The Election Commission on Saturday gave a clean chit to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the allegation that he had violated secrecy of voting by entering the enclosure of the Electronic Voting Machine in one of the polling booths in Amethi on May 7.
62-year-old Sampath will take over as CEC after incumbent S Y Quraishi demits office on June 10.
Unlike the past when G V G Krishnamurthy, J M Lyngdoh, R Peri Sastry, H S Brahma, and V S Sampath held positions in the ECI representing all corners of India, this ECI will be North India-centric.
Find out when your constituency goes to poll
The confrontation between the Election Commission and the West Bengal government escalated by a few notches on Tuesday, with Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath asking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to transfer five superintendents of police and one district magistrate (North 24-Parganas) by 2.30 pm on Tuesday, after Opposition parties complained against these officers and accused them of being biased.
Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath on Thursday said that any offensive material on social media during election period will be strictly dealt with.
The Election Commission on Friday announced the schedule for assembly elections in five states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held from April 7 to May 12 spread over nine days in the highest number of polling days so far involving an electorate of 81.4 crore, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.
The Election Commission on Thursday removed Meghalaya police chief Kulbir Krishan following complaints against him in order to ensure free and fair state assembly polls on February 23.
Voicing concern over the announcement of direct cash transfer scheme after the Model Code of Conduct had been implemented, the Election Commission has directed the government to keep in abeyance its implementation in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh where the poll process is going on.
The Election Commission has rejected a demand to make mandatory the filing of affidavits by candidates in the Presidential poll disclosing their assets and criminal record, if any.
The Election Commission on Tuesday cautioned Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar against misuse of official machinery for political purposes in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The Verma panel's recommendation for disqualification of candidates against whom criminal charges have been framed has found little favour with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar who instead wants fast-tracking of such cases, preferably to be decided by a lower court within 18 months.
The Election Commission on Friday said it would like criminal candidates as well as those facing charges of heinous crime to be 'immediately' debarred from contesting elections.
Assembly elections in Tripura will be held on February 14 and in Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 23 and their results will be out on February 28, the Election Commission announced on Friday.
Karnataka Assembly election will be held in a single phase on May 5 and counting of votes will be on May 8, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said on Tuesday that the Election Commission would "dispassionately" examine Rahul Gandhi's speech made at Indore on October 24, stating that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was in touch with victims affected by the Muzaffarnagar riots.
Certification of Election of Pranab Mukherjee as President of India has been handed over to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.
The Election Commission decided Monday to issue a notice to Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela for allegedly making hate speeches while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat.
The Election Commission on Wednesday rejected Janata Dal leader Subramanian Swamy's petition for de-recognition of the Indian National Congress on the plea that it violated rules for registration by loaning Rs 90 crore to a company.
The Election Commission arrived in Gujarat on Sunday on a routine visit ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year, official sources said. The commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, Election Commissioner H S Brahma, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi and other officials, arrived in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening.
Congress's Sampath Raj was elected the 51st Mayor of Bengaluru while Janata Dal-Secular's Padmavathi Narasimhamurthy, the deputy mayor.
The dates for the crucial assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have been finalised and will be announced by the Election Commission on Wednesday.
The decision was taken at a full commission meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, and communicated to the Union Cabinet, which met to take a call on the matter.
Making the electoral process inclusive and giving voting rights to the maximum number of citizens is worthy cause to make our democracy better, says Col Anil Athale.
Aditi Phadnis profiles V S Sampath, India's newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner.
President Pranab Mukherjee made the appointment filling a vacancy caused by the elevation of V S Sampath as Chief Election Commissioner after S Y Quraishi demitted office.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday complained to the Election Commission against Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma's remarks on minority sub quota, asking the poll body to book him for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. A BJP delegation comprising Jagat Prakash Nadda, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shahnawaz Hussain, along with R Ramakrishna, convener of the party's election cell, met Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi and ECs V S Sampath and H S Brahma.
The schedule for the Presidential election is likely to be announced by Tuesday evening.
The announcement on Presidential election schedule is due shortly, new Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath on Monday said.
The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will go to polls in November and December respectively.
The Election Commission has virtually disfavoured Team Anna's electoral reform proposals saying its demand for 'Right to Recall' will bring instability while 'Right to Reject' will lead to more frequent elections.
The Election Commission on Wednesday put a lid on the standoff with Law and Minorities Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid after he expressed regrets over his "defiance" of the poll body over his remarks on subquota for minorities in government jobs in Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Saturday demitted office at the end of his six-year tenure.
The full bench of the Election Commission will visit West Bengal on Thursday to oversee the poll preparedness for the last three phases of the assembly polls. Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and the other two Election Commissioners V.S. Sampath and HS Brahma will arrive in Kolkata in the morning and hold meeting with the representatives of the political parties.
The schedule for the Bihar assembly polls, which will be held in five phases, is likely to be announced by Saturday. Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and Election Commissioner V S Sampath held detailed meetings with Home Secretary G K Pillai and chiefs of central police organisations to discuss the deployment of forces in the state during the polls.According to sources, the poll schedule is almost ready and it is being given its final touches.
There was no move to advance elections to the assembly in Kerala which would be held in the mid-May next year, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said on Tuesday.
Former Union Minister and Congress candidate from Chhota Udepur, Naranbhai Rathwa, has approached the Election Commission taking objection to the shooting of Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation's campaign involving megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
Former secretary in the Union ministry of energy, Hari Shankar Brahma, was appointed as the new Election Commissioner on Wednesday.
The Election Commission on Thursday justified the decision to deny permission to Narendra Modi's rally in Varanasi city and came to the defence of the district magistrate whose removal is being demanded by the Bharatiya Janata Party.