Latest news with #StateElectionCommission
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Adv Asim Sarode opposes reusing assembly voter lists in local polls
Written by Shubham Kurale Advocates Asim Sarode and Shriya Awale have raised concerns about the state government's plan to reuse voter lists from last year's legislative assembly elections for the upcoming local body elections, calling the decision a continuation of 'corrupt electoral practices'. The concern was raised when the State Election Commission (SEC) requested to use the same voter lists that were employed during the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. 'These lists have already been questioned in multiple court cases, with documentary evidence suggesting irregularities. Using the same voter lists would be repeating a corrupt experiment that relies on bogus voter information,' said Sarode. 'While the SEC handles the local body elections, they are required by law to use the final electoral roll prepared by the Central Election Commission. The scale of legal challenges to last year's state assembly election is unprecedented. Out of 288 assembly constituencies, around 100 seats have had their results challenged in the High Court through election petitions,' added Sarode. Moreover, a discrepancy in voter registration numbers was alleged during the press conference. 'The state had 9.73 crore registered voters in the 2024 legislative assembly elections, while the voter registration that followed was 9.80 crore. So if the old list is used, as many as 7 lakh new voters will be deprived of exercising their right to vote,' said Awale. The advocates alleged that the election officials were instructed to bypass the legally mandated procedures mentioned under the Voters Registration Rules of 1960 about adding or removing names from voter lists, compromising the transparency. 'Maintaining the same voter lists in the upcoming local body elections in which they were changed or prepared in such an opaque manner is a fraud on honest citizens in broad daylight. It would be a betrayal of the Constitution,' added Sarode. (The author is an intern at The Indian Express)
News18
3 days ago
- General
- News18
Over 7 Lakh New Voters May Be Unable to Vote In Maharashtra's Local Body Polls. Here's Why
Last Updated: As per the law, local body elections must use the final electoral roll prepared for the most recent assembly polls, leaving out those who registered after 2024 As Maharashtra gears up for its long-pending local body elections, a key concern has emerged—lakhs of newly registered voters may not get the chance to vote. Following a Supreme Court directive clearing the path for civic elections, the State Election Commission has begun its preparations but officials say the voter list used in the last assembly elections will be reused for these polls, as per rules. This could leave out over seven lakh new voters who registered after the 2024 assembly elections. Several of these new voters—many of them first-time youth voters—had hoped to cast their votes in the upcoming municipal and panchayat polls, dates for which haven't been fixed yet. But as per the law, local body elections must use the final electoral roll prepared for the most recent assembly polls, and not a freshly updated list. The State Election Commission has already written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, asking for a copy of this final voter list. Ministry sources confirm that the request has also been forwarded to the Election Commission of India, and the list is likely to be handed over soon. Apart from the voter list, the commission has also asked for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) required to conduct the polls. Sources say that during the assembly elections, nearly one lakh EVMs were used. Given the large number of local bodies across Maharashtra, including municipal corporations, councils, and zilla parishads, officials may need additional EVMs, possibly sourced from other states. At present, Maharashtra has around 9.8 crore registered voters, up from 9.73 crore during the last assembly elections. With nearly seven lakh new additions, their exclusion is being seen as a missed opportunity, especially at a time when young voter participation is being encouraged. While preparations are in full swing, the final election schedule is yet to be announced. Until then, the number of excluded new voters may continue to grow. The development has raised concerns among citizens and civil society groups, who have called for a more inclusive approach to ensure every eligible voter gets a say in local governance—the closest form of democracy in action. First Published: June 05, 2025, 11:36 IST
DW
5 days ago
- General
- DW
Polish presidential election outcome a blow to government – DW – 06/02/2025
Right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential runoff by a whisker. The result is a bitter blow for Donald Tusk's pro-European government. Poland's State Election Commission announced on Monday morning that the right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki had received 50.89% of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, putting him marginally ahead of his liberal-conservative, pro-European rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, on 49.11%. Nawrocki will be inaugurated in August, succeeding President Andrzej Duda, who, after two terms in office, was no longer able to run for president. Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian from Gdansk, was nominated by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. PiS presented Nawrocki as a non-partisan, independent "citizens' candidate" although his campaign was paid for and organized by the party and his program aligned with that of PiS. "We have succeeded in uniting the entire patriotic camp," said Nawrocki, who went on to say that a "Poland without migrants" was his political objective. "We won because we were right," added PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Supporters of the Confederation Liberty and Independence party, which has an ultranationalist and an economic libertarian wing, also voted for Nawrocki. Most supporters of Grzegorz Braun, a hard-right, antisemitic politician, backed Nawrocki at the ballot box, too. Bitter blow for the government Trzaskowski was the candidate of the liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The 53-year-old mayor of Warsaw was also backed by other parties in the ruling coalition, the Third Way (TD) and the New Left. His surprising defeat is a major blow for Tusk's government. During his election campaign, Nawrocki made no bones of the fact that he intends to continue President Duda's policy of obstructing the government. In the 18 months since Tusk returned to power, Duda has often used his veto powers to block government reforms, especially those relating to the restoration of the rule of law. The outcome of the election is a massive blow to the government of Donald Tusk (right) Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/AFP/Getty Images "Nawrocki will apply the handbrake in terms of domestic policies and will make life difficult for the government," political scientist Barbara Brodzinska-Mirowska told broadcaster TVN on Sunday evening. Where does Nawrocki stand on key foreign policy issues? It is also likely that Nawrocki will narrow the government's room to maneuver in terms of foreign policy. According to the constitution, the Polish president is not only commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he also has a say in foreign policy. Nawrocki's stance on core foreign policy issues clashes with those of the government. During his election campaign, he spoke out against Ukraine joining NATO and in favor of attaching conditions to the country's EU accession. In terms of security, the president-elect favors relying on the US, is a euroskeptic and mistrusts Berlin. He also wants to continue efforts to get Germany to pay war reparations to Poland. "Poland is facing the Hungarian scenario," said sociologist Robert Sobiech, who warned that with Nawrocki, Poland will distance itself from Europe, as Hungary has under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that PiS could — together with the ultra-right Confederation Liberty and Independence party — return to power in 2027. An emotional roller coaster Both candidates were on an emotional roller coaster from the moment the polling stations closed at 9 p.m. CET. The first exit poll indicated that Trzaskowski (50.3%) had a wafer-thin lead over Nawrocki (49.7%). Mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski (pictured here casting his vote on Sunday) came a very close second Image: Petr David Josek/AP/picture alliance "We've won!" declared Trzaskowski, who promised to start implementing his program "like a torpedo" and pledged to extend a hand to all those who voted for his opponent. But the euphoria in his team didn't last long. Another poll released two hours later, which included the results from some polling stations, reversed the predicted outcome. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski. Numerous scandals did not stop Nawrocki In recent months, the media have made a series of major accusations against Nawrocki, who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) since 2021. He was accused of having had ties to people in the hooligan scene and the criminal underworld and of having bought a social housing apartment from a destitute, alcohol-dependent man by dishonest means. Nawrocki admitted taking part in a pre-arranged mass brawl between the fans of two rival football clubs. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski Image: Muhammet Ikbal Arslan/Anadolu/picture alliance The online platform ONET claimed that while working for a security company as a student, Nawrocki organized prostitutes for guests at a luxury hotel in Sopot on the Baltic coast. But none of these reports derailed Nawrocki's bid for the presidency. Writer Slawomir Sierakowski spoke of the "boomerang effect," explaining that the "intrusive highlighting" of these stories in the media actually strengthened a feeling of solidarity with the candidate. Jacek Nizinkiewicz of the newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Monday called the outcome a "political earthquake." "Things will not calm down after the election. Poland has been so deeply divided for two decades that the new president will not fill in these trenches," wrote Nizinkiewicz. "It is to be feared that the opposite will be the case." This article was originally published in German.
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Presidential election outcome a blow to Poland's government – DW – 06/02/2025
Right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential runoff by a whisker. The result is a bitter blow for Donald Tusk's pro-European government. Poland's State Election Commission announced on Monday morning that the right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki had received 50.89% of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, putting him marginally ahead of his liberal-conservative, pro-European rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, on 49.11%. Nawrocki will be inaugurated in August, succeeding President Andrzej Duda, who, after two terms in office, was no longer able to run for president. Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian from Gdansk, was nominated by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. PiS presented Nawrocki as a non-partisan, independent "citizens' candidate" although his campaign was paid for and organized by the party and his program aligned with that of PiS. "We have succeeded in uniting the entire patriotic camp," said Nawrocki, who went on to say that a "Poland without migrants" was his political objective. "We won because we were right," added PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Supporters of the Confederation Liberty and Independence party, which has an ultranationalist and an economic libertarian wing, also voted for Nawrocki. Most supporters of Grzegorz Braun, a hard-right, antisemitic politician, backed Nawrocki at the ballot box, too. Bitter blow for the government Trzaskowski was the candidate of the liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The 53-year-old mayor of Warsaw was also backed by other parties in the ruling coalition, the Third Way (TD) and the New Left. His surprising defeat is a major blow for Tusk's government. During his election campaign, Nawrocki made no bones of the fact that he intends to continue President Duda's policy of obstructing the government. In the 18 months since Tusk returned to power, Duda has often used his veto powers to block government reforms, especially those relating to the restoration of the rule of law. The outcome of the election is a massive blow to the government of Donald Tusk (right) Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/AFP/Getty Images "Nawrocki will apply the handbrake in terms of domestic policies and will make life difficult for the government," political scientist Barbara Brodzinska-Mirowska told broadcaster TVN on Sunday evening. Where does Nawrocki stand on key foreign policy issues? It is also likely that Nawrocki will narrow the government's room to maneuver in terms of foreign policy. According to the constitution, the Polish president is not only commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he also has a say in foreign policy. Nawrocki's stance on core foreign policy issues clashes with those of the government. During his election campaign, he spoke out against Ukraine joining NATO and in favor of attaching conditions to the country's EU accession. In terms of security, the president-elect favors relying on the US, is a euroskeptic and mistrusts Berlin. He also wants to continue efforts to get Germany to pay war reparations to Poland. "Poland is facing the Hungarian scenario," said sociologist Robert Sobiech, who warned that with Nawrocki, Poland will distance itself from Europe, as Hungary has under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that PiS could — together with the ultra-right Confederation Liberty and Independence party — return to power in 2027. An emotional roller coaster Both candidates were on an emotional roller coaster from the moment the polling stations closed at 9 p.m. CET. The first exit poll indicated that Trzaskowski (50.3%) had a wafer-thin lead over Nawrocki (49.7%). Mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski (pictured here casting his vote on Sunday) came a very close second Image: Petr David Josek/AP/picture alliance "We've won!" declared Trzaskowski, who promised to start implementing his program "like a torpedo" and pledged to extend a hand to all those who voted for his opponent. But the euphoria in his team didn't last long. Another poll released two hours later, which included the results from some polling stations, reversed the predicted outcome. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski. Numerous scandals did not stop Nawrocki In recent months, the media have made a series of major accusations against Nawrocki, who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) since 2021. He was accused of having had ties to people in the hooligan scene and the criminal underworld and of having bought a social housing apartment from a destitute, alcohol-dependent man by dishonest means. Nawrocki admitted taking part in a pre-arranged mass brawl between the fans of two rival football clubs. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski Image: Muhammet Ikbal Arslan/Anadolu/picture alliance The online platform ONET claimed that while working for a security company as a student, Nawrocki organized prostitutes for guests at a luxury hotel in Sopot on the Baltic coast. But none of these reports derailed Nawrocki's bid for the presidency. Writer Slawomir Sierakowski spoke of the "boomerang effect," explaining that the "intrusive highlighting" of these stories in the media actually strengthened a feeling of solidarity with the candidate. Jacek Nizinkiewicz of the newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Monday called the outcome a "political earthquake." "Things will not calm down after the election. Poland has been so deeply divided for two decades that the new president will not fill in these trenches," wrote Nizinkiewicz. "It is to be feared that the opposite will be the case." This article was originally published in German.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UP panchayat polls: SEC floats tenders for 1.28 lakh ballot boxes
Lucknow: As part of its preparations for the three-tier panchayat elections scheduled for 2026, the State Election Commission has invited tenders for about 1.28 lakh ballot boxes. These polls are intended as a precursor to the 2027 state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The state has 57,691 gram panchayats, 826 blocks and 75 district panchayats. E-tenders have been announced by the commission for the procurement of ballot boxes in 67 districts. They are intended to be delivered within four months. "This move aims to strengthen the state's panchayat electoral infrastructure. The ballot boxes should be made of CR sheet grade (cold-rolled steel) CR1— the highest quality steel with superior surface finish, tighter tolerances, and better mechanical properties," read the commission's order. According to the order (public notice) dated May 19, only those firms can participate in the tender, who have supplied goods made of CR sheet grade CR1 worth at least Rs 15 crore to govt entities over the last five years, with an annual turnover of more than Rs 3 crore.
