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Time of India
27-06-2025
- 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.
Mint
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Nitish Kumar, PM Modi scared': Tejashwi Yadav on EC's Bihar voter list overhaul ahead of 2025 Assembly Polls
Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: RJD leader and Bihar LoP Tejashwi Yadav has come out swinging against the Election Commission's voter list revision in poll-bound Bihar, claiming that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scared, and the revision is a move by them to 'snatch voting rights of poor, the 'backbenchers of society.' 'CM Nitish Kumar and PM Modi are scared... They want the names of the poor to be removed from the voter list... They want to snatch the right to vote from the poor section of the society… the backbenchers of the society,' Tejashwi Yadav told reporters. With Bihar Assembly Elections due in November 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, June 27 directed electoral rolls for Bihar to be prepared afresh. Continuing his criticism of the electoral roll revision, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav further questioned on why it was being done just two months before the elections, and claimed that the documents demanded by EC are such which the poor sections of the society might not have access to. "Why is this being done 2 months before the elections? Is it possible to develop the voters' list for eight crore people within 25 days?... The documents demanded are such that the poor may not even have them... Our delegation will approach the election commission regarding this matter,' said Tejashwi Yadav. The EC has directed that all electors must submit an enumeration form, and those registered after 2003 have to additionally provide documentation establishing their citizenship. As per the The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission 'may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit." The Election Commission said the intensified revision is to ensure that all eligible citizens are enrolled, ineligible names are removed, and the process remains fully transparent. The process began on Wednesday (June 25), and will end with the publication of the final electoral roll on September 30. The revision of the Bihar electoral rolls by EC has ignited a massive controversy, with several opposition parties criticising the move. Earlier, the Congress opposed the revision exercise, saying it risks the willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery. In a statement, the Congress' empowered action group of leaders and experts (EAGLE) said the EC's revision of electoral rolls is a cure worse than the disease. The Election Commission plans to carry out similar reviews in five other states — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — ahead of their 2026 elections, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, June 25.
Mint
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Explained: Why Election Commission's special revision of Bihar voter list has kicked up a political storm
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued instructions for holding Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar. This means electoral rolls for Bihar will be prepared afresh. The move has sparked a political row, with the Congress opposing it, saying it risks the willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the move 'more dangerous than NRC (National Register of Citizens)' and alleged that her state, which heads to polls next year, was the real 'target'. The Election Commission is empowered with 'superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of elections to Parliament and state legislatures" as per Article 324(1) of the Constitution. Also, the ECI 'may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit,' according to Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950. The revision of rolls can be carried out 'either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the (ECI) may direct,' as per The Registration of Electors' Rules, 1960. In an intensive revision, the electoral roll is prepared afresh; in a summary revision, the roll is amended. In its 'SIR' order issued on June 24, the Election Commission of India said that the summary revisions of electoral rolls take place every year, and a special summary revision is carried out before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. Intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the poll panel said. All electors must submit an enumeration form, and those registered after 2003 have to additionally provide documentation establishing their citizenship, as per the guidelines and schedule specified by the Commission. The Election Commission said that the intensified revision's objective is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll so as to enable them to exercise their franchise, that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll, and that complete transparency is introduced in the process of adding or deleting electors in the electoral roll. 'Various reasons such as rapid urbanization, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants have necessitated the conduct of an intensive revision so as to ensure integrity and preparation of error-free electoral rolls,' the poll panel said. The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted by the Commission in year 2003. The commission said this 'special intensive revision' of rolls, or SIR, will eventually cover all states and Union Territories. The process in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due before November, began on June 25 and will end with the publication of the final electoral roll on September 30, as per the timeline issued by the poll panel. Beginning June 25, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting a house-to-house survey for verification during the process of this intensive revision. In the previous special intensive revisions, BLOs would go house to house with an 'enumeration pad' to be filled by the head of a household. This time, however, each voter in a household will have to submit an individual enumeration form. Voters added to the electoral rolls after January 1, 2003 — the year of the last intensive revision — must provide proof of citizenship. The ECI's Form 6, which registers new electors, requires applicants to sign a declaration that they are citizens, and not furnish documentation proving the fact. The ECI has now added a new declaration form requiring proof of citizenship for the special roll revision exercise in Bihar. Apart from documents such as passport, birth certificate, SC/ST certificate, an extract of one's parents' name in the electoral roll of Bihar as of January 1, 2003 'will be considered as a sufficient document in itself', the ECI order states. The other documents to prove citizenship are pension payment order, permanent residence certificate, national register of citizens, family register by local authorities, land allotment certificate, to name a few. The Congress has opposed the revision exercise saying it carries the risk of willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery. In a statement, the Congress' empowered action group of leaders and experts (EAGLE) said this revision of electoral rolls by the EC is a cure worse than the disease. AICC general secretary Organisation KC Venugopal shared the statement on X and said, 'The INC opposes the devious Special Intensive Revision exercise ordered by the ECI for Bihar.' In the statement, the leaders said that by undertaking the revision in Bihar and some other states, the EC has admitted that all is not well with India's electoral rolls. The group said the Congress party firmly opposes the EC's SIR proposal for the Bihar state elections and subsequently in other states. The revision means that the EC will visit every household and re-enrol every eligible voter in Bihar after verifying identity and residential documents, the group said. In simple terms, the poll panel wants to discard the current electoral rolls entirely and create a fresh new electoral roll for the state. This is a clear and explicit admission by the EC that all is not well with India's electoral rolls. Exactly what the Congress party and the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, have been repeatedly pointing out with evidence from Maharashtra. Bihar is going to polls this year, while assembly polls in five other states -- Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal -- are scheduled in 2026. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the Election Commission of India is targeting the youth of Bengal under the guise of a new voter list verification process. "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 the parents' birth certificates to enrol their names 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. Banerjee said rural people will be left out because of the revision. "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 said. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief accused the BJP and the ECI of working in tandem and "targeting Bengal and its people." "What about those born before 1987? 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. The INC opposes the devious Special Intensive Revision exercise ordered by the ECI for Bihar. RJD MP Manoj Jha said that the exercise will make voter enrolment very complicated. 'A person working in Surat who is a voter in Bihar may not have any documents like a birth certificate. This will complicate matters. This is why we fear that it is an attempt to invisibilise voters or add something from instructions of someone. That is what needs to be clarified by the EC,' Jha said.
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Revision of Bihar electoral rolls: Why, how
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked for the electoral rolls for Bihar to be prepared afresh. All electors must submit an enumeration form, and those registered after 2003 have to additionally provide documentation establishing their citizenship. This 'special intensive revision' of rolls will eventually cover all states and Union Territories, the ECI has said. The process in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due before November, began on Wednesday, and will end with the publication of the final electoral roll on September 30. Types of revision Article 324(1) of the Constitution gives the ECI the power of 'superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of' elections to Parliament and state legislatures. Under Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI 'may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit'. The Registration of Electors' Rules, 1960, says the revision of rolls can be carried out 'either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the [ECI] may direct'. In an intensive revision, the electoral roll is prepared afresh; in a summary revision, the roll is amended. Summary revisions take place every year, and a special summary revision is carried out before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. Intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the ECI said in its order issued on Tuesday. Rationale for Bihar order The ECI order says that 'during the last 20 years significant change in electoral roll has taken place due to additions and deletions on a large scale', and 'rapid urbanisation and frequent migration of population from one place to another… have become a regular trend'. Electors who move often 'register themselves at another place without getting their names deleted from the electoral roll of the initial place of residence', which increases chances of 'repeated entries' in the rolls. 'Thus', the order said, 'the situation warrants an intensive verification drive to verify each person before enrolment as an elector.' The ECI also underlined its constitutional obligation to ensure that only citizens are enrolled as electors. It said it had decided to conduct a special intensive revision for the whole country 'for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls'. Requirement of citizenship proof During previous special intensive revisions, Block Level Officers (BLOs) would go house to house with an 'enumeration pad' to be filled by the head of a household. This time around, each existing elector will have to submit an individual enumeration form. Those added to the roll after January 1, 2003 — the year of the last intensive revision — will additionally have to provide proof of citizenship. (Those already on the electoral roll before the cut-off date would be presumed to be citizens, unless Electoral Registration Officers receive any input to the contrary). The ECI's Form 6, which registers new electors, requires applicants to simply sign a declaration that they are citizens, and not furnish documentation proving the fact (only age and address proofs are needed). The ECI has added a new declaration form requiring proof of citizenship for the exercise in Bihar. Apart from documents such as passport, birth certificate, SC/ST certificate, an extract of one's parents' name in the electoral roll of Bihar as of January 1, 2003 'will be considered as a sufficient document in itself', the ECI order states. While the ECI is yet to provide an exact number of electors who will be required to furnish proof of citizenship, roughly 3 crore electors have been added to electoral rolls since 2003. Revision process, concerns According to the ECI, starting on Wednesday till July 26, BLOs will be required to visit every household with existing electors to get pre-filled forms signed and collect additional documentation if needed. BLOs will be making at least three attempts per household, the ECI said. Electors will also have the option of downloading their forms from the ECI's website or ECINET app, and submitting them online. Electors whose enumeration forms are not received by July 25 will be deleted from the roll. Deletions can be contested from August 1 to September 1. The Opposition has expressed concerns about the exercise potentially disenfranchising electors. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called the move 'more dangerous than NRC [National Register of Citizens]' and alleged that her state, which heads to polls next year, was the real 'target'. The Congress said that the ECI was admitting that 'all is not well with India's electoral rolls' but called the revision 'a cure worse than the disease'. Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu's national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More
Indian Express
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Two sitting Rajasthan MLAs sentenced to 1-year jail in 2014 road blocking case
Two Congress legislators from Rajasthan are among nine who were sentenced to a year in jail Wednesday for blocking a major road during a protest in 2014. All nine, including Shahpura MLA Manish Yadav and Ladnun MLA Mukesh Bhakar, were found guilty under sections 147 (punishment for rioting) and 283 (causing danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation). The court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Jaipur also imposed a fine of Rs 3,200 on the convicts, which includes Congress leader Abhishek Chaudhary, who unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Rajasthan assembly polls from Jhotwara. Although they have been convicted, Yadav and Bhakar will not face disqualification from the Rajasthan assembly since the jail terms are under the two years mandated under The Representation of the People Act, 1951. The convicts were part of an August 2014 protest at Rajasthan University. According to court documents, the protesters from the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) blocked the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg outside the main gate of Rajasthan University for 20 minutes, prompting the police to book them. Police filed a chargesheet in the case on August 11, 2016. Yadav was then part of the ABVP but he eventually joined the Congress and won the 2023 assembly polls. The others convicted in the case have been identified as Rajesh Meena, Ravi Kirad, Wasim Khan, Dron Yadav, Bhanu Pratap Singh and Vidyadhar Meel. Since the offence is bailable, all convicts have been released on bail immediately after the sentencing.
