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Nilambur bypoll: Second phase of EVM randomisation on Monday

Nilambur bypoll: Second phase of EVM randomisation on Monday

Time of India4 hours ago

T'puram: The second phase of electronic voting machine (EVM) randomisation for the Nilambur byelection will be conducted on Monday under the supervision of the returning officer and in the presence of the general observer and representatives of candidates, chief electoral officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar said.
As part of the preparations for the byelection, a preliminary inspection of EVMs was carried out by authorized engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at the Malappuram district EVM warehouse from Feb 3-7. The inspection took place under the supervision of the district election officer (DEO) and in the presence of political party representatives.
During this process, a thorough functionality check of the machines was conducted.
To verify accuracy, mock votes were recorded on randomly selected EVMs — 1,200 votes on 1% of the machines, 1,000 votes on 2%, and 500 votes on another 2% — with the involvement of party representatives. The tested machines were then moved to the district strong room, and 50 of them were earmarked for training election officials.
The first phase of EVM randomisation was held on May 31 at the district election office in the presence of party representatives. During this phase, EVMs—including reserve machines—were randomly selected from those stored in the district strong room and allotted to the Nilambur returning officer.
In the second phase, the machines allotted in the first phase will be randomly assigned to specific polling stations. CEO Kelkar stated that this process ensures transparency and fairness in the deployment of EVMs.

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Nilambur bypoll: Second phase of EVM randomisation on Monday
Nilambur bypoll: Second phase of EVM randomisation on Monday

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Nilambur bypoll: Second phase of EVM randomisation on Monday

T'puram: The second phase of electronic voting machine (EVM) randomisation for the Nilambur byelection will be conducted on Monday under the supervision of the returning officer and in the presence of the general observer and representatives of candidates, chief electoral officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar said. As part of the preparations for the byelection, a preliminary inspection of EVMs was carried out by authorized engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at the Malappuram district EVM warehouse from Feb 3-7. The inspection took place under the supervision of the district election officer (DEO) and in the presence of political party representatives. During this process, a thorough functionality check of the machines was conducted. To verify accuracy, mock votes were recorded on randomly selected EVMs — 1,200 votes on 1% of the machines, 1,000 votes on 2%, and 500 votes on another 2% — with the involvement of party representatives. The tested machines were then moved to the district strong room, and 50 of them were earmarked for training election officials. The first phase of EVM randomisation was held on May 31 at the district election office in the presence of party representatives. During this phase, EVMs—including reserve machines—were randomly selected from those stored in the district strong room and allotted to the Nilambur returning officer. In the second phase, the machines allotted in the first phase will be randomly assigned to specific polling stations. CEO Kelkar stated that this process ensures transparency and fairness in the deployment of EVMs.

BJP replying to Rahul's Maharashtra poll questions instead of EC confirms match-fixing: Chennithala
BJP replying to Rahul's Maharashtra poll questions instead of EC confirms match-fixing: Chennithala

The Hindu

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  • The Hindu

BJP replying to Rahul's Maharashtra poll questions instead of EC confirms match-fixing: Chennithala

BJP leaders replying to Rahul Gandhi's questions on the 2024 Maharashtra polls instead of the Election Commission of India confirms the "match-fixing" charge, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said on Sunday (June 8, 2025). Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' article, with facts and figures to refute Mr. Gandhi's claims, was published in The Indian Express and the Marathi daily Loksatta during the day. Earlier, top BJP leaders, including party chief J.P. Nadda, had slammed Mr. Gandhi for casting aspersions on the country's electoral process. "BJP leaders are replying on behalf of the Election Commission, which is concerning. It only confirms that match-fixing did take place. Rahul Gandhi, in his detailed article, has exposed how the Maharashtra assembly elections were marred by fraud, manipulation, and a systematic violation of the people's mandate, amounting to a brutal assault on democracy," Mr. Chennithala said in a statement. The ECI must respond to serious questions raised by Mr. Gandhi, who has exposed a "disturbing truth", Mr. Chennithala said while asserting the happenings related to the state polls were not accidental but a meticulously-planned operation. "Maharashtra, once a beacon of democratic values, is now witnessing a deep erosion of those values. The Congress has been consistently following up with the Election Commission, but so far, the responses have been superficial and unsatisfactory," the AICC in charge for the state said. Mr. Chennithala said when the Chandigarh High Court ordered the release of CCTV footage in connection with the Haryana assembly polls, the Union government, with help from the EC, changed the rules and blocked that information. "Why was that done? And for whose benefit?" he asked. The Maharashtra polls involved manipulation in the voter list, large-scale bogus voting and artificial inflation of vote percentages, Chennithala alleged. "In the Lok Sabha election, Congress and its allies won a sweeping mandate. Then how could the outcome reverse so drastically within just five months? This reeks of electoral fraud," he said. The refusal to conduct a mock drill in Markadwadi (where some people sought a repoll after alleging EVM manipulation) itself is a sign that something was being hidden, he added. The BJP and EC are trying to hide the truth but the Congress will pursue it relentlessly till democratic integrity is restored, Chennithala asserted.

"Rahul Gandhi has already accepted defeat in Bihar elections": Union Minister Chirag Paswan
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"Rahul Gandhi has already accepted defeat in Bihar elections": Union Minister Chirag Paswan

Patna (Bihar) [India], June 8 (ANI): Reacting to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's recent statements on elections, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday said that the Congress MP has already accepted defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections which is why he is making such statements. Paswan further said that if Rahul Gandhi needs to find faults in any institution, it should be his own party Congress. '... The problem with Congress and its leaders is that when introspection is needed, they look for excuses for losing elections... If Rahul Gandhi needs to find faults in any institution, it should not be a constitutional institution, but his own Congress party... Blaming the Election Commission, accusing someone of fixing elections, saying that the EVM is faulty, all this shows that Rahul Gandhi has already accepted defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections... After Bihar, these people will lose states like Assam and Bengal,' Chirag Paswan told reporters. Bihar assembly polls will be held later this year. Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar assembly LoP, Tejashwi Yadav, strongly backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the BJP of hijacking constitutional institutions under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule. Speaking to the mediapersons on Sunday, Tejashwi said, 'Ever since Narendra Modi has become the Prime Minister, all constitutional institutions have been hijacked. Before the ECI announces the elections, the BJP IT Cell knows the schedule. We have our eyes on everything. The constitutional institutions must carry out their duties honestly... Everyone needs to stay alert. Everyone knows that all institutions work as a proxy of the BJP.' 'Everyone is working together, not to form the government, but to strengthen Bihar,' he added. Earlier on Saturday, in a post on X, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, referred to the ECI's response to his allegations concerning Maharashtra polls and said 'releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions'. In response, ECI described Rahul Gandhi's Maharashtra election poll rigging as 'unsubstantiated allegations.' 'Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the INC on 24th December 2024 itself, which is available on ECI's website. It appears that all these facts are completely being ignored while raising such issues again and again,' it said. 'Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards the Law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections. After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd,' it added. (ANI)

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