Latest news with #EC
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Finally, truce in IOA as CEO appointment ratified by EC
CHENNAI: IN the end it seems like much ado about nothing. Finally, all the factions in the Indian Olympic Association seems to have buried the hatchet. The Executive Committee has ratified the appointment of Chief Executive Officer Raghuram Iyer on Thursday. The appointment of CEO Iyer in January last year led to the majority of the EC members objecting to it and alleged that the IOA president had decided on this unilaterally without the consent of the EC. More than 10 EC members has signed a letter objecting to it. Just over eight months, the IOA seems be an unified lot. IOA president PT Usha said on Thursday that everything has been sorted and the CEO appointment has been ratified which the EC members had objected then. "Everything is sorted out, that is why the CEO (Iyer) is sitting with me," she said during a press meet in New Delhi. Getting the house in order seemed to be their priority after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had warned India that their 2036 Olympic bid without a strong National Olympic Committee might not be favouring them. In quite a few replies to this newspaper, the IOC kept reiterating their position of a united house. Interestingly, the CEO appointment had been accepted by the IOC last year itself. Even before the ratification, the CEO had been part of almost all important meetings involving the IOA including the Paris Olympics, IOC headquarters in Lausanne and Commonwealth Sports. Joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey, who during the days of revolt had proclaimed himself as acting CEO quite a few times and had been rude to the IOA president also seemed at peace when he said they are now looking forward in the interest of the nation.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Showdown over Bihar SIR: Oppn unites to raise pitch; JD(U) sends notice to MP who said EC move will raise questions on 2024 LS verdict
NEW DELHI: Parliament disruption, election boycott threat, show-cause notice, allegations and counter-allegations ... the political showdown over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is getting bigger and bitter. The opposition is training its guns at the Election Commission while the BJP-led NDA is backing the poll body's "cleansing" drive. The opposition questions the timing of the move and the haste with which the Election Commission is implementing it. The move, which is currently underway in Bihar, has galvanised the opposition parties who accuse the poll body of working to help the ruling coalition in state elections. RJD leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has written letters to 35 prominent opposition leaders across the country expressing serious concern over the ongoing drive in Bihar and has alleged that SIR is leading to large-scale disenfranchisement and undermining of democracy. Tejashwi Yadav has threatened to boycott the upcoming assembly elections if the EC goes ahead with its exercise. The Congress has backed its ally and said the "Tughlaqi process" of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar will be opposed at all forums and "all options are open" for the INDIA bloc. Not just Bihar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who perhaps knows that her state would be next in line for the EC exercise, has already dared the poll body and asked her cadres to keep a close watch. Speaking at a Trinamool Congress rally, Banerjee indicated the 'real battle' for 2026 would be over the voter list and not just at the ballot box, and urged party workers to stay alert against what she called attempts to carry out a 'silent purge' of Bengali-speaking voters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo Leaders of several other parties have joined the Parliament protest against the EC move even as they eagerly wait for the next Supreme Court hearing on the matter, scheduled for next Monday. While accepting the petitions against SIR, the top court had questioned the timing of the move while stating that it was not doubting the credentials and sincerity of the Election Commission in doing the exercise. The tops court, however, refused to stop the process calling it a constitutional mandate. "We are of the prima facie view that Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards and the ration cards be allowed in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls,' the top court had said after the Election Commission held that "Aadhaar card is not a proof of citizenship". The BJP and its allies have strongly defended the move questioning why those voters, who are not valid citizens of India, should not be excluded from the election process. Interestingly, the counter to this argument comes from an MP of the ruling NDA itself. An MP from Nitish Kumar's JD(U) Giridhari Yadav has broken ranks with his party and criticised the EC move. Yadav, who said EC move will raise questions on the verdict of the Lok Sabha polls held last year, now faces a show-cause notice from the party. "If the electoral rolls were correct for the Lok Sabha polls, then how can they be incorrect for the assembly polls to be held in a few months. The Election Commission must give people six months and should hold the drive in summer months," Giridhari Yadav had said. AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, who has huge stakes in Bihar elections, has alleged that in the guise of an 'intensive revision,' people will be targeted & their right to vote will be snatched. Owaisi provides an interesting data to question the EC drive: "Between 22 July and July 23 the ECI's number of untraceable electors jumped from 11,484 to 1 lakh electors." "These are obvious signs of administrative callousness. The consequences will be borne by the poorest and the most vulnerable Indians," the AIMIM chief claims. The SIR drive comes in the backdrop of a fierce confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission after former party chief Rahul Gandhi alleged that elections are being "stolen" in India. He also claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of the "votes theft" by studying a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka. Rahul reiterated his charge today and claimed that he had "concrete 100 per cent" proof of EC allowing cheating in a constituency in Karnataka. "I want to send a message to the Election Commission -- if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken, you are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you," Rahul told reporters in Parliament House premises. The Congress leader alleged that the poll panel is not functioning as the Election Commission of India and is "not doing its job". The former Congress chief said he would put before the people and the EC in black in white on how the "theft of votes" is being done. "Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof," the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha said. Responding to Rahul's remarks, the EC said it is "highly unfortunate" that rather than filing an election petition in accordance with section 80 of the Representation of the People Act, or if filed, awaiting the verdict of the high court, he has not only made "baseless allegations" but also "chosen to threaten" a constitutional body. Interestingly while the Congress is gunning for the EC, one of its leaders has a different take on the issue. Salman Khurshid has said it doesn't matter if anyone raises questions on the EC as in the end winning the election will only matter. "Whoever is raising questions (on the Election Commission), let them... The reality is that, ultimately, unless you win the election, your point will not matter", Salman Khurshid had said last week. Clearly, battle lines have been drawn. The EC has strongly defended SIR in top court and is unlikely to stop the exercise. The opposition, on the other hand, is convinced that the ultimate EC objective is to help the BJP in states like Bihar and West Bengal where assembly elections are due in the near future. In it last hearing the Supreme Court had said: "We cannot stop a constitutional body from doing what it is supposed to do. Simultaneously, we will not let them do what they are not supposed to do." A clear message for both the EC and the opposition parties. Little wonder, both sides would be eagerly awaiting the next hearing before deciding their next moves.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
He chose to threaten constitutional body: EC on Rahul Gandhi's Karnataka claims
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 's claim that it allowed cheating in a Karnataka constituency and said that besides making "baseless allegations", the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha chose to "threaten" a constitutional body. Gandhi said the Congress has "concrete 100 per cent proof" that the Election Commission (EC) allowed cheating in a constituency in Karnataka and warned the poll panel that it will not get away with this "because we are going to come for you". Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Project Management CXO MBA Technology Data Science others Design Thinking PGDM Leadership Product Management Others Public Policy Data Analytics MCA Digital Marketing Degree Cybersecurity Operations Management Healthcare Data Science healthcare Finance Artificial Intelligence Management Skills you'll gain: Project Planning & Governance Agile Software Development Practices Project Management Tools & Software Techniques Scrum Framework Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Programme in IT Project Management Starts on Jun 20, 2024 Get Details Responding to Gandhi's statement, the EC said that as far as the Karnataka elections are concerned, it is "highly unfortunate" that rather than filling an election petition as per Section 80 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, or if filed, awaiting the verdict of the high court, he not only made "baseless allegations" but has also "chosen to threaten" the EC, a constitutional body. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo Gandhi alleged that the EC is not functioning as the Election Commission of India , and is "not doing its job". Asked about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav 's reported remarks that the option of boycotting the Bihar assembly polls was open, Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House premises that his party has "concrete 100 per cent proof" of the EC allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. Live Events "Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof," the former Congress president said. "We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama that is taking place ... I want to send a message to the Election Commission -- if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken. You are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you," Gandhi said.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
After Giridhari, JD(U) MLA opposes ongoing SIR in Bihar
After Banka MP Giridhari Yadav, another leader belonging to the Janata Dal (United) has expressed reservations about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar. Sanjeev Kumar, MLA from the Parbatta Assembly constituency, told The Hindu that voters who work outside the State may be left out of the SIR exercise. 'In my own Assembly constituency, many such names have been left out. The SIR should be conducted during festivals such as Holi, Diwali and Chhath, when people working outside the State return. I am unable to contact my voters. Their houses are locked and they come to Bihar once or twice a year,' Mr. Kumar said. He said many migrant workers won't be able to afford the costs of returning to Bihar more than once or twice a year. Mr. Kumar also said many migrant workers are bound by contracts that prevent them from travelling frequently. 'It is very unfortunate that such migrant workers' names would be removed and I think the Election Commission should do something about this,' Mr. Kumar said. As per the EC's official statement on Thursday, '99% electors have already been covered' by the exercise and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) had 'reported names of 21.6 lakh deceased electors and 31.5 lakh electors who have permanently migrated...., while 1 lakh electors are untraceable'. However, Mr. Kumar said, 'Even though the EC claims [to have covered] 99%, I am sure at least 1% of genuine voters have been removed. I think more time should have been given for this exercise. These are National Democratic Alliance [NDA] voters.' He stressed that all political parties in Bihar will face the heat as names of many genuine voters were likely to be removed from the voters' list. Meanwhile, JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar said the SIR should go ahead, but the EC was not the 'final authority'. 'The EC is not above the Parliament, they don't have the right to remove genuine voters from the list. The EC cannot dare to remove the names,' Mr. Anwar said. Senior JD(U) leader and Minister Shravan Kumar also accepted that people are facing difficulties, but expressed confidence that the EC will look into the problems being faced by the voters and resolve them with the help of political parties. AIMIM MLA hits out On Thursday, during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the State Assembly, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Akhtarul Iman raised concern over alleged discrimination against the Muslim population in the Seemanchal region. 'The BJP men by looking at our beards, caps and the minarets of our mosques, do not consider us Indians but as Bangladeshis. Let me say this... if Seemanchal had opted to join Pakistan during the partition, India would have been split into two parts,' Mr. Iman said. He also termed the SIR as Tughlaqi farman (diktat). 'In Bihar, only 14% people have the required documents and 70% of the poor people, consisting of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes do not have any documents. The EC has just issued a Tughlaqi farman to submit the documents,' Mr. Iman said. Meanwhile, police used water cannons against National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members attempting to gherao the Vidhan Sabha during their protest against the SIR exercise. Notice to Girdhari On Thursday, the JD(U) issued a show-cause notice to Mr. Yadav for raising questions on the SIR. In a conversation with The Hindu on July 23, Mr. Yadav had said poor people were finding it difficult to get the documents needed for the exercise. He had also raised questions about the timing of the revision and asked if the EC could have begun the SIR effort earlier. 'Our party, the Janata Dal (United), has consistently supported the EC and the use of EVMs, both during our time in the INDIA bloc and now as part of the NDA. Your public comments on such a sensitive matter, especially in an election year, not only cause embarrassment to the party but also inadvertently lend credibility to the baseless and politically motivated allegations made by the Opposition,' Afaque Ahmad Khan, National General Secretary and MLC said in the letter issued in the evening. He further said, 'JD(U) views your conduct as a lapse in discipline and not in consonance with the party's stated position on the matter. You are hereby called upon to show cause within 15 days of receipt of this notice, failing which disciplinary action may be initiated against you.'
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Inclusion of BJP leaders in BHU exec council sparks controversy
VARANASI Nomination of three BJP leaders –- former Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Kashi region BJP president Dileep Patel and Varanasi mayor Ashok Tiwari - as members of the Banaras Hindu University's executive council came as a surprise for many and drew criticism from UP Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai. Several former students also questioned these nominations. BJP leaders in the executive council said they would work towards making the BHU a world class university. (File Photo) 'The council is the main executive body of the BHU. We oppose the RSS-isation of this council. We had raised this issue last year, saying that an executive council should be formed and it should include educationists, scientists and renowned academicians,' said Rai. He said, 'Ironically, instead of giving place to academicians and scientists, three politicians have been made members of the executive council. We demand that the politicisation of the EC should be stopped immediately and qualified persons be made members of the council,' Rai demanded, adding, 'We will not let RSSisation of BHU happen.' 'The executive council is a supreme body of the university that takes decisions on all important matters of the university. We were hoping that renowned educationists, scientists, scholars of law will be nominated as members of the executive council, but it didn't happen. There are three BJP leaders among the eight members. Appointing politicians associated with the ruling party in the EC of the BHU is not as per decorum of a world famous university like BHU. We are disappointed,' said Prof MP Ahirwar, head of ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology department, BHU. He emphasised that politicising the university will have serious ramifications on academics, research and development. Veteran socialist Vijay Narayan, an alumnus of the BHU, said: 'We don't welcome this move. With these nominations, the RSS will further strengthen its grip on the campus.' 'We welcome the constitution of the new executive council of the BHU. It was not there in the university for the last four years due to which several decisions were pending. But the EC of an academic institution like BHU should have eminent academicians as its members. It is unfortunate to see (three) full-time politicians in the EC of the BHU. It has broken past instances. Politicising educational institutions like BHU will not fulfill the vision of its founder Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malviya,' said Prof Om Shankar, department of cardiology, IMS-BHU. NSUI, BHU unit president Suman Anand said, 'Nomination of BJP leaders in the EC of our university has left us shocked. We are disappointed and will hold a press conference after two days, in which we will enumerate reasons for our disappointment.' However, the BJP leaders in the executive council said they would work towards making the BHU a world class university. 'All of us members of the executive council will together try to make the academic environment of the university excellent so that the teaching-learning work can go on smoothly and world class research can be done at the BHU,' said Dileep Patel, newly appointed member of the EC. When asked for his comment on UPCC chief Ajay Rai questioning the appointment of three BJP leaders in the executive council, Patel said: 'We will focus on elevating BHU to the level of world's great universities.' Varanasi mayor Ashok Tiwari said: 'I will be available for the development of BHU round the clock. It is a great responsibility.' Media advisor to former Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, the newly nominated EC member, Sriniketan Mishra said: 'Mahendra Nath Pandey has been union minister for human resource development. He holds PhD in Hindi from the BHU. He will work for the betterment of the BHU.' Prez nominates members to BHU exec panel The BHU got its eight-member executive council on Wednesday after President Droupadi Murmu, in her capacity as the visitor of the university, nominated eight persons to the panel for a period of three years. The Union ministry of education sent a letter to the BHU, informing the university about the nomination, a BHU official confirmed. According to the letter addressed to BHU registrar, the eight members are:former Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Varanasi mayor Ashok Tiwari, educationist and social worker Dileep Patel, Delhi University vice-chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh, Prof Omprakash Bhartiya of department of sociology, BHU, Prof Shweta Prasad of department of sociology, BHU and prof (retired) Bechan Lal of department of zoology, and prof (retired) Uday Pratap Shahi.
