With the Election Commission (EC) facing flak from some quarters for announcing eight-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal, officials on Friday said the polling had to be spread out due to festivals, the movement of security forces and an increased number of polling stations keeping in mind the Covid protocols.
"We, in the Election Commission, have not yet discussed the final dates, but it will be held between April 8 and May 15," Quraishi said after delivering a lecture on 'J&K Elections 2008', at the India House in London on Tuesday evening. General election in India is the largest electoral exercise in the world involving 671 million voters.
While many communities held cultural annual conventions over the Independence Day weekend, in New York, leaders of over a dozen minority communities met at the Dalit and Minority Convention and offered a reminder to the upper castes
India's shooting ace Apurvi Chandela attained the World No 1 position in the women's 10m air rifle event while compatriot Anjum Moudgil rose to second.
Both sides created chances in the first half but it was SCEB who converted them and deservedly headed into the break with a two-goal cushion.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said like the Indian Cricket Board, AIFF can also be asked to frame an amended constitution incorporating the suggestions of the Delhi high court.
Two civic officials have been suspended in connection with the collapse and an offence has been registered against the building owner, an official said.
In Khushwant Singh photographer Mustafa Quraishi found a grandfather he always wanted.
In Khushwant Singh photographer Mustafa Quraishi found a grandfather he always wanted.
'In the Uttar Pradesh election last time, there were four presiding officers who had a heart attack on the day of the poll. It is a high pressure job and we must compliment our bureaucracy,' says former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi who headed the Election Commission in the 2009 general election.
'Hopefully, the new majority government will give the country a fool-proof electoral system,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The court had appointed former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi as the administrator-cum-returning officer to conduct the fresh polls to the sports body.
The three-member Election Commission met on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and discussed the letter from Y S Vijayalakshmi, YSR Congress honorary president, seeking a direction from the Commission for her son's release.
The Prime Minister's Office has sought clarity on a Rs 57-crore project of Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi to establish an India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management at Dwarka in New Delhi as the Cabinet note did not contain comments from various union ministries.
"You love democracy and hate politicians, this is not possible" -- quipped Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Tuesday as he heaped praised on the country's political leaders, noting that because of their policies India is marching towards becoming a super power.
62-year-old Sampath will take over as CEC after incumbent S Y Quraishi demits office on June 10.
Dozens of statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and numerous that of elephants (which also happens to be ruling Bahujan Samaj Party's election symbol) in and around parks and memorials built by her in Lucknow and Noida were being hurriedly veiled from Monday morning by officials in pursuance of the Election Commission's order.
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.
Government has floated a proposal to bar from elections candidates facing charge sheet for heinous offences one year before elections.
Lauding the Election Commission for its 'bold' decision of scrapping the Rajya Sabha poll in Jharkhand, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha has asked it to get a thorough probe conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other agency into the events since the start of election process.
"The Commission is satisfied that the current election process for Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand has been seriously vitiated and cannot be permitted to proceed," the 3-member EC headed by Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said in a 12-page order.
The government may come into confrontation with the Election Commission over its attempt to curb the latter's immense authority to almost take over all administration powers through the Model Code of Conduct during the elections.
The Election Commission on Tuesday said it has not yet taken a decision on the letter of Law Minister Salman Khurshid regretting his controversial remarks on the minorities sub-quota issue.
Terming as "irresponsible" remarks of political parties criticising its orders, the Election Commission on Wednesday said if they feel heat of its directive, "it is their problem".
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday complained to the Election Commission that Congress leader and Union Minister Salman Khurshid had violated the model code of conduct by promising nine per cent sub-quota for backward Muslims in Uttar Pradesh if voted to power.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi talks to Kavita Chowdhury on the need to speed up electoral reforms.
The Election Commission on Saturday announced the dates for the Assembly elections to be held next year in five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
Elections to the 40-member Legislative Assembly in Goa would be held today, where 10.25 lakh voters will decide the fate of 215 candidates, including nine women and 74 independents in the fray.
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.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday night sought to cap the stand-off with the Election Commission over his Muslim sub-quota remarks by writing a letter to the poll body in which he is understood to have said that he has all the respect for the constitutional authority.
A controversy broke out on Monday over the transfer of a poll observer, an IAS officer, who allegedly ordered the stopping of a motorcycle rally of Congress campaigner and Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra on the charge of violating the model code of conduct.
The first batch of 900 pilgrims on Thursday left for Jeddah in three flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to attend the annual Haj pilgrimage.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to postpone assembly elections in Uttarakhand in view of heavy snowfall in many parts of the hill state and also sought removal of certain officials from key positions in Uttar Pradesh said to be close to ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Monday rejected social activist Anna Hazare's demand for right to recall or reject saying the move would endanger political stability in the country.
Did Team Anna member and Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal commit a criminal office when he appealed to Hisar voters not to vote for the Congress in the by-polls?
Describing Afghanistan as a sovereign country that has a right to have bilateral relations with any nation that it chooses, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Quraishi has said that Islamabad cannot hold a grudge against Kabul for having ties with New Delhi.
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam is likely to be the Election Commission of India's brand ambassador in a bid to increase voter turnout in the coming assembly polls in Bihar. Official sources in the state election commission told rediff.com that they has recommended Kalam as brand ambassador.
Animal rights body People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Friday appealed to the Election Commission to allow it to use the covered up elephant statues in Uttar Pradesh as a platform to expose cruelty against jumbos in circuses. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, PETA urged him to request the Uttar Pradesh government to open the city's parks for them.
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