Latest news with #KarnatakaStateElectionCommission
Hans India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Cong delegation submits complaint on ‘election fraud'
Bengaluru: A delegation of Congress leaders, led by party's Karnataka unit President D.K. Shivakumar who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, on Friday submitted a complaint to the Karnataka State Election Commission office here regarding 'electoral fraud' in Mahadevapura and several other constituencies. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, in reply to the representation, asked the Congress party to submit the documents related to the complaint along with the declaration/oath as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, so as to act on the complaint. In a major development to the election fraud allegations, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka V. Anbukumar on Thursday sought a signed declaration from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue. The declaration states that providing false information will be considered a punishable offence. The delegation included KPCC Working President and Rajya Sabha member G.C. Chandrashekhar, BDA Chairman and MLA N.A. Haris, and MLC Basanagouda Badarli. Speaking to media, Shivakumar said: 'We have submitted a request to the Election Commission to conduct a thorough verification of the electoral rolls across the entire state.'When asked about the Election Commission's demand for an affidavit from Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar responded: 'What affidavit do they need? I and Rahul Gandhi ourselves are affidavits. After contesting and winning elections, we've already submitted affidavits. What more do they want? If we are lying, hang us. Has the Commission denied Rahul Gandhi's allegations? They are demanding an affidavit now only to delay things. The data we have was gathered through RTI.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Election Commission mounts pressure on govt to clear decks for panchayat polls
Bengaluru: Already under political pressure, the govt is now facing mounting legal pressure from Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct long-pending zilla (ZP) and taluk panchayat (TP) elections by the end of this year. With the elections overdue since May 2021, SEC has stepped up its legal fight even as rural development and panchayat raj minister Priyank Kharge said the govt is working to hold elections within three months. "We know our responsibility. Steps are being taken to ensure ZP-TP polls in two or three months from now and the notification on reservation will be issued very soon," Priyank said. "We will also ensure that GP polls are held before the due date." You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Two key steps must be completed before elections can be held — delimitation of constituencies and finalisation of reservation. While delimitation across 31 ZPs and 230 TPs has been finalised, reservation notification is still pending. This, despite the govt informing the high court in Dec 2023 that it would complete the process within a month. Its failure to keep that promise prompted the SEC to file a contempt petition in June 2024. In response, the govt submitted an affidavit on Feb 17 this year stating it would complete the reservation notification by May 31, 2025. With the govt missing that deadline too, the SEC revived its contempt petition. The case is expected to come up for hearing next week. "We are serious about the case," said GS Sangreshi, state election commissioner. "We will not just seek legal action against the govt on grounds of contempt of court but also plead the high court to fix the date for the ZP-TP polls." Pressure is intensifying since elections for 5,950 GPs are due in Jan 2026. SEC is preparing to file a separate writ petition seeking the court's intervention to ensure timely GP elections. Panchayat polls carry immense political weight. They are seen as a mini-assembly election since they cover all districts. They serve as a barometer for parties ahead of state elections. The previous BJP govt had delayed polls in the past — initially due to the pandemic. It postponed them again due to the 2023 assembly polls, while the Congress govt preferred to wait until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were over. Now, pressure is building within Congress, with local functionaries demanding polls to push their grassroots ambitions. "Delaying local body elections is not good, as it goes against democratic principles," said BR Patil, senior Congress legislator. "A delay deprives the new generation of politicians of opportunities. This is not good for any party since it is important to nurture leaders at the grassroots level." Local functionaries and aspiring candidates are growing restless, viewing the ZP-TP elections as a launching pad. With the HC set to hear the contempt plea soon, the govt may have no choice but to act — swiftly. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Greater Bengaluru amendment bill gets nod, Election Commission can now prepare voters' lists
1 2 Bengaluru: The state cabinet Thursday approved a series of legislative proposals ahead of the monsoon session, including a key amendment to Greater Bengaluru Act (GBA), a new law targeting the Devadasi system, and significant changes to minority education rules. A major decision was the approval of Greater Bengaluru (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which enables the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) to prepare electoral rolls for polls to the five newly constituted municipal corporations in Bengaluru. The move follows a formal request earlier this month from the SEC seeking powers to draw up the list. In a policy shift, the cabinet cleared changes to the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Recognition of Minority Educational Institutions Terms and Conditions) Rules, 2014, removing the requirement that non-Muslim minority institutions must have at least 50% students from the respective religious community to retain their minority status. This applies to both colleges and technical institutions. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The cabinet approved a landmark legislation — the Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2025 — which seeks to outlaw the Devadasi system, ensure justice for Devadasi women, and protect their children. The bill declares the practice illegal and proposes the formation of vigilance and implementation committees at the taluk, district, and state levels to initiate legal action. The bill guarantees relief and rehabilitation to Devadasi women, including access to healthcare, housing, and other welfare measures. It also provides for the rights of their children, such as access to healthcare, maintenance, and property. Notably, the bill says children of Devadasis will not be forced to declare the name of their father in official documents. "The field for the father's name is not mandatory for submission of any application," the bill states. In another structural reform, the Urban and Rural Planning Directorate will be upgraded into a commissionerate. This will involve amendments to the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987, and the newly enacted Mysuru Urban Development Authority Act, 2024. In support of female education among minority communities, the cabinet approved Rs 87.6 crore for the construction of 15 new women's hostels. This is part of a revised project estimated to cost Rs 398.3 crore. The cabinet also cleared amendments aimed at strengthening the functioning of child welfare bodies. The changes include setting the minimum age for the chairperson at 40 years, and 35 years for members, along with raising the minimum required experience in child welfare from 5 to 10 years. Other reforms include defining quorum requirements and mandating enhanced training for members. The govt also gave the green light to a digital socio-educational survey of the state's population to be conducted by the State Backward Classes Commission. Aadhaar authentication will be compulsory for the exercise. The survey will rely on electoral rolls previously used during the internal survey for Scheduled Castes sub-quota. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
NDTV
03-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"No Record": Poll Body Denies Congress Leader's Claim Of Forged Voter List
Bengaluru: In a development that adds fresh fuel to the ongoing controversy around alleged voter roll manipulation, the Karnataka State Election Commission has officially responded to a letter from H Nagesh -- the Congress candidate from Mahadevapura, who lost in the assembly elections from the same constituency in 2023. In response to his letter, the Commission has said it has no record of any submission made by him in April 2023 regarding forged entries in the constituency's voter list. In his letter dated July 31, Mr Nagesh had requested a copy of a document he claims to have submitted last year, listing alleged bogus voters in the 174-Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency. He said his team had misplaced the original documents listing forged entries in the voters list. The Election Commission, however has responded saying it has no such document on record and noted that Mr Nagesh had also not filed any petition or appeal challenging the 2023 voter list under relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951. "This office does not have records of any such letter received from you during April 2023 on the issue of electoral rolls," read the letter from the Election Commission. The reply, issued by Joint Chief Electoral Officer Yogeshwar S, also emphasized that statutory electoral rolls are publicly available online and are also handed to all contesting candidates, including Mr Nagesh, at the time. Interestingly Rahul Gandhi has been raising the same issue and has been accusing the Election Commission of failing to act on credible evidence of electoral fraud. Rahul Gandhi will be in Bengaluru on August 5, where he will lead a major protest at Freedom Park against the Election Commission and the BJP.
