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.
Pune: The pre-Special Intensive Revision (pre-SIR) exercise currently underway has thrown up various challenges for the government staff as well as the citizens. The exercise is the first step ahead of the formal voter list revision process, when officials visit households to verify existing voter details. Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi said the current phase, which began in the first week of March, involves preliminary verification by government staff, after which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will undertake a full-fledged door-to-door exercise once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is officially notified. "The actual SIR has not yet begun; we are awaiting the official notification. The current pre-SIR activity is being carried out by the administration, and once the SIR starts, the pre-activity will stop," Dudi told Hindustan Times. As the groundwork progresses, concerns around low public awareness and lack of documentation have come to the fore. Activists said Pune's expanding population and complex voter demographics could pose challenges in ensuring accurate and inclusive electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections. Parallel to the official exercise, political groups and local representatives have started outreach efforts in several areas, including Kondhwa, Katraj, Wanawadi, Undri, Yerawada and parts of Pune city. Camps are being organised to help residents verify their names in the 2002 electoral roll, a key document for the ongoing process. However, the exercise has triggered anxiety among sections of citizens. Social workers flagged concerns over possible deletions from voter lists, data mismatches and evolving documentation requirements. Residents pointed to a major awareness gap. Sadik Khan, a resident of NIBM Annexe, said many people were unfamiliar with the process. "During our awareness drives, we found that many citizens are not even aware of the SIR. Several cannot recall their parents' constituency details from 2002, which is crucial for verification," he said. Hussain Shaikh, a social worker, echoed the concern. "There is a clear information gap at the grassroots level. Many people are unaware of the process, and retrieving old constituency details from 2002 is proving difficult," he said. Zeeshan Jamadar, another resident, said locating names in the 2002 voter list was cumbersome and alleged lack of cooperation in updating records. "More time should be given for the mapping process and documentation," he said. Documentation remains another key hurdle. Sachin Subhash Ghule, vice-president of Haveli taluka panchayat samiti and former deputy sarpanch of Undri, said many citizens either lack the required records or struggle to access them, leading to delays and confusion. He also highlighted the impact of the digital divide. "Many residents have limited digital literacy and find it difficult to access online records required for the SIR. This slows participation and increases dependency on others," he said. Ghule further raised concerns over the reliance on the 2002 voter list. "If a voter's name is not found in the 2002 records, what happens next? Will such voters be excluded despite having valid voter ID cards? These are questions that need clarity," he said. As the pre-SIR exercise continues, activists stressed the need for wider awareness campaigns and support mechanisms to help citizens navigate the verification process.
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Despite their protests over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral roll, the state's opposition parties have already joined the exercise in full strength, deploying over 56,000 booth level agents (BLAs) to monitor every stage of the process.RJD has appointed 47,143 BLAs, making it second only to BJP that has positioned 51,964 BLAs in the field. Congress has appointed 8,586 BLAs, CPI(ML) (Liberation) 233, CPM 76, and BS.BJP allies JDU, Lok Janshakti Party and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party have appointed 27,931, 2,457 and 264 BLAs, respectively, taking the total ...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): 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 >
Kochi: Edison Babu's neighbours in Muvattupuzha knew him as the quiet engineer who had returned home during the pandemic. The 35-year-old former auto industry professional seemed to lead an unremarkable life in this sleepy Kerala suburb, occasionally visiting the local post office with packages: nothing unusual for someone running what appeared to be a small online business. What they didn't know was that their mild-mannered neighbour had built India's most sophisticated darknet drug empire, one that relied heavily on the very government postal service that was meant to serve the community. ...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 >
Patna: Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday clarified that there has been no change in the instructions governing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and that the existing rules continue to apply.Releasing an official statement, the EC reiterated that the SIR process is being carried out as per its June 24 guidelines. It said the names of electors who submit enumeration forms by July 25 will be included in the draft electoral rolls due for publication on Aug 1.Importantly, it added that the absence of docum ...Read More >
GURGAON: The investigation into the murder of a 25-year-old former international tennis player, allegedly by her father, has revealed a sudden deterioration in their relationship. The apparent reason was a disagreement over the academy she ran near their house, but the roots clearly run deeper. The father, who claims to have spent Rs 2 crore on his daughter's tennis career, told interrogators he was troubled by questions about her "character" that some of his associates had raised.Deepak Yadav, who shot Radhika at their house Thursday morning, had allegedly been insisting for two weeks on her ...Read More >
New Delhi: In Indian politics, slogans often do the heavy lifting. 'Nari Shakti', the BJP's rallying cry for women's empowerment, has been a consistent part of its electoral pitch, development agenda, and cultural messaging. From schemes like Ujjwala Yojana to the push for the Women's Reservation Bill, the party has repeatedly projected itself as a champion of women's rights. However, despite years of promoting 'Nari Shakti' as a key electoral plank and cultural identity, the Bharatiya Janata Party today finds itself in an uncomfortable position, lacking a strong, popular pan-India woman face ...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 >
Gyanesh Kumar NEW DELHI: With enumeration forms distributed to 93.7% of Bihar's 7.9 crore electorate so far and 13.2% electors already submitting the completed and signed forms, EC officials Saturday told TOI that documents can be added or uploaded by electors whose enumeration forms were submitted with incomplete documentation, right until July 25. July 25 is the last date for submission of the filled-up enumeration forms."As of Saturday 6pm, over one crore enumeration forms (13.2% of Bihar's electors) have been received. The percentage of forms distributed has also gone up to 93.6%, with 7.4 ...Read More >
Puri: Lord Jagannath and His Siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were adorned with 208 kg gold ornaments during the 'Suna Besha' ritual on chariots Sunday, an integral part of the annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri. The devotees can have 'darshan' of the deities from 6.30 pm to 11 pm, said the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). According to temple sources, the deities adorn around 30 different designs of ornaments which include gold, diamond, silver and other precious metals. "Initially, around 138 designs of ornaments were used during the era of King Kapilendra Deb in 146 ...Read More >
Agartala, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Friday that the state government would not compromise on the advancement of the education and improvement of health sectors and is working with priority on the overall development of these two vital sectors. Inaugurating the Chinmaya Hari Hara Vidyalaya and the Bhoomi Pujan of Chinmaya Sundarayi Temple at West Taranagar in West Tripura, the Chief Minister announced the setting up of Tripura Competitive Examination Centres at three places in the state. He added that considering the job-seekers of Tripura, these three ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 27 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said that the state government will not compromise on the development of education, while announcing that competitive exam centres will be opened in three places for job seekers. 'Considering the job-seekers of Tripura, Tripura Competitive Exam Centres will be opened in three places in the state. Financial resources have been allocated in the budget for setting up these centers in Udaipur, Agartala, and Ambassa,' he said. The Chief Minister said this today at the inauguration of Chinmaya Hari Hara Vidyalay ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The special intensive revision of electoral roll in Bihar, and eventually rest of India, will not only exclude people added as electors after 2003-04 on grounds of non-submission of documents to prove Indian citizenship, but also migrants who avoid being registered as electors in the constituency where they are ordinarily residents, only to retain their vote in their "native" place and state or where they own a house. "For example, if you ordinarily reside in Delhi but own a house in Patna, your vote should be registered in Delhi," CEC Gyanesh Kumar told TOI.It is a common practice ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) Field-level functionaries of the Election Commission have found "a large number of people" from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar during house-to-house visits made for the ongoing intensive review of the voters' list in Bihar, officials said on Sunday. They asserted that a proper inquiry of such people will be conducted after August 1 and the names of illegal migrants will not be included in the final electoral roll to be published on September 30. Citing ground reports, EC officials said that during house-to-house visits, "a large number" of people from Nepal, Bangladesh ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Amid protests by opposition parties, the Election Commission on Monday said the special intensive revision is needed as the electoral roll keeps changing due to a variety of reasons and the Constitution mandates it to ensure that only eligible citizens are part of the voters' list and those not, do not get to vote. Several opposition parties have said that the intensive revision carries the risk of willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery. In a statement, the poll panel said the revision of electoral rolls is must as it is a dynamic list which keeps chang ...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 >
Upendra Kushwaha, RLM leader and NDA ally, voiced concerns about the ECI's SIR exercise in Bihar, emphasizing the need to ensure no genuine voter is excluded. He suggested the ECI should have started the revision earlier, given the large population and migrant worker base. Kushwaha highlighted fears among migrant voters and those lacking required documents about potential voter list exclusion.Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader and NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha on Friday raised concerns regarding the S ...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 >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 13 (ANI): Expressing serious doubts over the neutrality of the Election Commission, the Congress party on Sunday raised several critical questions. As per a press statement, former MP Ripun Bora and AICC Media Coordinator for Assam, Charan Singh Sapra, jointly addressed a press conference and alleged that the Election Commission has become a puppet in the hands of the BJP and the Central government. Ripun Bora stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now using the Election Commission as a tool to maintain power, crafting a blueprint for electoral manipul ...Read More >
PATNA: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said all activities related to special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list were progressing as per schedule. The EC's contention came a day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked whether it was possible to develop the voters' list for 8 crore people within 25 days. An EC statement said SIR has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all political parties. "Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive rev ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Clarifying further amid the raging uproar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday said eligible citizens should register themselves as voters only in constituencies of which they are 'ordinary residents' and not the place 'where they own a house'. Addressing a group of booth-level officers here, the CEC said, "As per the Representation of the People Act, you are entitled to vote only in the assembly constituency where you are an ordinary resident. For exam ...Read More >
Guwahati: As legal tensions rise over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Supreme Court on Monday (July 7, 2025) reminded petitioners that the Election Commission (EC) does not hold unchecked authority under the Constitution. A bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia referenced the 1977 M.S. Gill vs. Chief Election Commissioner ruling, emphasizing that the EC cannot act as a "law unto itself." Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The observation came as Opposition parties, united under the INDIA bloc, challenged the ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 10: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday objected to the PILs filed by several NGOs and other political activists in the Supreme Court challenging its decision to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the poll body, objected to the locus standi of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and other PIL litigants. "None of them are voters in Bihar! Before you (SC) are some sections of people who write articles and then file petitions. I have a serious objection to this," ...Read More >
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule is consulting experts on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following Maharashtra's assembly poll results. The opposition questions EVM credibility after the Mahayuti coalition's significant win. Sule advocates for ballot papers, citing other countries' adoption, and will announce a final decision soon.NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday said the opinion of experts is being sought over the "EVM issue" in the wake of the Maharashtra assembly polls' mandate as she b ...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 >
Kolkata, Jul 6 (PTI) TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Sunday alleged that ECI's order for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was intended to deprive the bonafide young electorate from voting in this year's polling, and the panel's next target would be West Bengal. Moitra, who has moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the ECI, alleged that it violates several provisions of the Constitution and the Representation of People (RP) Act, 1950. Also Read | No Change in Instructions for 'Special Intensive Revision' in Bihar, Says Election Commission After Advertisement Lead ...Read More >