Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar reveals millions of voters missing or deceased, prompting Election Commission action.
The death of a booth level officer in West Bengal due to cardiac arrest has ignited a political battle between the ruling TMC and the BJP, with accusations of workload pressure and politicization of the tragedy.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission's voters' list cleanup exercise, will commence in nine states and three Union territories from Tuesday.
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to discontinue assistance-oriented schemes based on religious categorisation for Imams, muezzins and purohits from June. The cabinet also approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly support to women from June 1, and granted in-principle consent for their free travel in state-run buses.
The Congress party is seeking one Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand from the JMM and plans to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, according to AICC Jharkhand in-charge K Raju.
The Election Commission is expected to initiate a phased, pan-India special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list, prioritizing states with upcoming assembly elections. This cleanup exercise aims to weed out illegal foreign migrants and ensure accurate electoral rolls.
The Election Commission (EC) clarified that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen is not required to appear for a hearing regarding discrepancies in the spelling of his name in the voter list. The correction will be handled administratively. The EC also issued instructions to ensure timely delivery of notices related to voter list discrepancies.
In its instructions issued to the chief electoral officer of Assam, the poll authority said that "software-based" reports should be generated for 'black and white images', 'not to specification images', 'non-human images' and 'no image' entries.
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to provide details regarding the approximately 65 lakh voters removed from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar, a state preparing for elections. The court's order comes in response to a petition filed by an NGO challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
'Main chunauti deta hun ke ek naam bhi ghuspaithiya ka bataye jiska SIR mein samne aya ho ya delete hua ho (I challenge you to name even one infiltrator who was identified or deleted in the SIR).'
'40 percent of voters in Bihar will be excluded.'
'Rahul Gandhi is not coming to seek votes, but to reach out to people for awareness of their democratic rights.'
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to provide details regarding the 3.66 lakh voters excluded from Bihar's final electoral roll after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The court's direction came after concerns were raised by petitioners about the lack of notice or reasons given to the excluded voters.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
Two teachers-cum-Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Madhya Pradesh died of illness while conducting voter list surveys. Relatives allege heavy workload and pressure to meet targets as the cause. A third BLO is missing.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said it would issue whatever orders or clarifications are required in the matter.
The CEC said the chief electoral officer of Assam will give a factual report in the coming week on various aspects arising out of the publication of the final draft NRC.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserts the BJP will form a government in West Bengal and address the issue of infiltration, accusing Mamata Banerjee of allowing it for vote-bank politics.
The Election Commission has uncovered significant irregularities in Bihar's voter list, including multiple enrollments and probable deaths, during a special intensive revision.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the Congress party of indirectly supporting the BJP in West Bengal, urging voters to reject them in the upcoming elections. He alleged a nexus between the Congress, BJP, and Left parties, claiming that votes for Congress would split the opposition and benefit the BJP.
Amid the passport row, Shashi Tharoor has proposed legal changes to simplify proof of Indian citizenship.
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to address typographical errors and other mistakes in the final Bihar electoral roll. The court will hear further arguments on November 4.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of failing to uphold the 'one man, one vote' principle, citing irregularities in voter lists. He claims the issue is widespread and systematic, with the opposition protesting the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly deleting names from electoral rolls and attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
The BJP has released its first list of candidates for the West Bengal assembly polls, featuring Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee in a high-stakes electoral battle. The Left Front has also announced its initial list of candidates, setting the stage for a crucial election.
Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand has reversed his earlier decision not to seek another term and will contest the election for the FIDE Deputy President's post.
The decision came amid rising concerns in the city's red-light districts over difficulties in completing SIR enumeration forms.
A 57-year-old man was found dead on Tuesday near Siliguri in West Bengal, with family members alleging that he was under stress over the hearing into special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls, the police said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan questioned the attempts being made to implement the SIR in poll-bound Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal while the Constitutional validity of the Bihar SIR process is under consideration by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has permitted the NIA to file its charge sheet upon completion of the investigation into the incident in West Bengal where judicial officers were illegally confined by a mob.
The Election Commission defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for Bihar's voter list in the Supreme Court, calling it accurate and dismissing allegations of impropriety by political parties and NGOs.
In a unique initiative to speed up the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls, the Pilibhit administration has announced a set of incentives, including a family safari and lunch, for booth-level officers who fills up the maximum number of digitised forms in their respective assembly constituencies.
After being wrongly deported and labelled as Bangladeshis, migrant workers in West Bengal's Murshidabad are heading to the polls to reclaim their Indian identity and fight for their right to belong.
Bhabanipur is set to be the focal point of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, with Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari preparing for a high-stakes political battle. The constituency will witness rival processions and symbolic gestures as both parties aim to assert their dominance.
The development came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court's direction that details of the deleted names be made public by August 19 and a compliance report be filed by August 22.
Opposition MPs in India have moved notices in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of bias, misconduct, and acting under the influence of the executive.
The Election Commission has released the final electoral roll for Tamil Nadu, revealing a significant decrease in the number of voters due to deletions and new additions.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to remove the BJP from power in West Bengal and then at the national level, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and criticising the opposition parties.
Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties met the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and raised concerns over its timing, alleging that over two crore voters of the state may be disenfranchised by this mammoth exercise being done just ahead of assembly elections.
Last time, assembly polls in West Bengal were held in eight phases -- by far the maximum. In Assam, elections were held in two phases, and in a singular phase in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
