Latest news with #ECI
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
ECI moves to delist 24 inactive political parties in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Election Commission of India (ECI), through District Electoral Officers (DEOs), will issue notices to 24 registered, unrecognised political parties in Tamil Nadu to show cause why their names should not be delisted since they have not contested in any election for the past six years. When contacted, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said the DEOs have been directed to issue show cause notices to these parties soon. The 24 unrecognised parties include Makkal Neethi Katchi, Tamil Nadu Peasants and Workers Party, and Tamilaga Sthabana Congress. Of the 24 parties, 14 have their 'headquarters in Chennai and among the 14, two parties – All India Women Democratic Freedom Party and Mahabharat Mahajan Sabha – have their office in Kolathur, the Assembly constituency of Chief Minister M K Stalin. Interestingly, the names of two of these parties are: Appamma Makkal Kazhagam (Father-Mother People Kazhagam!) and Anna MGR Jayalalithaa Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has the names of three past CMs of Tamil Nadu and the names of two Dravidian majors. The ECI on June 26 began proceedings to delist as many as 345 registered, unrecognised political parties which have not contested a single election since 2019. Of the 345 parties, 24 are from Tamil Nadu. The ECI, in its communication to the CEO, pointed out that parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, are entitled to many benefits – exemption from income tax (Under Section 13A of I-T Act), recognition, common symbol allotment, reserved symbol for parties recognised under Symbols Order and the nomination of star campaigners. The Commission said the reason an association registers as a political party under Section 29A is that it can take part in elections held by the ECI. 'Over time, a large number of political parties have been registered. However, it has come to the notice that many of the Registered Unrecognised Political Parties have not contested even a single election for the last six years since 2019, and many of them have ceased to exist.'
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Palaniswami to launch election tour from Coimbatore on July 7
Already, DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin has been visiting many districts to inaugurate completed developmental works and lay the foundation for new projects, apart from holding roadshows without fail to meet the people. Besides, TVK president and actor Vijay is also planning to commence his statewide tour in August from the Cauvery delta area, targeting the farming community. Palaniswami has been attacking the DMK government on almost every issue, and his main target has been the law and order. During the recent months, Palaniswami met district secretaries many times to review the preparations for the Assembly elections and strengthening of the party's IT wing. Significantly, during the past few months, the AIADMK has been staging agitations on people's issues in various parts of the state. Meanwhile, Palaniswami also announced key appointments in the party apparatus. On Friday, Palaniswami appointed former MP T G Venkateshbabu as one of the organising secretaries. Purasai V S Babu, former MLA, has been made the North Chennai North (West) district's secretary. Babu replaces Venkatesh Babu. In Kanniyakumari district, R Jeyasudharshan has been made Kanniyakumari West district secretary, while D John Thangam has been made organising secretary. Madras HC seeks ECI's reply on AIADMK plea Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit its reply by a week on the petition filed by AIADMK praying for directions to the poll body to take an expeditious decision on the issue of its (ECI) jurisdiction to enquire about the representations submitted by two former MPs and others for freezing the Two Leaves symbol until the internal dispute cases are decided by the civil courts. A division bench of Justices R Subramaniam and K Surendar issued the direction and adjourned the hearing to July 4. Senior counsel Vijay Narayan, appearing for the AIADMK, submitted that about eight weeks have passed by since the high court issued orders to the ECI to decide (within two weeks) on its jurisdiction, but no decision has been taken so far. Prolongation of the matter by the ECI would give an opportunity to the anti-party elements to utilise the situation against the party, he said, adding that the issue would cause inconvenience to the party since it has to prepare for the 2026 polls. ENS
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
ECI orders notice to parties that haven't contested elections since 2019
Chennai: The Election Commission of India has directed the chief electoral officer of Tamil Nadu to serve a showcause notice to 24 registered unrecognized political parties in Tamil Nadu that have not contested a single election since 2019. In a letter, ECI undersecretary Love Kush Yadav said many political parties have registered over the years. "It has come to our notice, however, that many of the registered unrecognized political parties have not contested even a single election for the past six years, and many of them have ceased to exist," the officer said, enclosing the list of parties. The CEO has been asked to issue notice to the parties and give wide publicity in the media and social media. After giving the parties an opportunity to be heard, the CEO must send a detailed proposal with a recommendation to the commission as to whether the party concerned should be delisted or not, within a period of a month, Yadav said. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The parties are registered under the provisions of The Representation of the People Act, 1951. They are entitled to many benefits like exemption from Income Tax, common symbol allotment, reserved symbol for parties recognized under Symbols Order, and nomination of star campaigners. The parties include Anna MGR Jayalalitha Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Kamarajar Makkal Katchi, Ambedkar Peoples Movement, Youth and Students Party, Tamil Nadu Peasants & Workers Party.
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
ECI must justify need for Bihar voter roll revision
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar just weeks before the likely notification of assembly elections. Such revisions, when conducted this close to polling, are extraordinary and must meet a high bar of justification. Yet no explanation, let alone evidence, has been offered for why this exercise is necessary now. Instead, the justification has taken a familiar and troubling shape: vague and unsubstantiated claims about 'illegal voters' and 'cross-border infiltration'. If this is not a damning indictment of the ministry of home affairs' failure in protecting our borders, then it is definitely dog-whistling to create a pretext for the possibility of large-scale manipulation. The pattern is unmistakable and, to the opposition parties, the objective seems transparent: to manipulate voter rolls in a manner that systematically excludes minorities and the poor. This is not the first time such tactics have been deployed. In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent state elections in Maharashtra, lakhs of names were added to the electoral rolls in a short period. Opposition parties have raised valid concerns about the sudden spike and the unusually high late-evening turnout surges. The ECI has refused to release digital, machine-readable electoral rolls or polling-day CCTV footage. Also, ahead of the elections, right-wing commentators and academics belted out dubious 'studies' raising unfounded alarms about 'illegal voters'. The exercise was repeated in Delhi right before the 2025 assembly elections. No other official data supported these claims. The fear-mongering in the name of 'illegal migrants' or 'bogus voters' used to be an ideological fringe position—it has become a tool of institutionalised disenfranchisement. This framing is used to justify aggressive and opaque revisions of electoral rolls that disproportionately target Muslim, Dalit and poor migrant communities. Now the ECI is echoing this language without any evidence and without accountability.
India Gazette
12 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"BJP can do anything through back door": SP chief Akhilesh Yadav supports CM Mamata's NRC allegation
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 27(ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday supported West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that the Election Commission and the BJP could be using a backdoor to implement the NRC. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said, 'The BJP can do anything through the back door... If CM Mamata Banerjee says something about the BJP conspiring, then we have to be alert...' Meanwhile, on Thursday, CM Banerjee has alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is targeting the youth of Bengal under the guise of a new voter list verification process. She expressed strong reservations about a new declaration form introduced by the ECI, which requires the submission of parents' birth certificates for enrolling names in the voters' list. 'We have received two letters from the ECI. Other parties will also get them soon. Although they said it is for Bihar, this will be applicable in other states too. This is very concerning. They have introduced a declaration form for getting your name on the voter list. For those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, a new declaration form must be submitted along with their parents' birth certificates to have their names enrolled in the voters' list. The ECI says that parents' birth certificates must be submitted. What is going on in the name of full enumeration? This is a document and declaration form from the ECI. There are many irregularities,' Banerjee told reporters. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief accused the BJP and the ECI of working in tandem and 'targeting Bengal and its people.' She also raised concerns over the ECI's request for data on booth-level agents. 'Every party has its booth-level agents and they [ECI] sort all their data by sending letters to us. Why should I declare their secrecy? So that you can buy them? Why should I share my data? I will not. I will fight for all the parties and for democracy,' she said. Criticising the selective age bracket targeted by the ECI's new directive, she asked, 'What about those born before 1987? Are they not Indian citizens? The country became independent in 1947. So, why are they targeting the years 1987 to 2004? I do not understand their plan. Why have they targeted this bracket? Will the young generation not vote? How will poor people get documents? Are they doing this to establish the NRC? What is their intention? You are targeting people born between 1987 and 2004,' she asked. She requested the ECI to rectify the electoral roll with proper guidelines so that no valid name is deleted. 'Do not pressurise the common people to accept only your verdict. Rural people will be left out because of your decision, and then you will include names of 'borrowed' voters to increase the list. This is because you are losing. Just because you will lose, you will add names from other States. This is more dangerous than NRC,' she added. 'The ECI wants that the preachers of the BJP and the goons of the BJP brought from other states will only vote. This will not work in Indian democracy,' she added. (ANI)
