Results for: Election Commission of India

On Wednesday, the Himachal Pradesh High Court concluded arguments in a petition challenging the appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries. The court has set May 8 as the next date for the hearing. Advocates from both sides have presented their arguments, with the advocate general indicating that the state is hiring senior advocates for defense. Additionally, a complaint regarding derogatory remarks against a BJP candidate has been forwarded to the Election Commission of India, and the BJP’s election manifesto has raised concerns about property and asset security.

The Election Commission has initiated an investigation into allegations of model code of conduct violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The commission has requested responses from both parties by April 29th. Stay tuned for further updates.

Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) have declined to disclose the names and contact details of manufacturers and suppliers of various components used in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs). This response was made to Right to Information (RTI) applications filed by activist Venkatesh Nayak, who sought details on the entities involved in assembling and supplying these electoral devices.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to issue a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a complaint accusing him of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during campaigning in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. The complaint alleged that Modi appealed to vote in the name of religion by referring to the construction of the Ram Temple, development of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, and the return of Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan. However, the ECI has reportedly concluded that these statements do not constitute such an appeal.

The Supreme Court has sought answers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during a hearing on petitions demanding complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The court queried the ECI on whether the microcontrollers installed in EVMs can be reprogrammed and sought clarification on other aspects of EVM operation. Despite the absence of plans to revert to ballot paper, the court indicated its willingness to consider directions for strengthening the EVM system. The court’s move follows concerns raised over the accuracy and reliability of EVMs. Currently, VVPAT slips of a limited number of EVMs are verified, but petitioners are seeking more extensive verification to ensure voter confidence in the electoral process.

Hyderabad South Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police, P. Sai Chaitanya, has been transferred as directed by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI, in a communication to Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, requested the officer to immediately hand over his responsibilities to an official of lower rank, who should not be assigned any election-related work until the end of the Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Secretary, in orders issued on Wednesday, asked the Director General of Police to execute the necessary actions.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified before the Supreme Court that all three units of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) – ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT – have their own microcontrollers which are sealed after the polling is over. This clarification was provided in response to a batch of petitions seeking 100% verification of EVM votes with their Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. The ECI also confirmed that the microcontrollers used in the poll process are “one-time programmable” and cannot be changed later. The top court had earlier ordered the ECI to increase the VVPAT slips from one EVM per Assembly constituency to five and issued guidelines for mandatory verification of VVPAT slips from randomly selected polling stations after completing the final round of counting votes recorded in EVMs.

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India, including the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. The voting for Pathanamthitta will be held on April 26, 2024, as part of Phase 2 of the elections. The results will be declared on June 4, 2024. The key candidates in the fray include Anil K Antony from Bharatiya Janata Party, Dr. TM Thomas Isaac from Communist Party Of India (Marxist), and Anto Antony from Indian National Congress. In the 2019 General Assembly Elections, Anto Antony of INC won the seat with a margin of 44,243 votes.

The Election Commission of India (EC) has announced the dates for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The polls will be held in 7 phases from April 19 to June 1, covering a total of 543 constituencies. The results will be declared on June 4, 2024. In Rajasthan, the BJP won all 25 parliamentary seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, in 2019, the BJP bagged 24 seats while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) managed to secure the other remaining seat. In Kota, BJP’s Om Birla is contesting against Congress nominee Prahlad Gunjal in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court is set to issue directives on pleas seeking complete cross-checking of electronic voting machine (EVM) counts with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips. The Election Commission of India (ECI) maintains that EVMs are tamper-proof and has conducted extensive random verifications. The court has previously expressed skepticism about claims of suspicion but remains open to reviewing EVM performance.