38% of forms filled, EC hails 'smooth' SIR implementation
EC Monday said the enumeration forms received have already crossed the three-crore mark, with over 1.3 crore having landed in the last 24 hours alone. There are 18 days to go for the last date for submission.
Welcoming the "smooth implementation" of SIR on the ground, CEC Gyanesh Kumar told TOI, "All the 77,000 booth level officers and four lakh volunteers as well as 1.5 lakh booth level agents appointed by political parties are working actively as per the orders of SIR dated June 24, 2025".
Another senior EC official added, "There is no confusion in the field and work is smoothly progressing".
EC Monday went pro-active by launching the #ECIFactCheck hashtag on its X handle, to counter the "many misleading news articles/posts relating to EC being circulated on social media". It followed up with counters to posts by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, psephologist-activist Yogendra Yadav and a few YouTubers/journalists, faulting SIR in Bihar. EC refuted Kharge's claim that SIR instructions were changed to clarify that no document is required and only filling the form is sufficient, saying that "SIR is being conducted as per orders dated June 24, 2025".
EC also said the apprehension that 75% of 2.5 crore electors may be disenfranchised was "baseless and misleading".
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Time of India
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- Time of India
In tears, MCM mayor accuses minister of framing husband
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The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
The ECI does not have unfettered powers
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This means every adult person is entitled to be a voter provided they are not disqualified on certain specified grounds. There are two essential qualifications of being an elector under this Article: the person should be citizen of India and should be aged not less than 18. The Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950, lays down disqualifications for registration as an elector. These are namely unsoundness of mind as declared by a competent court, and disqualification from voting as provided in Section 11A of the 1951 RPA. Conditions for registration as a voter are laid down in Section 19 of the RPA: the person should not be less than 18 years of age and they should be ordinarily resident in a constituency. The term 'ordinarily resident' is explained in Section 20, which says a person shall not be deemed to be ordinarily resident merely because they own or possess a dwelling house in that constituency. Also, a person does not cease to be ordinarily resident if they absent themselves temporarily from their ordinary place of residence. The ECI enjoys enormous powers in respect of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, the State Legislatures, and to the offices of the President and Vice President. Article 324 of the Constitution, which empowers the ECI to undertake these tasks, is characterised by the Supreme Court as a 'reservoir of power'. Since the conduct of free and fair elections is an essential feature of the basic structure of the Constitution, the ECI needs to be vested with all the necessary powers to complete its task. Nevertheless, it is inconceivable that the Constitution should confer on any authority unfettered powers. The Supreme Court has made it clear that the ECI can exercise all powers in its discretion in areas which are not covered by any statute but shall act in accordance with the law wherever it exists. In Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner (1978), the Court stated the law as follows: 'Firstly when Parliament or any State Legislature has made valid law relating to or in connection with elections, the Commission shall act in conformity with, not in violation of, such provisions but where such law is silent, Article 324 is a reservoir of power to act for the avowed purpose of pushing forward a free and fair election with expedition.' The qualifying date Let us look at the relevant provisions of the the RPA to get a perspective on the powers of the ECI in regard to revision of the electoral rolls. Section 21 of the 1950 RPA deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. It speaks of four stages of revisions: (1) before elections to the Lok Sabha or Assembly; (2) before each by-election; (3) on the direction of the ECI in any year; and (4) a special revision for a constituency or part of a constituency with the ECI recording reasons for doing so. 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The ECI has claimed in its order that it has power under Section 21 to undertake the exercise. True, but that power is limited to a constituency or part of it under Section 21(3) of the Act. While enjoying enormous powers under Article 324, the ECI is responsible to the rule of law and should be amenable to the norms of natural justice as per the Supreme Court. Electoral registration officers cannot summarily reject applications on the ground that foolproof documents are not being furnished to prove citizenship. Rule 8 of the Registration of Electors Rules clearly state that information shall be furnished 'to the best of ability' of the citizens. The ECI cannot ignore this statutory stipulation.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Court proceedings circulated on social media: State to HC
Madurai: The state govt on Tuesday informed the Madras high court that video clippings of court proceedings related to the Thiruppuvanam custodial death case hearing on July 1 were being recorded and circulated on social media, in violation of the Madras High Court Video-Conferencing in Courts Rules, 2020. A division bench of justice S M Subramaniam and justice A D Maria Clete was hearing a batch of public interest litigations concerning the recent custodial death of B Ajith Kumar in Thiruppuvanam in Sivaganga district. During the course of the hearing, additional advocate general (AAG) M Ajmal Khan, appearing for the state, submitted that video clippings were circulated on social media. However, the judges orally observed that the court would deal with the matter separately. Speaking to TOI, senior counsel Khan said, "Some fringe elements posted selective clippings of oral observations made by the judges in the court, projecting as though an order was being pronounced. These clippings circulated on social media are misused to defame the state govt." He stated that Rule 3(8) of the Madras High Court Video-Conferencing in Courts Rules reads, "There shall be no unauthorised recording of judicial proceedings by any person." The state just wanted to bring to the court's notice that court proceedings were being recorded and circulated on social media.
