The Supreme Court stated it has not approved any modifications to Form 6, used for electoral roll inclusion, during the Special Intensive Revision. This observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging alleged unilateral decisions by the Chief Election Commissioner regarding changes to Form 6 and electoral roll revisions in states like Goa and West Bengal, without the concurrence of his colleagues. The court issued notice on the plea, highlighting concerns over collective decision-making within the Election Commission.
Opposition parties in India are demanding the impeachment and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he is running the poll panel as a 'one-man autocracy' following revelations that two Election Commissioners red-flagged issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission of India has defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, asserting that differing views among Commissioners are a normal part of deliberations and all orders carry full legal sanction, following reports of two Commissioners red-flagging issues.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman has voiced serious concerns regarding the Election Commission's functioning, stating that the right to vote is 'at great peril'. He called for the Supreme Court's intervention to address 'disturbing developments' within the poll panel, particularly citing issues like voter disenfranchisement during electoral roll revisions and the controversial appointment process of Election Commissioners.
The Election Commission has removed an additional declaration related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in states where the SIR process is complete. This decision follows internal objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding changes to the form and the process. The EC maintains the declaration was SIR-specific and not an amendment to Form 6 itself.
The Supreme Court resumed hearing pleas challenging the Maharashtra Speaker's decision regarding the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLAs and the Election Commission's recognition of the Shinde faction as the "real" Shiv Sena. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the Shinde camp, argued that the EC has jurisdiction under Article 324 to examine a party's democratic character and organisational structure, especially when the Thackeray faction's constitution was not registered with the poll panel. He emphasised that the Shinde faction's case is based on a split within the political party, not just its legislative wing, citing cadre discontent. The hearing remains inconclusive.
The Election Commission has issued an interim order preventing rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, from using the party name and its "Flowers and Grass" symbol during the upcoming West Bengal by-elections. Both groups have been directed to submit preferred names and symbols by Friday morning for recognition and allotment for the bypolls, as the EC undertakes a substantive determination of the party dispute.
A Ganesh Nadar's close encounters with the Election Commission.
The Election Commission has clarified that its ECINet platform is decentralised, with statutory functions performed only by designated officials, not headquarters staff. This comes after concerns were raised about the centralisation of electoral roll databases. The EC also defended the legality of an additional declaration sought from new voters during the Special Intensive Revision, citing unanimous commission approval and a Supreme Court judgment.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged statutory duty violations and the controversial deletion of 13 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, claiming decisions were made without the concurrence of other election commissioners.
The INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This demand stems from alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The opposition has been protesting for three days, culminating in a sit-in at Rajghat on Thursday, alleging "vote chori" and a "hijacking" of the country. The Election Commission has defended its procedures amidst reports of internal dissent regarding SIR decisions.
The Congress party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging "vote chori" and treason, following a media report revealing that two other Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have accused the BJP, RSS, and EC of undermining democracy, citing concerns over voter list tampering and lack of transparency.
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer has formally requested the Election Commission to modify the ECINet software, seeking greater discretion for Electoral Registration Officers in addressing over 2 crore voter discrepancies.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and actor-activist Prakash Raj joined a protest in Bengaluru, demanding the scrapping of the electoral roll revision exercise and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging widespread voter deletion aimed at disenfranchising specific groups.
The INDIA bloc is escalating its protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, planning further actions and seeking an urgent meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
The Congress party staged nationwide protests, demanding the immediate arrest and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party accused the Election Commission of an "unprecedented attack" on voter equality through an alleged 'Mark VIP' feature and called for an independent review of decisions made under Kumar, citing objections from other commissioners regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Hundreds of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters and student activists held flash protests across Connaught Place, Palika Bazaar, and Mandi House on Friday, calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations, which included slogans, placards, and participation from student bodies and Left leaders, led to significant police deployment, disruption of commercial activity, and the detention of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. Police had denied permission for the planned 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march, citing prohibitory orders.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited India, Germany, Qatar, and Turkiye, among others, to present their bids for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games to its Future Host Commission next month. Ahmedabad is India's preferred city for the mega-event, with negotiations led by the Indian Olympic Association in collaboration with the Gujarat government and Union Sports Ministry. The host will be announced in mid-2029, following a streamlined selection process focusing on venue master-plan, funding, public support, and athlete experience.
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.
When it pretends to be deaf, a situation can snowball into something it cannot contain. The government cannot dismiss public anger merely because protests are inconvenient or politically embarrassing, asserts Ramesh Menon.
The Supreme Court has questioned the Election Commission's decision to allot the Shiv Sena's bow-and-arrow symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction, asking if the possibility of denying the symbol to both factions was adequately considered. The court also raised concerns about using legislative majority as a test while disqualification proceedings against MLAs were pending. The Shinde faction argued for the validity of the legislative majority test, citing significant vote share and legal precedents.
Thousands of young men and women, joined by prominent personalities, protested at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar despite police denial of permission. Organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the agitation highlighted concerns over transparency in CEC appointments and alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions.
The Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that over 37 lakh appeals concerning deletions or inclusions in West Bengal's electoral rolls remain pending under the Special Intensive Revision. The apex court-appointed tribunals have disposed of only a fraction of the 38.20 lakh appeals filed, prompting the Supreme Court to seek data and a plan for streamlining the adjudication process.
The Bombay High Court's Goa bench has ruled that draft electoral rolls cannot be the sole basis for deleting names from voter lists, asserting that administrative software cannot supersede statutory laws. The court questioned the Election Commission of India's authority to delete voters without a hearing, highlighting concerns over the ERONET system's limitations and its potential to disenfranchise citizens.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who subsequently joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The court affirmed that resignation and disqualification are distinct constitutional processes, upholding the Speaker's acceptance of the resignations and stating that the Speaker was not required to inquire into motives.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea on October 28 regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi's electoral roll. Petitioners seek transparency from the Election Commission on voter deletion reasons and a simplified re-inclusion process for those omitted, especially concerning Form 6. The court had previously raised concerns about "mechanical" notice issuance during the SIR, which led to 47 lakh voter deletions in Delhi.
Karnataka's final electoral roll, published on Tuesday, shows a significant reduction of nearly one crore voters following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, bringing the total count to 4.55 crore from 5.54 crore.
The UN human rights office expressed concern over mass detentions during protests in Delhi on Saturday, urging India to respect peaceful assembly rights and release detainees. India rejected these concerns as "misplaced" and "unwarranted interference." The protests, organised by the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanded electoral reforms and the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter list manipulation, which the Election Commission and BJP deny.
'The Election Commission cannot be regulated by the government.'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged CEC Gyanesh Kumar to resign and turn approver, stating the opposition's fight is against the "bigger powers" behind him.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding a plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 12 other opposition leaders concerning alleged large-scale voter deletions and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) irregularities.
The INDIA bloc has formulated a joint action plan to address the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row and concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Following a meeting of key opposition leaders, the alliance announced a series of "save democracy" marches, demonstrations, and a march to the Election Commission, demanding a return to ballot papers for elections and alleging electoral malpractices by the ruling government.
The Union home ministry has extended the deployment of 273 Central Armed Police Forces companies in Delhi until October 31, anticipating potential "flash protests" from political and other groups across the national capital.
The TMC has challenged the BJP to win the Falta assembly seat in West Bengal, where a re-election has been ordered due to electoral offences. The TMC has dared the BJP to deploy its full resources, including top leaders and central forces, while expressing confidence in the electorate's support.
A Delhi court has revived a legal challenge concerning Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's electoral roll inclusion, quashing a magistrate's previous order and mandating a fresh, reasoned hearing on allegations of pre-citizenship voter registration.
A curative petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the September 23 split verdict on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The petition, filed by Jaya Thakur, alleges a "reasonable apprehension of bias" due to claims that Justice Satish Chandra Sharma's son is a standing counsel for the Election Commission, raising questions about judicial propriety.
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.
The Supreme Court on Sunday directed that people gathering peacefully should not be illegally detained and issued a notice to the Centre regarding alleged violations of its earlier order during a CJP protest in Delhi. The court also asked the Solicitor General to ensure normal metro services and no internet disruption, while addressing concerns about widespread detentions and transport closures.
The Congress party has launched nationwide protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his removal. Accusing him of acting in favour of the BJP and citing alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions (SIR), party workers burned effigies and clashed with police. Opposition parties plan further action, including a meeting of the INDIA bloc to strategize for his ouster.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he has 'undermined' voter rights by excluding over 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
