MPs meet EC, say free, fair elections in state becoming ‘distant reality’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Alleging that fair elections in West Bengal are becoming a ‘distant reality’, a delegation of TMC MPs met the Election Commission on Friday to register their protest against the poll panel’s reported decision to not permit state police personnel within 100 metres of polling stations.

    The TMC parliamentary delegation, including Saugata Roy, Yashwant Sinha, Md Nadimul Haque, Pratima Mondal and Mahua Moitra, described the Election Commission’s approach as ‘partisan and biased’.

    “It is becoming increasingly clear that free, fair and transparent elections in State of West Bengal is becoming a distant reality.”

    “This is evident from the partisan and biased approach taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in respect of the ongoing elections in the State,” a memorandum submitted to the apex poll panel said.

    “On the first count, it has been reported in media that the ECI has decided to not permit presence of State police within 100 m of polling stations and only deploy Central Forces in such arena. If true, this decision is unprecedented and casts severe aspersions on the reputation of the police administration in the State of West Bengal,” it added.

    The memorandum said this needs to be substantiated at the appropriate level.

    Stating that the ECI’s decision is only for West Bengal and not the other four poll-bound states in the country, the Trinamool Congress said the deployment of central forces should be to help the state government deal with law and order and “not deliberately demonise the state police personnel that have worked under different governments”.

    “Propriety demands that there should be proper coordination between the State and Central forces to ensure free and fair elections and that combined groups of both State and Central Police forces be deployed within 100 m of the polling booths,” the letter by the party said.

    Despite several requests, it said, the apex poll panel had “summarily dismissed the demand for tallying of all VVPAT machines, allegedly on account of the decision of the Supreme Court of India passed in March 2019”.

    According to the party, its detailed submissions on the matter had clearly not been factored in.

    “We urge you to withdraw your decision to deploy only central forces within 100 m of the polling stations. Further, we reiterate our demand to tally 100% VVPAT machines with EVMs after polling is over, to reassure the voters that his/her choice has indeed been recorded, both electronically and physically,” it said.

  • ECI full bench likely to visit Bengal on March 23 to review poll preparedness

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to visit West Bengal on March 23 to review the preparedness for the ensuing assembly elections in the state, a poll official said on Thursday.

    The eight-phase elections to the 294-member assembly will begin on March 27.

    Results will be declared on May 2.

    “The full bench of the ECI is likely to visit West Bengal on March 23 to supervise poll preparations. They will hold meetings with senior officials of the state administration, particularly of those areas which are going to polls in the first phase,” the official told PTI.

    At least 191 candidates have been found eligible for contesting the elections in the first phase, he said.

    A total of 172 nominees will contest the elections in the second phase, the official said.

    The first phase of polling will be held in Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Purba Medinipur (Part I) and Paschim Medinipur (Part I).

    The second phase of polling will be held in Bankura (Part II), Purba Medinipur (Part II), Paschim Medinipur (Part II) and South 24 Parganas (Part I).