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MYSTERIOUS: The election commission | Mind Blowing Facts

Not a purge, a protection: SC backs EC’s voter drive as a democratic shield

In a judgement that clearly reaffirms some core tenets of election laws in India, the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. It is one of the most important election-law rulings since Lakshmi Charan Sen v. A.K.M. Hassan Uzzaman (1985).…

Newslaundry

SIR verdict: Outcome was apparent; BJP will decide who can vote, says Yogendra Yadav

The Supreme Court has upheld the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Activist Yogendra Yadav strongly criticizes the verdict. He claims the ruling BJP will now determine who can vote. Yadav alleges the court focused on grievance redressal instead of constitutional validity. He believes the decision authorizes the…

The Economic Times

Congress asks EC to postpone Maharashtra SIR exercise amid Ashadhi pilgrimage

The Congress party has requested the Election Commission to delay the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra. This is due to the ongoing Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage and the anticipated heavy monsoon rains. The party fears that devotees participating in the pilgrimage may be absent from their homes, leading…

The Economic Times

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BJP says LoP Rahul Gandhi opposed SIR as he sided with 'illegal infiltrators'

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Election Commission's authority to conduct Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. This decision validates the process as constitutional and essential for fair elections. The BJP criticized Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for opposing the revision, alleging they supported illegal voters.

The Economic Times

Odisha: Rajya Sabha bypoll to seat vacated by Samantaray to be held on June 18

The Election Commission announced a bypoll for a Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha on June 18. Debashish Samantaray resigned from the BJD and the Rajya Sabha, subsequently joining the BJP. The notification will be issued on June 1, with nominations closing on June 8. Voting will occur on June 18…

The Economic Times

SC upholds SIR, says ‘it advances free and fair election’

The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and other states, and the Election Commission of India’s authority to conduct it, ending a legal challenge that had questioned the constitutional basis of the exercise, according to this report in LiveLaw.

Newslaundry

Supreme Court upholds ECI’s Bihar voter roll revision, says SIR ‘legally tenable’

The Supreme Court has validated the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, deeming the process "legitimate and constitutional." The court ruled that the exercise, despite differing from ordinary revision methods, is legally sound and empowers the ECI to ensure accurate voter lists ahead of future…

The Economic Times

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ECI Falta Election Result 2026: BJP’s Debangshu Panda leading with massive margin amid strict security arrangements

Election Commission of India Falta Election Result 2026: Vote counting for the Falta Assembly seat in West Bengal is currently underway, with BJP candidate Debangshu Panda taking a lead. The constituency recently witnessed a full repoll after the Election Commission of India ordered fresh voting over allegations of electoral irregularities…

The Economic Times

EC announces Rajya Sabha polls for 24 seats on June 18

The Election Commission has announced elections for 24 Rajya Sabha seats on June 18. These elections will cover 10 states as incumbents retire between June 21 and July 19. Notable retiring members include HD Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Digvijay Singh. By-elections for one seat each in Maharashtra and Tamil…

The Economic Times

Delhi HC dismisses PIL to deregister AAP, disqualify Arvind Kejriwal

The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea to deregister the Aam Aadmi Party and disqualify its leaders. The court found the petition lacked merit. Leaders had boycotted proceedings in the liquor policy case. The court stated the Election Commission cannot deregister a party. Contempt proceedings are underway for the…

The Economic Times

Why did TMC candidate Jahangir Khan withdraw from Falta just 2 days before repoll?

Why did TMC's Jahangir Khan withdraw: Just days before the Falta repoll in West Bengal, TMC candidate Jahangir Khan abruptly withdrew from the contest, citing a “special package” announced for the constituency and his desire for peace and development in the area. While the TMC called it his “personal decision,”…

The Economic Times

EC orders probe into voting by foreigners in Tamil Nadu polls, 10 held in Chennai

The Election Commission has ordered a probe into allegations of foreign nationals voting in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. Police arrested ten foreign nationals attempting to fly out after noticing indelible ink on their fingers. These individuals, from Sri Lanka, the UK, and Canada, allegedly used fraudulent Indian ID documents.…

The Economic Times

Election Commission to conduct special electoral roll revision in Maharashtra for 9.86 crore voters

The Election Commission of India will conduct a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra. This exercise will involve Booth Level Officers visiting nearly 9.86 crore voters' homes for verification. Political parties will assist to ensure accuracy. The process includes training, house-to-house verification, and publication of draft and final…

The Economic Times

EC rolls out SIR Phase III across India except J&K, Ladakh & Himachal Pradesh

The Election Commission of India has launched Phase III of its Special Intensive Revision exercise. This initiative will update electoral rolls across 16 states and three Union Territories. Nearly 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers will conduct door-to-door verification of 36.73 crore voters. Political parties will support the process through 3.42…

The Economic Times

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MyLifeXP

Could Deleted Votes Have Changed 31 Bengal Seats?

What happens when the number of deleted voters becomes bigger than the winning margin in an election seat? That question is now at the centre of a major political and legal debate in West Bengal after All India Trinamool Congress made explosive claims before the Supreme Court of India. The…

The Economic Times

In BJP-EC's 'chor bazaar', bigger the theft, bigger the reward: Rahul Gandhi's dig at WB govt appointments

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the recent appointments in West Bengal, likening the situation to a 'chor bazaar' orchestrated by the BJP alongside the Election Commission.

The Economic Times

Who is IITian Manoj Agarwal, West Bengal’s new chief secretary, and why is the opposition criticising his appointment?

Senior IAS officer Manoj Agarwal has been appointed as the new chief secretary of West Bengal. This appointment has sparked controversy, with opposition parties alleging political favouritism due to Agarwal's recent role as Chief Electoral Officer during the state's Assembly elections.

Newslaundry

4 tests, 1 question: Did SIR shape Bengal outcome?

On May 4, the BJP clinched 207 of 294 seats in West Bengal. It was historic. So was what preceded it.

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Newslaundry

‘Encounter specialist’ as Bengal poll guardian: When an observer becomes a ‘viral hero’

In a News18 India segment posted on X today, the thumbnail read: “Singham Ki Entry: Kiski Hogi Victory” (Singham's entry: Whose victory will it be?). On one side sat a cutout of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee; on the other, a stylised, cinematic-style photo of IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma racking…

The Independent UK

Key Indian state heads to polls amid controversy over millions losing voting rights

ON THE GROUND: Former government workers and even security officers on election duty are among millions stripped of the right to vote in West Bengal’s knife-edge polls. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports from Kolkata

Newslaundry

Deleted despite documents: Inside West Bengal’s ‘political’ SIR

The run-up to elections in West Bengal has been anything but normal. The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has led to the exclusion of nearly 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls. Of these, 27 lakh were excluded after being placed “under adjudication” over “logical discrepancies” in their documents,…

Newslaundry

Appellate tribunals or a black hole? Where the Bengal SIR goes to bury a ‘second chance’

The Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation, which houses all 19 appellate tribunals set up by the Election Commission in West Bengal, is completely restricted. CAPF and West Bengal Police guard the gates, and no one is allowed in unless the judges have formally summoned them.

Newslaundry

Bengal’s migrant workers caught between ‘ghuspaithiya’ politics and SIR deletions

Md Anikul Hoque, a migrant labourer from Samserganj in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, has waited through many crises. He stood in queues for food, water, and cash during demonetisation in 2016. He worked through the Covid-19 lockdown inside sealed buildings in Odisha “like a thief in a prison” waiting to…

Newslaundry

‘Bid to move us to Bangladesh’: At the Bengal poll booths where every second voter is gone

Gajol SK’s name was deleted from West Bengal’s voter rolls. Now he is afraid of what comes next.

Newslaundry

A father, a beneficiary, ex-BLO: The SIR chaos queue in a Bengal district

Aftab Alam gave his primary school examination at Krishnanath School in Titagarh in 1976. He is 64 now. Today, he was back at the same school. It was not for any reunion, but to prove he has the right to vote.

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