With political parties using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook in a big way for campaigning in Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission has issued detailed guidelines for political advertisements on such platforms that include obtaining certification for contents before putting them in public domain.
Voicing its disapproval, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday ticked off its Bihar leader Giriraj Singh for his 'back Narendra Modi or go to Pakistan' remark even as Congress and the Janata Dal-United complained to Election Commission and demanded criminal action against him.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prahlad Singh Patel, as also former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa and poll strategist Prashant Kishor were among those whose phone numbers were listed as potential targets for hacking through an Israeli spyware sold only to the government agencies, an international media consortium reported on Monday.
The Election Commission will for the first time keep a watch on the spending on social media by the political parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Election Commission on Thursday said it has sought a "factual" report on allegations that Rahul Gandhi, a candidate from Amethi, had violated rules by going to the polling area inside some booths in the constituency during balloting on Wednesday.
Amid strong opposition by BJP to appointment of next Army Chief, the government on Friday said the matter has been referred to the Election Commission and any decision will be taken only after getting its nod.
Irked by his "bribe remarks" made at a poll rally on Sunday, Congress has moved the Election Commission against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal demanding action against him.
The decision has been taken following complaints about large-scale violations of various provisions of the model code of conduct by many political parties and candidates, EC sources said.
Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday registered two cases against Narendra Modi's close aide Amit Shah in Muzaffarnagar for alleged violation of the model code of conduct following a direction of the Election Commission, which has also banned him from campaigning in the state.
Kumaraswamy was asked to reply to the notice by November 30.
While a new formula for pricing of all domestically produced natural gas was notified on January 10 and published in Gazettee on January 17, the Election Commission last month asked the government to defer its implementation till general elections are completed.
Abdullah termed the gag order as an attempt by the EC to please the BJP.
The Election Commission on Saturday asked political parties in Bihar not to publish advertisements that have the potential to create mutual hatred and ill-will among different social and religious communities so that the peaceful atmosphere is not vitiated.
Lalu had visited the EC in Delhi to request for a change in poll dates in Bihar.
Modi has repeatedly attacked Siddaramaiah over alleged corruption, calling his government "seedha rupaiya sarkar" (government that takes bribe for every work) and "10 per cent commission government."
The Election Commission on Saturday announced the dates for the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram assembly polls.
Sharad Pawar claims he is not in a position to name the organisations behind the violence at Bhima Koregaon, 'though active role of right-wing forces behind the violence cannot be ruled out.'
The rally was addressed by BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav.
Assembly elections in 288 seats in Maharashtra and 90 seats in Haryana will be held on October 15 and counting will take place on October 19, the Election Commission announced on Friday.
Lalu has been accused of meeting CRPF officers on the poll eve.
Yadav had moved the top court challenging the decision of Returning Officer to reject his nomination papers from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, saying it was intended to "give walkover" to PM Modi.
The two were transferred for meeting Lalu Yadav.
K J Rao also held a high-level meeting with the district officials on measures taken to check model code violations
Locking horns over who made Delhi polio-free, ruling Congress on Monday moved the Election Commission against Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan accusing him of making "false and distorted claims" on his role in the campaign when he was the Health Minister.
Will appeasement, rising unemployment and her dictatorial style become major obstacles in her path? asks Payal Singh Mohanka.
'For the first time one single party is getting 49% which is a record of its own.'
Rahul Gandhi was ticked off by the Election Commission on Wednesday which expressed displeasure over the "tone, tenor and content" of certain remarks made during the poll campaign and asked him to be more circumspect in future.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had reservations against the holding of assembly polls in the state soon, on Saturday said there was no question of not contesting the elections and "we will put our best foot forward."
The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and railway minister reportedly distributed money to people in Patna on Sunday.
Lalu has said he used his official vehicle only for security reasons.
The Cabinet secretary was asked to submit the report by October 4.
UP BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra said state BJP vice-president J P S Rathore, in a complaint letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, has accused Akhilesh of violating the model code of conduct.
Leaders of 22 political parties had on Tuesday urged the poll panel to ensure paper slips from the VVPAT module are matched before the counting begins so that in cases of discrepancy, all votes in that particular assembly segment can be cross-checked with the paper slips.
Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United General Secretary K C Tayagi said on Monday that there is 'communalism' in Bharatiya Janata Party's DNA which is more dangerous than castiesm.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday approached the Supreme Court challenging Bombay high court's order that held as illegal and unconstitutional the two-member probe panel constituted by it to look into spot-fixing and betting charges in the Indian Premier League as illegal.
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday refuted reports that he wanted Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the Muslim community for his controversial remarks that ISI was having links with Muzaffarnagar riot-hit youths, saying that his comments were twisted by the media.
'If you accept that situation you don't require the judiciary, the criminal procedure law, the Indian Penal Code or even the Constitution because there is somebody who decides who gets to live and who gets to die.'
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