Election Commissioners

Forced to make emergency landing, CEC spends night at Uttarakhand village

Forced to make an emergency landing in a remote village near Munsiyari due to bad weather on Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar spent the night in an uninhabited house in sub-zero temperature along with two pilots and two poll officials. The helicopter took off on Thursday morning once the weather cleared and reached the Munsyari Tehsil headquarters safely, sources said. Kumar was scheduled to visit the remote polling stations in Pithoragarh and 14 nearby villages to gain first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by the election officials and the electorate in the high-altitude terrain, the sources said. According to Pithoragarh District Magistrate Vinod Girish Goswami, the chopper, which was on its way to Milam Glacier, left at around 1 pm on Wednesday. However, due to the cloudy weather and low visibility, it landed on a helipad in Ralam village, 42 km away, at around 1.30 pm, he said. In the past too, Kumar had explored the remote polling locations in t

Congress' 'Haryana results unacceptable' comment 'unheard' in democracy: EC

The Election Commission on Wednesday dubbed the 'Haryana results unacceptable' statement of senior Congress leaders as "unheard in the rich democratic heritage" of the country and far from a legitimate part of free speech. In a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the EC said such remarks by party leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera move towards "an undemocratic rejection of the will of the people" expressed in accordance with the statutory and regulatory electoral framework. The Commission said it has also noted the statements of Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, terming the Haryana results as "unexpected" and that the party proposes to analyse the same and approach the EC with its complaints. The EC said it has received a request seeking a meeting time for a 12-member official INC delegation, including those who made the "results unacceptable" statement. "Proceeding on a fair assumption that the statement of the party president is the formal party position on the electoral .

EC begins updating electoral rolls for Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, J-K

The Election Commission on Friday said it has initiated preparations for forthcoming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand with updation of electoral rolls in these states. July 1, 2024 will be the qualifying date. For the just-held Lok Sabha polls, the voters list was updated with January 1 as the qualifying date. Qualifying date helps establish number of voters on a given date in a state or in the country. The term of the existing legislative assemblies in the three states are going to end on November 3, November 26 and January 5, 2025 respectively and elections to these legislative assemblies are required to be conducted before the completion of their terms. Besides, assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are also to be conducted for constituting a new house after delimitation of constituencies, the EC said. "Witnessing the huge participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Commission has also directed

Rebuffed attempts to vitiate electoral process with rumours, doubts: ECI

The Election Commission on Thursday dedicated the "violence-free" Lok Sabha polls to Mahatma Gandhi and asserted that it rebuffed attempts to vitiate the electoral process with "rumours and baseless doubts" that could have fomented unrest across the country. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu visited the Raj Ghat, the Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, after presenting the notification constituting the 18th Lok Sabha to President Droupadi Murmu. In a statement, CEC Rajiv Kumar pledged that the EC's service to the nation, now in its 76th year, will go on with "unflinching" dedication. "We rebuffed all attempts to vitiate the electoral process with rumours and baseless doubts which could have fomented unrest. The 'Will' and 'Wisdom' of the common man who has enormous faith in democratic institutions of India have prevailed. We are morally and legally obliged to always uphold the same by conducting free, fair and inclusive ...

CEC Rajiv Kumar, 2 ECs meet Prez Murmu; present details of new LS members

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with two election commissioners on Thursday presented details of newly elected Lok Sabha members to President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. The meeting is part of the process for the formation of the next or the 18th Lok Sabha. CEC Rajiv Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, met the President at 4.30 pm, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. "A copy of the notification issued by the Election Commission of India, in terms of Section 73 of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, containing the names of the members elected to the House of the People following the General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha, was submitted by them to the President," it said. The section mandates "publication of results of general elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies and of names of persons nominated thereto". President Murmu congratulated th

LS polls: EC appoints special observers to ensure level playing field

Election Commission on Tuesday appointed special observers for administrative, security and expenditure monitoring purposes in several states to ensure a level playing field during the upcoming elections. The special observers -- former civil servants with brilliant track record -- have been tasked with overseeing the electoral process with strict vigilance, particularly against the backdrop of challenges posed by the influence of money, muscle and misinformation, the poll panel said. Special Observers (General and Police) have been deployed in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar where the population is more than seven crore and also in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha where the simultaneous elections to the Assemblies are to be held, the poll authority said. Special Expenditure Observers have also been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, it said.

Poll officers can't force electors who refuse' to vote at poll booths: EC

At a time when the Election Commission pledges to leave no stone unturned to bring eligible voters to polling stations to exercise their franchise, not many electors are aware of their right to refuse to vote even after registering their identities before the presiding officer. That right, which is separate from the provision to vote under NOTA, can be exercised under the 'Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 Rule 49-O', which elaborates the little-known option for electors to abstain from voting even after reaching the polling booth. While the NOTA (None Of The Above) option allows voters to express their lack of confidence in any of the candidates seeking mandate, the refusal to vote' option allows an elector to shun the poll process in its entirety. The 49-O clause directs the presiding officer that once an elector refuses to vote inside a booth after having his credentials verified, the officer shall put a remark to this effect against the entry in Form 17A and the signature or thum

SC rejects plea for stay on appointment of new election commissioners

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed applications seeking a stay on the appointment of two new election commissioners. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said it will examine the main petitions challenging the validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Act, 2023. "We are dismissing the applications for stay on the appointment," the bench said. "At the stage, we cannot stay the legislation or suspend it operation. It would lead to chaos and uncertainty and we cannot do it (stay) by way of an interim order. There are no allegations against the new election commissioners," the bench told the petitioners' challenging the new law. During the hearing, the bench questioned the Centre over the procedure adopted for appointment of two new election commissioners. It said the selection committee should have been given more time to apply its mind on the appointment of election ...

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Meet the 2 retired IAS officers appointed as Election Commissioners

Supreme Court refuses to stay appointments of new ECs under 2023 law

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the appointments of new election commissioners (ECs) under a 2023 law that excluded the chief justice of India from the selection panel. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih told the petitioners, who pointed out that a meeting for the selection of ECs was pre-poned, to file a separate application pointing out the fact. Refusing to stay the appointments made in accordance with the 2023 law, the bench said, "Normally and generally, we do not stay a law by way of an interim order." It deferred the hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of two ECs under the 2023 law. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing in the court on behalf of petitioner Jaya Thakur, said when a judgment is passed, there cannot be any transgression. He contended that there was a clear-cut transgression in the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term o

LS polls 2024: Ex-bureaucrats Sukhbir Sandhu, Gyanesh Kumar named new ECs

Former bureaucrats Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have been named as the new election commissioners by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, committee member and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Thursday. Addressing reporters at his residence soon after the meeting ended, Chowdhury said six names came up before the panel for the selection of the two ECs and the names of Sandhu and Kumar were finalised by a majority of members of the high-powered panel. He, however, said the Chief Justice of India should have been part of the selection panel and there was no clarity on how six names were shortlisted from over 200 candidates that are said to have come before the search committee headed by the Law Minister. The six names shortlisted were that of Utpal Kumar Singh, Pradeep Kumar Tripathi, Gyanesh Kumar, Indevar Pandey, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Sudhir Kumar Gangadhar Rahate, all former bureaucrats. "Of the six names, the names of Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir .

Row over appointment of EC: SC agrees to hear plea of NGO on March 15

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on March 15 a plea of an NGO challenging the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from a panel meant for selecting the CEC and the election commissioners. A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms, seeking urgent listing of the plea and said it will be listed on Friday. I just got the message from the CJI that it will be listed on Friday, Justice Khanna said. The NGO challenges the validity of a provision of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023. Under the new law, the selection panel includes the prime minister as the chairperson and the leader of opposition and a union minister nominated by the PM are the two members of it. The NGO has moved the top court after Election Commissioner Arun Goel put in his papers recently.

SC to consider listing of plea on restraining Centre to appoint new ECs

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will consider submission for early listing of a petition seeking to restrain the Centre from appointing new election commissioners as per a 2023 law, the provisions of which have already been challenged in the apex court. Two vacancies of election commissioners have arisen following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement. Send an email. We will see, said the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwla and Manoj Misra. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing by senior advocate Vikas Sigh and advocate Varun Thakur, appearing for the Congress leader Jaya Thakur. The local Congress leader has challenged the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023. In her application, Thakur informed the court that during the pendency of her plea, in which a notice was issued on ..

PM-chaired panel's meet to appoint 2 ECs advanced to March 14: Report

The prime minister-chaired high-powered committee on selecting election commissioners will now meet on March 14 to finalise the names of two new ECs, top sources said. They said that the Law Ministry has sent an amended communication to all panel members for the meeting to be held now at 12 noon on March 14. The meeting was earlier slated at 6 PM on March 15. Two vacancies of election commissioners came about following the resignation of Arun Goel on Friday and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement on February 14. The selection panel is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a Union minister and the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as its members. The election commissioners will be appointed by the president. The sources said the appointment of two new election commissioners is likely to be made by the same day or the next. They said the notice for the meeting to select one EC was earier sent on Saturday afternoon while Goel's resignation was not

EC Arun Goel's sudden resignation led to crisis, says Karti Chidambaram

The sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel has led to a Constitutional crisis and yet the central government has not given any explanation on the matter, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said on Monday. Speaking to reporters here, Karti pointed that no press conference was held and neither was any reason disclosed about the resignation of a person who held a constitutional post. "In a mature democracy, if a senior constitutional functionary resigns, there will be a press conference or there will be a statement, at the least to disclose the reason behind the resignation. His sudden resignation has led to a constitutional crisis and the government has not given any explanation on it," he remarked. It is a matter of anguish that such a development has taken place just before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, he said. Commenting on devolution of powers and issues such as levy of cess, he said the Centre does not respect the rights of state governments. Referring

Two election commissioners likely to be appointed by March 15: Report

Two election commissioners are likely to be appointed by March 15 to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey and the surprise resignation of Arun Goel, sources said on Sunday. Days before the poll panel is expected to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, Goel resigned on Friday morning. His resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday and the Law Ministry issued a notification to announce it. This leaves Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole member of the poll authority. Pandey had demitted office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years. A search committee under Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and comprising the Home Secretary and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Secretary will first prepare two separate panels of five names each for the two posts. Later, a selection committee headed by the prime minister and comprising a Union minister and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Ad