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,"...
07:55 PM, May 10, 2013
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...
04:35 PM, May 10, 2013
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...
10:10 PM, May 06, 2013
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...
06:39 PM, May 06, 2013
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...
06:20 PM, May 04, 2013
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...
01:46 AM, May 02, 2013
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...
04:46 AM, May 01, 2013
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. ...
09:52 AM, Apr 28, 2013
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...
07:59 PM, Apr 27, 2013
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...
07:42 PM, Apr 24, 2013
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday reprimanded Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa for violating the Model Code of Conduct in connection with his alleged hate speech and asked him to be cautious in future. The BJP leader who is also the candidate from Shimoga assembly constituency in Karnataka has been booked for allegedly inciting communal feelings and promoting hatred and ill-will between different classes in society in a...
09:28 PM, Apr 23, 2013
Islamabad: Pakistan Election Commission on Saturday barred candidates from seeking votes in the name of religion or sect under new guidelines issued for the country's landmark May 11 General Election. The poll panel said the new guidelines were aimed at ensuring the "smooth and peaceful conduct" of the General Election. "Under the new guidelines candidates will not seek votes in the name of religion or sect," state-run Radio Pakistan reported....
12:50 PM, Apr 15, 2013
Karachi: For the first time in Pakistan's history, a transgender has been allowed to contest elections, with the country's Election Commission accepting her nomination papers from a constituency in Karachi. Initially the Election Commission had rejected the nomination papers of Bindiya Rana when her supporter failed to show up at the ECP office at the time of filing of papers. But after filing an appeal, Bindiya has finally got the...
10:47 PM, Apr 14, 2013
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday swung into action and issued notices to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa and Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil for alleged hate speeches in Karnataka. On Thursday, Judicial Magistrate First Class Arjun Nallur admitted a private complaint by the President of minority cell of the district Congress, Sayad W Addu, over Eshwarappa's speech allegedly "instigating" a particular community against others and violating the...
06:42 PM, Apr 12, 2013
Bangalore: In the battle for Karnataka, a lot is playing out on the social media, especially Twitter. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and BS Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Paksha have all joined the bandwagon. The question is whether the Election Commission will be able to regulate online campaigns. Sanjay Gowdar Sidappa leads the team of silent warriors for Yeddyurappa's KJP. He is a part of the social media strategy cell...
09:33 AM, Apr 11, 2013
Bangalore: All efforts will be made to ensure free and fair Assembly polls in Karnataka, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said on Tuesday after reviewing arrangements with the state administration. On the suggestion of political parties and in view of the severe hot conditions, the EC has decided to advance the poll timings by an hour to 7 am, he told reporters. Sampath, along with Election Commissioners HS Brahma and...
07:52 PM, Apr 09, 2013
New Delhi: The Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that the new electronic voting machines (EVMs)'s are almost ready. The Election Commission will show the new EVMs to all the political parties sometime in May. The special feature of the new EVM is that as soon as the voter presses a button to cast his vote, a screen will show him that candidate whom he or she has voter...
05:21 PM, Apr 09, 2013
Kolkata: The West Bengal panchayat polls case will come for for hearing in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The State Election Commission and the West Bengal government are at loggerheads. Mamata Banerjee's government has proposed May 5 and May 8 as the new dates for panchayat polls but the EC wants to conduct polls in 3 phases. The state government moved an application before the court of Justice Biswanath...
08:37 AM, Apr 09, 2013
Bangalore: Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath will visit Bangalore on Monday to assess the city's poll preparedness for the May 5 Assembly elections. Sampath along with Election Commissioners HS Brahma and SNA Zaidi will hold a meeting with representatives of all political parties on Monday and hear their grievances. They will hold another meeting of top election officials on Tuesday to discuss threadbare the poll and security arrangements. The poll...
08:37 AM, Apr 08, 2013
Islamabad: Pervez Musharraf's nomination papers for a parliamentary constituency in the port city of Karachi were rejected on Sunday while his papers for another seat in northern Pakistan were accepted by election authorities. Election officials rejected the former military ruler's papers for parliamentary constituency number 250 in Karachi. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Niyamatullah Khan, who intends to contest the May 11 polls from the same seat, had on Saturday objected to Musharraf's...
01:30 PM, Apr 07, 2013
