India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that Bihar will be the first state in the country to implement 100 percent webcasting in Assembly elections, as per a report by ETV Bharat. The move, aimed at ensuring strict monitoring of the polling process, comes under revised guidelines that make webcasting compulsory in every polling station with internet connectivity. Revised Guidelines and Monitoring System Sources in the ECI told ETV Bharat, "Webcasting will be done in all polling stations in the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. This will be the first state in the country where there will be 100 percent webcasting in all polling stations." Earlier, the rule required live streaming in 50 percent of polling stations and in all critical and vulnerable booths. Under the new system, videography and photography will be used only in locations without internet access. To oversee the process, monitoring control rooms will be set up at the state, district and assembly constituency levels, each supervised by a designated nodal officer. What is Webcasting? Webcasting refers to the live streaming of events inside polling stations while protecting the secrecy of voting. The ECI said that similar measures had already been applied in by-elections in states such as Punjab and West Bengal, where 100 percent coverage was successfully implemented. Scale of Implementation in Bihar The addition of 12,817 new polling stations has raised the total number in Bihar to 90,712, all of which will be covered by webcasting in the Assembly polls. Officials said the system will help ensure there is no violation of the election process and will allow for closer oversight of polling across the state. The tenure of the Bihar Assembly ends on November 22. A delegation of the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, will visit Bihar on October 4 and 5 to review preparedness. The schedule for the elections is expected to be announced after this visit.
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly objected to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) latest guidelines, which mandate a specific identity card proving citizenship and submission of a self-attested declaration of Indian citizenship for inclusion in the voters' list. Banerjee alleged that the ECI was working in coordination with the Central Government and accused it of "providing emergency weapons to help the BJP." Directly targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she claimed, "Modiji (Narendra Modi) is the Prime Minis ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, on Wednesday, wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, alleging Aam Aadmi Party's open support to illegal Rohingya & Bangladeshi immigrants. 'From legitimising encroachments to provoking anarchy, Arvind Kejriwal is playing with Delhi's safety and India's sovereignty,' Sirsa wrote on X, sharing the letter. In his letter, Manjinder Sirsa said that the efforts of the Aam Aadmi Party to protect illegal immigrants and thus attack this very idea of Citizenship are nothing but a travesty of the Constitut ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) met representatives of various political parties at Nirvachan Sadan on Wednesday, said the Election Commission. The Commission, under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, heard the concerns, issues and queries raised by the party representatives and decoded for them, the entire Special Intensive Revision (SIR) which is well underway in Bihar and is progressing smoothly, added Election Commission statement. The political parti ...Read More >
Dausa (Rajasthan) [India], July 5 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot has raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted in Bihar, questioning the Election Commission's "haste" and said EC should carry out its work in a "transparent manner." Speaking to reporters in Dausa on Friday, Rajasthan, Pilot said, "The haste with which the Election Commission has taken this step raises significant doubts, and a group of opposition parties met them and asked questions, but no satisfactory answers were received." Also Read | Centre Notifies Waqf Management ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday inaugurated the newly constructed road in the Rajouri Garden constituency. 'The people in Rajouri have been suffering from the problem of water supply... no work has been done here in the last five years. The government's mission is to replace the roads, streets, sewage lines...' Sirsa said speaking to the reporters here. Earlier on July 2, Sirsa in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alleged that Aam Aadmi Party was openly supporting llegal Rohingya & Bangladeshi immigrants. 'From legiti ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar is underway in full swing with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), BLO Supervisors, all the election officials, BLAs appointed by the political parties and the volunteers working tirelessly at the grassroots level to ensure that no eligible elector is left out, according to a press release by the Election Commission of India's (ECI). As per the release, as of today at 6.00 PM, 1,04,16 545 Enumeration Forms, i.e. 13.19 per cent of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) electors in Bihar who are enrolled as of Jun ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 6 (ANI): The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign of the electoral rolls in Bihar is progressing rapidly and recognizing the efforts of the Polling station officials, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar has announced a special incentive of Rs 6,000 for each. This additional honorarium is aimed at acknowledging their hard work and commitment during the intensive revision process. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi, Argentine President Javier Milei Agree to Diversify India-Argentina Trade Basket, Vows to Expand Cooperation in Defence, Security and Mine ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), indicated a level of hypocrisy attached to criticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying ""EVMs are tampered when you lose and fine if you win". The oral remark was made by Justice Vikram Nath before dismissing a petition filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who urged for a judicial order to return to paper ballots. Also read:EVM-VVPAT case | Cannot disclose 'source code' of EVMs, will result in misuse: Supreme Court Justice Nath, during the hearing, asked Mr. Paul whether he wanted to turn the court into a political arena. Mr. Paul sa ...Read More >
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav alleged on Tuesday that the ongoing 'special intensive revision' of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar was a move to cut votes from the strong booths and constituencies of the Opposition, and add votes to the booths at which the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was stronger. Punching holes in the entire exercise, the RJD leader denounced it as being "full of confusion, uncertainty and repression", and demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) "immediately cancel all confusing orders and issue clear, final and ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its recent directive to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's voter list within just one month. With the state elections drawing closer, senior Congress leaders alleged that the move is a "deliberate attempt to delete names of the poor, Dalits, backward communities, and migrant workers." At a press briefing held at the new Congress headquarters in Delhi, Congress Media and Publicity Chairman Pawan Khera, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, and ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid swirling political controversies and rumours over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said the first phase of the process has been completed smoothly and in accordance with guidelines. In a detailed press note, the ECI said that "no changes have been made in the SIR instructions issued on June 24", debunking claims from various quarters that the process was being manipulated to favour the ruling dispensation ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elect ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi held an interaction with a delegation from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party led by its National President Asaduddin Owaisi at Nirvachan Sadan in the national capital on Monday. The poll body said that it received suggestions from the Owaisi-led delegation in the meeting, which was held at Nirvachan Sadan. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh Rains: Mandi BJP MP Kangna Ranaut Visits Disaster-Hit Areas in Her Lok Sabha Constituency After Facing Flak Within Party, Draws Local ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday reaffirmed the Election Commission of India's commitment to conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar on time, amid concerns raised by opposition parties about the timing of the exercise just months ahead of the state assembly elections. Speaking at a Booth Level Officers (BLO) training session held in New Delhi, the CEC stated that the SIR was proceeding as scheduled with full involvement from the election machinery and political parties. "The implementation of Sp ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm stance on terrorism at the BRICS Summit, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday expressed his complete faith that India will fight terrorism with full resolve and determination. His remarks came in response to PM Modi's statement at the global summit, where he called terrorism "the most serious challenge facing humanity" and emphasised that condemning terrorism must be a matter of principle, not convenience. Speaking to IANS, Pramod Tiwari supported the Prime Minister, stating, "At the B ...Read More >
Patna: In a development with potential political and electoral implications, a door-to-door verification campaign by the Election Commission (EC) has found the presence of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar residing in Bihar. According to EC sources, many of these people may have unlawfully entered the country's voting system, though officials suggest their names are unlikely to appear in the final electoral roll due to be published on Sept 30.The revelations, it is learned, emerged during ...Read More >
INDIA Bloc leaders will meet virtually on July 19 to discuss the political climate before Parliament's monsoon session. Tejashwi Yadav voiced concerns about Bihar's Special Intensive Revision exercise. He plans to address this at a meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. Congress leaders also questioned the electoral roll revision in Bihar. The Election Commission reported that 89. The leaders of the INDIA Bloc will virtually meet on July 19 to discuss the prevailing political situation in th ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a significant step toward digital transformation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has revamped its post-election data reporting process by introducing a streamlined, technology-driven system for generating Index Cards and Statistical Reports. The initiative, aimed at enhancing data accessibility and timeliness, replaces the earlier manual process that often delayed dissemination. Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the new system leverages automation and data integration to enab ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): Noting that the Election Commission 'undermined' the basis of the democratic system in the last six months, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the poll body will 'destroy' the country's democracy. Ramesh, who is also Congress' General Secretary in charge of Communications, drew a parallel between the demonetisation in 2016 and SIR by the Election Commission, stating that the PM's 'notebandi' destroyed our economy and the ECI's 'VOTE-Bandi', as reflected in the SIR, will destroy our democracy. In a post on X, Ramesh ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 4 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar is progressing smoothly and on schedule, despite concerns raised by opposition parties about possible voter exclusion. Speaking at a training session for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Gyanesh Kumar said, 'The implementation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar is running as per schedule with the active participation of all election staff and all political parties in a transparent manner. Despite apprehensions of some persons, ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 4 (ANI): Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Friday has raised objections to the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that it could result in the exclusion of a large number of voters who return to the state only during the festive season. Speaking to ANI, Kishor said, 'We are against this, we have expressed concern, and we have also called a meeting of our executive to discuss this issue because there is a very large section in Bihar that comes from outside during Diwali, Chhath, and for them, coming before Diwali, ...Read More >
Pune: State Election Commission (SEC) will use the July 1, 2025, updated legislative assembly voters' list for the upcoming local body elections with chairperson Dinesh Waghmare directing district collectors and municipal commissioners to begin preparations based on the updated voter rolls during video conferences on Thursday and Friday.Elections are due for 29 municipal corporations, 290 nagar panchayats and parishads, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis, as their terms have expired. "There is no separate voters' list for local body polls. The Election Commission of India (ECI)'s up ...Read More >
New Delhi: A delegation of the INDIA Bloc met the senior officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) here on Wednesday and discussed issues related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar. The delegation comprised leaders of the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI (ML) Liberation. Elections in Bihar are scheduled to take place in October-November later this year. During their meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi at ECI headquarters here, the delegation raised var ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday met representatives and apprised them about the process adopted by it in the conduct of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's Electoral Roll ahead of assembly elections, officials said. The commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi during the meeting at ECI headquarters, addressed the concerns raised by the representatives of political parties. A senior poll panel official said, "A few of the participants were given appointments and others were allowed t ...Read More >
Kargil , Jul 2: Pursuant to putting in place a comprehensive legal framework to ensure fair, inclusive, and transparent recruitment to public services, the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has initiated a large-scale recruitment drive for 359 Gazetted posts through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This marks the first-ever recruitment of Gazetted posts through UPSC since the formation of the Union Territory, officials said. This follows the establishment of a unique and dedicated legal framework specifically designed for Ladakh. The framework ensures maximum local re ...Read More >
New Delhi: Was it the pitch? Was it the conditions? Was it the bowling? The questions doing the rounds after yet another strange show in good batting conditions by India were many. But with the exception of Shubman Gill, who became just the second Indian captain, after Mohammad Azharuddin, to score hundreds in consecutive matches in England, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, few India batters managed to answer them in a satisfactory manner. After being put into bat by England, India looked like they were in control at various points during the day but then somehow contrived to gift away wickets and end t ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 4 (ANI): Independent MP from Bihar's Purnia, Pappu Yadav, on Friday accused the Election Commission (EC) of trying to disenfranchise poor, Dalit, and migrant workers through its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Speaking to ANI, Yadav alleged that the EC is demanding proof of citizenship dating back to before 1987, documents he claims most Dalits, Adivasis and migrant labourers do not possess. 'Are we not Indians? Are we from Nepal or Bangladesh? You released all the lists six months ago--what's the point now, after 22 years ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, on Tuesday, alleged that the Election Commission is in favour of and works for the BJP. Citing the example of Bihar, Chennithala claimed that two crore new voters have been added in the state before the Assembly polls. Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader emphasised that they will fight the issue in the court as it is very important to bring transparency to the election. 'Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, told everyone clearly how 75 lakh votes were added. Rahul Gandhi has put the evidence in front of the Election Commission of all ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >