Latest news with #ElectionCommission
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari expresses concern over situation of Matuas and Sanatanis in Bangladesh
Suvendu Adhikari voiced concerns to the Bangladesh High Commission regarding alleged attacks on Matuas and Sanatanis in Bangladesh, emphasizing their ties to Indian residents. He also urged the Election Commission to hold separate West Bengal Assembly elections in 2026, citing a 'terror' environment allegedly created by the Trinamool Congress, further criticizing rising electricity tariffs and water meter installations. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari , on Friday expressed concerns over Matuas and Sanatanis in Bangladesh, who are allegedly attacked and with other MLAs, reached Bangladesh High Commission , to express his concern and informed the Bangladesh High Commissioner about the also said that he has met Bangladesh High Commission, voicing about the torture on the Matua and other Sanatani Vaishnavites in several villages in Bengladesh.'I am not concerned about the internal issues and situation of Bangladesh. I care about the Matua community and the Sanatanis who are tortured there. Many of them are relatives of people who are in India. We have genuine concern about them,' Adhikari were a major vote bank for Left Front, then Trinamool and now BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised in Matua headquarter Thakurnagar that CAA will be community, with more than one crore voters in the state, is spread over Nadia, Coochebehar, North and South 24 Parganas districts bordering Adhikari also urged the Election Commission to conduct West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 separately and not to club it with other states, alleging about the existence environment of 'terror" created by the ruling Trinamool said that miscreants had attacked several BJP workers and supporters while they were heading towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Alipurduar on Thursday. Incidentally,Trinamool goons allegedly vandalised 34 vehicles and injured 22 BJP workers stopping them from reaching the PM's rally, Adhikari claimed. Several buses were vandalized and front glasses broken."The language used by Trinamool leaders against the Prime Minister is unacceptable and undemocratic. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to conduct free and fair elections in West Bengal," Adhikari said. He requested the EC not to club the state's polls with Assam, Bihar or Bengal is scheduled to go to the polls in 2026. In the last 2021 assembly polls, though BJP had set a target of more than 200 seats, the saffron party got 77 criticized the state government over rising electricity tariffs and water meters installed at various locations.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Poll body's 21-point push for reforms: Meet with parties, fewer voters at booths
In a bid to strengthen electoral integrity, enhance voter convenience, and boost institutional efficiency, the Election Commission has rolled out 21 key initiatives within the first 100 days of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar taking the most significant steps is the Commission's renewed engagement with political parties, a move seen as crucial amid frequent criticism from losing parties, which often accuse the poll body of inaction against alleged malpractices by their initiatives mark a proactive and comprehensive push for electoral reform in the lead-up to the upcoming VOTER ACCESSIBILITY & BOOTH MANAGEMENT Polling Station Capacity Reduced: The maximum number of electors per polling station has been reduced from 1,500 to 1,200 to ease Booths in Urban Clusters: Additional booths will be set up in gated communities and high-rise Distance Minimised: The ECI aims to ensure that no voter has to travel more than 2 km to cast their Voter Slips: Voter information slips have been made more user-friendly, with a clearer display of serial and part Deposit Facilities: Mobile phone deposit facilities have been introduced at polling station entrances for voter Canvassing Rules: Candidate booths are now allowed within 100 meters of polling stations, reduced from the earlier limit of 200 ONE-STOP DASHBOARD FOR STAKEHOLDERSadvertisementTo simplify access to election-related services, the commission has introduced ECINET, an integrated dashboard combining over 40 existing apps and websites. This single-window platform will roll out gradually, with full implementation expected before the Bihar Assembly ELECTORAL ROLLS VIA TECH INTEGRATIONAutomatic Removal of Deceased Voters: ECI now receives real-time death registration data from the Registrar General of India, ensuring timely deletion after field verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).First Special Summary Revision Before Bye-Election: This marks a new practice under the Representation of the People Act, POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT4,719 All-Party Meetings: These were conducted at CEO, DEO, and ERO levels with over 28,000 party representatives BUILDING & TRAINING INITIATIVESTraining for BLOs & Supervisors: Over 3,500 officers have been trained at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).1 Lakh+ BLO Supervisors to be Trained: This large-scale training will expand BLO capacity across Batches: Nearly 6,000 more BLOs/Supervisors to be trained by mid-July, with a focus on states like Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal, Kerala, and Assam which would be going for assembly polls in the near MEET POLL BODY TO DISCUSS KEY ELECTORAL REFORMSIn a significant move ahead of the upcoming elections, representatives from several national and regional political parties met the Election Commission of India (ECI) at its New Delhi headquarters to deliberate on critical electoral reforms. The consultation aimed to foster dialogue and build consensus on measures to strengthen the country's democratic meeting witnessed active participation from leaders of major political parties, including the BJP, AAP, Trinamool Congess, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and several others. The commission reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections and welcomed inputs from all issues discussed included curbing the influence of money in elections, enhancing the accuracy of electoral rolls, preventing the misuse of social media during campaigns, and tackling the issue of candidates with criminal backgrounds. A major point of focus was the possible implementation of remote voting technology for domestic migrant workers, a move aimed at promoting inclusive electoral parties raised concerns over transparency in election funding, called for stricter enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, and suggested robust mechanisms to regulate online campaigning. While opinions varied, most participants welcomed the Commission's efforts to initiate direct poll body assured the political parties that their suggestions would be thoroughly examined and incorporated, where feasible, into the formulation of future electoral policies. A detailed roadmap for reform, based on these consultations, is expected to be released in the coming Watch
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kerala government sets up screening committee for election commission approvals during Nilambur byelection
1 2 T'puram: The state govt has constituted a high-level screening committee to expedite the scrutiny and clearance of govt proposals requiring prior approval from the Election Commission (EC) in view of the enforcement of the model code of conduct (MCC) ahead of the upcoming byelection in the Nilambur assembly constituency. An official order issued on Wednesday said the committee aims to streamline the approval process and ensure timely disposal of all proposals falling under the MCC purview. The move is part of efforts to maintain administrative continuity without violating election protocols. The committee, chaired by the chief secretary, will also include the general administration department (GAD) secretary as convener. The third member will be the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary of the department concerned, depending on the subject matter of the proposal under consideration. As per the order, the committee is mandated to meet every Monday at 11am or as and when necessary to examine individual proposals. Only after detailed vetting in line with the MCC manual and compendium of instructions will proposals be forwarded to the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Kerala, who will seek final clearance from EC. Departments have been directed to submit cases to the office of the GAD secretary (convener) well in advance, with a comprehensive note justifying the urgency of the proposal and explaining why it cannot wait until the completion of the election process. Notably, no department will be allowed to send proposals directly to the CEO's office or the EC without the screening committee's recommendation. The order underlines the importance of institutional coordination and adherence to electoral protocols during the MCC period, reinforcing the govt's commitment to a fair and transparent election process.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Election Commission's one-point dashboard to become operational before Bihar election
The new, integrated dashboard developed by the Election Commission (EC) to provide all services for stakeholders on one platform is set to become operational during the current round of Assembly byelections and the upcoming Bihar Assembly election. The new integrated dashboard, named 'ECINET', is aimed at providing all services for stakeholders at a single point, instead of the over 40 apps or websites that exist now. EC sources said that some modules of ECINET will be made available during the current byelection process and by the time the Bihar Assembly election is held, the entire Dashboard will be available for use. Byelections in five Assembly seats in four States would be held on June 19, 2025. The ECINET is among the slew of initiatives taken by the poll body since February this year to standardise poll management amid charges made by Opposition parties over myriad issues ranging from anomalies in electoral rolls to duplicate Voter ID card numbers. It was on February 19 that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assumed office. Some of the other initiatives taken by the EC since then include direct integration of death registration data from the Registrar General of India to enable timely and verified removal of deceased electors from the rolls and training of grassroot polling officers to streamline poll management. The EC has also revised the maximum number of electors per polling station from 1,500 to 1,200. Additional polling booths will be established in densely populated areas such as gated communities and high-rise buildings. The commission aims to ensure that no voter is required to travel more than 2 km to cast their vote. Voter Information Slips have been redesigned for clarity, with enhanced visibility of serial and part numbers. Mobile Deposit Facility will also be set up at the entrance of every polling station, a senior EC official said. The EC has also facilitated 4,719 meetings across the country with participation from over 28,000 political party representatives. These include 40 meetings at the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) level, 800 at the District Election Officer (DEO) level, and 3,879 at the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) level. The commission has also held consultations in New Delhi with leaders of recognised political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and National People's Party, with more meetings with national and State political parties planned after the current byelections. Training programmes have been conducted for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), BLO Supervisors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs). Over 3,500 BLOs and BLO Supervisors have been trained and these supervisors will in turn train the larger BLO network of over 10.5 lakh functionaries.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
EC takes 21 initiatives in 100 days to streamline poll management
In a bid to enhance voter experience and streamline poll management, the Election Commission has launched 21 new initiatives over the past 100 days, officials said on Thursday. These measures, they pointed out, span procedural reforms, training programmes and stakeholder engagement. The measures have marked the first 100 days of the 26th Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, they noted. To improve voter access, the poll authority has revised the maximum number of electors per polling station from 1,500 to 1,200. Additional polling booths will be set up in densely populated areas such as gated communities and high-rise buildings. The Commission, they said, aims to ensure that no voter is required to travel more than 2 km to cast their vote. Voter information slips have been redesigned for clarity on the polling station number. As a significant boost to the convenience of voters, a mobile phone deposit facility will be set up at the entrance of every polling station. Booths set up by candidates will now be permitted just beyond 100 metres from the entrance of the polling station gate as opposed to 200 metres from the polling station premises. To facilitate a simpler user interface, a single-point new integrated dashboard, ECINET, has been developed with the aim to provide all services for all stakeholders at a single point instead of the existing 40-plus applications. The poll panel has also initiated direct integration of death registration data from the Registrar General of India to enable timely and verified removal of deceased electors from the rolls. A special summary revision has been held ahead of a byelection as prescribed in the law. This is the first such exercise to be conducted ahead of a byelection in decades, the officials said. In a move to institutionalise regular interaction with political stakeholders, the EC facilitated 4,719 meetings across the country with participation from over 28,000 political party representatives. The Commission has also held consultations here with leaders of recognised political parties, including AAP, BJP, BSP, CPI(M) and NPP, with more meetings with the national political parties and state political parties planned after the current bypolls. A comprehensive training framework has been developed for 28 categories of stakeholders identified across the electoral process. These modules are based on provisions of the Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951; the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960; and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, along with EC's instructions. Among other reforms, the EC has implemented biometric attendance at its headquarters, activated the E-Office system and held regular CEO-level review meetings. These measures are intended to improve internal coordination and operational efficiency.
