TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has questioned the credibility of the West Bengal assembly polls, accusing the Election Commission of partisan conduct and alleging large-scale irregularities during the elections.
'The current Election Commission functions more like a government department than an autonomous body.'
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has expressed serious concerns regarding the deployment of police personnel to provide security to individuals allegedly connected to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal ahead of the elections, directing the Director General of Police (DGP) to conduct a review and ensure impartiality.
Kerala Police have registered a case against social media platform X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the Prime Minister and the Election Commission of India in a misleading and defamatory manner.
Political parties in West Bengal react to the Election Commission's reshuffle of senior administrative and police officials ahead of upcoming elections, with TMC criticising the move and BJP and CPI(M) welcoming it.
'To attribute motives to the individual election commissioner or the Election Commission as a group is very unfair.'
Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has strongly criticised the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating it is 'focussed more on exclusion' and has 'played havoc with democracy' by disturbing free and fair elections.
'They refuse to be transparent. They refuse to be accountable.'
'One of the principles of the MCC that you should not make hate speeches and create hatred between communities on the basis of religion was violated on a scale that was never seen before.' 'Religious symbols were very liberally used and speeches were made to polarise people on the basis of religion.'
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has formally staked claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, alleging widespread support and opposing the current leadership's "dynastic politics." The main TMC leadership has strongly criticised the Election Commission for granting an audience to expelled members, accusing the BJP of influencing the poll body.
A Ganesh Nadar's close encounters with the Election Commission.
'They have been found wanting in taking stern measures to stop this because the Constitution has given them this authority and the power to ensure a free and fair election in the country.'
Twenty-three political parties and an Independent MP have jointly written to Chief Justice Surya Kant regarding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and other election-related issues, a move spearheaded by the INDIA bloc.
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once told then Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi in 2012, "I will commit suicide," expressing his deep anguish over ministers' "loose talk" criticising the Election Commission's functioning, a revelation made in Quraishi's upcoming book.
This election will be remembered for being the first election where the Election Commission failed to take action on gross violations involving the ruling party that repeatedly used religion, communal slurs, lies and undocumented allegations, observes Ramesh Menon.
Nationalist Congress Party national working president Praful Patel has dismissed claims of a rift within the party, specifically addressing a legal challenge to Sunetra Pawar's election as party president. A national secretary, Sachchidanand Singh, alleged the election was unconstitutional, but Patel stated the letter carries no weight and senior leaders support Sunetra Pawar. The dispute highlights internal dynamics following the demise of Ajit Pawar.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted protection from arrest to psephologist Sanjay Kumar in connection with two FIRs lodged by the Election Commission of India accusing him of spreading misinformation over Maharashtra's electoral rolls through posts on social media.
Following the conclusion of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, election commission officials have transferred the sealed EVMs, VVPATs, and other election materials to secure strong rooms at designated counting centres throughout the state.
The Election Commission has extended the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, and Karnataka, along with Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. This revision involves house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers and changes to draft and final roll publication dates, impacting the voter registration process across multiple states.
'The Election Commission cannot be regulated by the government.'
The Election Commission reports that poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs, and liquor intended to sway voters, have surpassed Rs 1000 crore in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
The State Bank of India (SBI) on Tuesday evening submitted details of electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India in compliance with the Supreme Court order.
Defending the law for regulating appointment procedures of the chief election commissioner and the deputies, the Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would be wrong to assume that the prime minister and the other ministers would act in "bad faith" and against "democracy" because they have a numerical majority in the selection procedure.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
'Why are we deliberately taking apart an electoral system that has worked?' 'There is no answer to that, and there is no data and has never been any on the absurd slander that foreigners are voting here,' asserts Aakar Patel.
The TMC and BJP are clashing over Bengal's food culture, with allegations of potential dietary restrictions adding spice to the West Bengal election campaign.
The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has completed one year, leading to the deletion of nearly six crore voters across 19 states and Union territories. This exercise, which began in Bihar, has faced opposition criticism but was upheld by the Supreme Court. The purification drive has significant implications, including linking voter data to social security benefits in some states.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee has commented on the Supreme Court judgment regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, emphasising its specific application to the Bihar case and highlighting the Election Commission's limited authority in determining citizenship.
The Calcutta High Court has appointed a retired judge as a special officer to manage the day-to-day expenses of the Mamata Banerjee-aligned Trinamool Congress (TMC) from three debit-frozen bank accounts. The accounts were frozen following a complaint by a rival TMC faction alleging they held proceeds of crime. The court allowed transactions for party expenses and legal costs, noting that the initial freezing lacked specific material basis and that the complainant had previously benefited from these accounts.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections saw a high voter turnout across 152 constituencies, with nearly 90 per cent of electors participating till 5 pm. Polling was conducted amid tight security, with reports of clashes and intimidation in some areas.
The NCERT's Class 9 Social Science textbook now includes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, explaining its purpose to ensure accurate voter lists. The textbook also commends the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting impartial polls despite challenges, highlighting the scale and autonomy of India's electoral process.
The CPI-M and Congress in Kerala have raised concerns over the delay in the release of detailed polling data from the recent assembly elections.
The Supreme Court of India has upheld the Election Commission's documentation framework for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, affirming the commission's authority and stating that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
The Congress party has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of being "partners in crime" in what it terms "seat chori" (seat theft), following the rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination. The party claims the rejection was based on "flawed and unreasonable" logic, alleging non-disclosure of a criminal case against Natarajan, despite her stating only a legal notice exists.
A clarification by the ministry of external affairs that the passport is not a proof of citizenship has once again brought to the fore the need for a legal framework to provide citizens with a single document to establish they are Indians.
A delegation of NDA leaders in Karnataka has formally complained to the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging "massive irregularities" in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding an immediate inquiry and door-to-door re-verification.
A Congress spokesperson, quoted in media reports, summed up the party's thinking by saying, 'Whenever BJP is in trouble on the ground, a new 'apolitical' or 'alternative' party appears with the same ideology and the same backers.'
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has resigned as the party's West Bengal president and from all other posts, citing a loss of trust after an admonishment from Mamata Banerjee. She has since been seen meeting with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction, further deepening the organisational crisis within the TMC following its recent Assembly election defeat.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told INDIA bloc leaders that despite public anger indicating a win for the opposition, the main challenge is the alleged lack of free and fair elections due to the BJP's control over state institutions. He urged unity and a strategy of 'resistance' against what he termed election 'theft'.
