Election Commission

WB Panchayat polls to be held on July 2, 6 and 10

Kolkata: The West Bengal Election Commission on Friday announced dates for the Panchayat elections in the state. The elections will be held in three phases on July 2, 6 and 10. The results will be announced three days later.

The state government's demand for a two-phase polling was earlier shot down by the Calcutta High Court.

The state election commission though said that the court order was not clear on deployment of central forces for security, and now plans to appeal against the order in the Supreme Court.

The election commission wants central forces to ensure a fair election. But this was opposed by the state government....more    

WB panchayat polls: Differences between govt, EC continues

Kolkata: There were differences at a meeting on Thursday between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the West Bengal government over fixing dates for the three-tier panchayat elections after the Calcutta High Court's direction that the two mutually agree on it. "We suggested certain dates and they (state government) also placed some dates for the panchayat election to be held in three phases as per the High Court order," State...  

WB panchayat polls: Govt, EC likely to meet on Thursday

Kolkata: A day after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission to mutually decide on dates for the panchayat election, a move has been initiated by both to hold a meeting on Thursday. The meeting will take place amidst a deadline set by the High Court to complete the poll process by July 15. SEC secretary Tapas Roy told reporters that the meeting...  

WB govt hails HC order on panchayat elections

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court order on panchayat elections as "historic." "This is a historic order of the hon'ble High Court and we are very happy," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday rejected the State Election Commission (SEC) order for 800 companies of central forces to man the panchayat polls, and directed that...  

Paramilitary forces during WB Panchayat polls not necessary: HC

Kolkata: In a breather for the Mamata Banerjee government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not mandatory to deploy central paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls. The West Bengal government had appealed the higher bench after a single bench upheld the State Election Commission's plea for three-phase polling and deployment of central forces. The State government wanted two-phase polling and security...  

Double whammy for Mamata Banerjee government in court

Kolkata: Delivering a double blow to West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered CBI probe into a Trinamool Congress worker's death allegedly in police custody and refused to suspend its earlier verdict upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice JM Bagchi took the twin decisions hearing separate cases within a gap of hours in...  

WB panchayat polls: High Court defers hearing till Tuesday

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has deferred till Tuesday the hearing related to the tussle between West Bengal and the state election commission over the number of phases in the Panchayat election. West Bengal government on Monday filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this...  

WB panchayat polls: Govt to file appeal against HC verdict

Kolkata: West Bengal government will on Monday file a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this year. In a setback to the state government, the Calcutta High Court had Friday directed that these elections would be held in three phases using central armed forces on dates...  

Pak polls: Happy about the voter turnout, says EC

Nearly 60 per cent people took part in the voting process in Pakistan General Elections. The Pakistan Election Commissioner said, "We were all waiting for this day, the day of empowerment of the people" ...

Pakistan elections: Voting time extended by one hour

Islamabad: Pakistan Election Commission on Saturday extended the time for voting by an hour following large voter turnout across the country in the landmark elections. The voting was set to end at 5 pm (local time) but sizable number of voters kept arriving at the polling stations. Subsequently, the Election Commission announced that voting will continue till 6 pm (6:30 IST). In some constituencies in Karachi, polling was extended till...  

Panchayat elections: WB govt to appeal against Calcutta HC order

Kolkata: The West Bengal government would appeal against the Calcutta High Court order upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission and asking it to provide names of 400 observers for the panchayat polls by Saturday, Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said. "We will appeal against the order before a division bench as early as possible because it is unrealistic and will undermine the federal structure and the state's minimum powers,"...  

WB: Mamata loses out to state EC, HC orders 3-phase Panchayat polls

Kolkata: In a big blow to the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered three-phase Panchayat elections in the state. The order establishes the supremacy of the state Election Commission that had opposed the Trinamool Congress government's demand to conduct two-phase elections. The court also directed the government to furnish list of observors as asked by the SEC by Saturday. The government was also...  

Karnataka records 2nd highest voter turnout in 35 years

Bangalore: Karnataka recorded the second highest voter turnout in 35 years with a polling percentage of 71.29 in the May five Assembly polls, a top electoral officer said. The highest voter turnout of 71.90 per cent was registered in 1978. A recharged Congress sees the highly impressive polling percentage as clear sign of winds of change that would bring the party back to power after an eight-year long hiatus. But...  

Kannada is not a factor in the Karnataka elections: HR Venkatesh

CNN-IBN's HR Venkatesh joined IBNLive readers on the possible role of language in the Karnataka elections. Q. Kannada is in threat in Bangalore. Do you think we need a party like MNS to protect our language and rights? Asked by: Sujith A. Hi Sujith, While I as a Kannadiga feel keenly about the erosion of the language in the public sphere, I don't think we need a party like the...  

Karnataka elections: EC extends polling time by an hour

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday announced extension of polling time by an hour up to 6 pm in the Sunday's Karnataka Assembly Elections, in view of the weather conditions and excessive heat. While the EC had earlier fixed the polling time from 7 am to 5 pm, it has now announced that polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm in the entire state. "The Commission...  

Karnataka polls: 'EC to monitor booths through web-casting'

Bangalore: In a first initiative of its kind in Karnataka, the Election Commission has decided to monitor over 1,000 polling booths through web-casting. Briefing reporters in Bangalore on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Election Officer Anil Kumar Jha said, with a view to prevent persons from creating nuisance at booths, live video from over 1,100 booths will be directly monitored by the Election Commission through "web-casting". The novel initiative will be used...  

No malafide intention in checking Mayawati: EC

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday said there was "no malafide intention" in the checking to which BSP leader Mayawati was subjected to during campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka. Mayawati, while campaigning in Karnataka's Gulbarga district on April 27, was stopped for checking at the airport and a total of Rs 1 lakh found in her possession. She had objected to the act and alleged "bias" against her. Replying to...  

Colourless Karnataka polls this time after EC clampdown

There will be no colour in May 5 Karnataka elections after the Election Commission's clampdown on poll banners and posters. However, to counter the lack of election season colour, the Cartoonists' Association of Bangalore is doing its bit to raise voter awareness. ...

Karnataka: Maya says EC targeting her because she is 'a Dalit woman'

Gulbarga: A "flying squad" of the Election Commission on Saturday subjected Mayawati to checking for a second time in quick succession, following which an angry BSP supremo hit out at the poll watchdog, playing the Dalit card. As soon as Mayawati, who is in Gulbarga for campaigning for the May 5 assembly poll, landed by helicopter at a helipad on the outskirts of the taluk headquarters town of Jewargi in...  

K'taka polls: Deputy CM booked for inducing voters

Bangalore: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa has courted fresh trouble. Close on the heels of the Election Commission reprimanding him for violating the model code of conduct in connection with his alleged hate speech and asked him to be cautious in future, an FIR has now been filed against him for offering "large amounts" during "arti" performed by women during his electioneering in parts of Shimoga. "An FIR was...