Govt must debate SIR, House not running reflects ruling side's weakness: Priyanka
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Mint
19 minutes ago
- Mint
NDA authorises PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda to pick V-P candidate ahead of 9 September polls
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda to pick the alliance's Vice President candidate. The decision was taken during the NDA leaders meeting held in the state capital on Thursday, news agencies reported. Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India issued a notification for the 9 September election to the vice president's post, kickstarting the nomination process. With the Election Commissionnotification, nominations for vice presidential elections begin. The date for filing nominations is 21 August. The nominations will be scrutinised on 22 August, and the last date for withdrawing nominations will be 25 August, as per the schedule issued by the Election Commission. The notification by the Election Commission comes after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on 21 July, opening the contest for his successor. Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022, and his tenure was till 2027. As per Article 66(1) of the Constitution, the Vice President of India is elected by an Electoral College comprising the elected members of the Rajya Sabha, the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and the elected members of the Lok Sabha. According to Articles 63 to 71 of the Constitution and the Vice President (Election) Rules, 1974, the Election Commission had to hold a formal election within 60 days of Dhankhar's resignation and before 19 September 2025. The electorate or the electoral college comprises all members of both Houses of Parliament—elected and nominated—using a proportional representation system via a single transferable vote. The MPs will cast a single transferable vote with a secret ballot. The electoral college currently has 788 MPs, 588 in Lok Sabha and 245 in Rajya Sabha. The ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) has a majority in the electorate, which includes the members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Both the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc are expected to nominate candidates.
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
TMC's Abhishek Banerjee slams EC; alleges bias, voter suppression in West Bengal
TMC leader in Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of compromising its constitutional neutrality and playing a "shameless role" in trying to disenfranchise genuine voters in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of using the EC, judiciary, and media to malign Bengal. (ANI) Speaking to reporters before leaving for Delhi to attend a dinner at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's residence, where opposition leaders are expected to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and deliberate on a joint vice-presidential candidate, Banerjee alleged that the poll body had overstepped its constitutional boundaries to give political advantage to the BJP. "The EC must understand and realise that it is an impartial and unbiased organisation and it has to operate within the ambit of the Constitution," Banerjee said. Alleging that the EC has become a tool in the hands of the BJP, Banerjee said, "Now the EC has taken a shameless role to snatch the voting rights of genuine voters. They are going overboard. The work they have started over the past 3-4 months, when the Bengal election is still 10-11 months away, clearly shows that they are not going to let an elected government function." He claimed that the commission was "actively working" to deny Bengalis their franchise under the guise of voter list revision. "The EC is being used so that the genuine Bengalis of Bengal cannot exercise their voting rights," he said. Also Read: Abhishek Banerjee appointed TMC's leader of party in Lok Sabha, says Mamata Taking a dig at a recent controversy, Banerjee added, "Yesterday, I saw a report that a residential certificate had been issued under the name of Donald Trump in Bihar. You should ask the Election Commission about it instead of shooting questions at us." He continued, "You should ask the Chief Election Commissioner why Donald Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India. Or maybe, when Mr. Trump comes to cast his vote in Bihar elections, he will be in a suitable position to answer this question." The Diamond Harbour MP alleged that the commission's actions were aimed at tilting the field in favour of the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls in West Bengal. "The EC's responsibility begins only when the Model Code of Conduct is in place. After that, it can take over the state's civil and police administration to ensure a free and fair election. But what it is doing now, months ahead of the polls, shows it is working to benefit the BJP," Banerjee said. He further accused the commission of bypassing the elected state government, which he said was accountable only to the people of Bengal. "This government was voted to power in 2021 by 12 crore people of Bengal. It is committed and accountable to them, not to any political party or the Centre," Banerjee asserted. The TMC leader also accused the BJP of orchestrating a broader campaign to malign the state and its people by using the Election Commission, judiciary, and certain sections of the media. "They have denied Bengal its rights and misused the judiciary. They used a section of the media to defame Bengal by using a case like Sandeshkhali. Now they are using the EC so that genuine Bengalis cannot vote," Banerjee alleged. He also criticised the Union government for allegedly blocking funds under key welfare schemes. Also Read: Bengal: Abhishek to address 9,000 TMC workers as BJP begins 4-day strategy meet "The Centre has stopped even drinking water funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Water is life — yet they've blocked that too. This is not just about 100-day wages, housing, or GST dues anymore," Banerjee alleged. He also claimed that since the TMC returned to power in 2021, over 50 CBI probes have been initiated by various benches of the Calcutta High Court. "This is being done under Central pressure to harass the government and weaken the TMC," he said. Referring to last year's controversy at RG Kar Medical College, Banerjee said, "Despite the smear campaign, Kolkata Police solved the matter in 24 hours. The CBI has done nothing even after a year." He warned that those attempting to malign Bengal for political gains would be defeated again. "They were taught a lesson in 2021 and 2024. They will be taught another in the coming days," he said.
The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Poll authorities fault me for their mistake by issuing me notice for 2 EPIC numbers: Tejashwi
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday (August 7, 2025) said that he has not received any notice from the Election Commission over two EPIC card episodes. The former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister also claimed that 'a good reply' was being drafted for the notice, sent last week, which would 'leave them with nothing to say'. 'They are trying to fault me for their own mistake. Whose lapse is it if two EPIC numbers have been issued in my name? After all, I have been casting my vote from only one place,' Mr. Yadav added. His statement has come following a reminder notice sent by the Electoral Registration Officer ( ERO) of the Digha Assembly seat. ERO in the reminder notice had asked him to provide the EPIC card, which he had shown during a press conference on August 2, claiming that his name was missing from the draft rolls published after the first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ended. ERO has asked Mr. Yadav to hand over the EPIC card by August 8, 2025. Soon after his claim, the ECI had said that Mr. Yadav was making 'baseless' claims and furnished the extract of the draft roll where his name was present. Claiming that many other well-heeled persons, including senior bureaucrats, had their names struck off in the draft rolls published as part of the Special Intensive Revision, Mr. Yadav had cast serious doubts on the efficacy of the mammoth exercise which, he has been alleging, was 'an attempt to help the ruling BJP-led NDA in the upcoming Assembly elections in the State'. (With inputs from PTI)
