Ensure transparency in poll process: EC

Motihari: Election commissioner Vivek Joshi visited Motihari on Saturday to assess preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. Accompanied by a team from the Election Commission, he conducted a detailed inspection of the district's election infrastructure and stressed the importance of transparency at every stage.
Joshi first visited the election warehouse where he closely examined the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) systems. He asked the DM, SP and other officials to ensure that all preparations continue under the supervision of representatives from political parties.
The commissioner also visited the first level checking (FLC) centre in Motihari to review the inspection process of EVMs and VVPATs.
He interacted with engineers from Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and sought detailed information about the testing procedures.
During the inspection, Joshi issued key guidelines to officials, placing special emphasis on conducting all operations with complete transparency. He was accompanied by Bihar chief electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjial, who also reviewed the administrative preparations.
DM Saurabh Jorwal informed the commissioner that the district has a total of 7,209 ballot units, 5,613 control units, and 6,058 VVPATs. The inspection process began on May 2, and so far, 4,380 ballot units, 4,380 control units, and 4,380 VVPATs have been examined. Of these, 431 ballot units, 47 control units, and 36 VVPATs were rejected due to technical issues.
Jorwal assured that the work is being carried out transparently in the presence of political party representatives and that this transparency will be maintained throughout the process.
Representatives from BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, LJP, BSP and the Aam Aadmi Party were also present during the inspection.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

News18

an hour ago

• News18

Jagan Mohan Named As Accused After Vehicle In His Convoy Runs Over YSRCP Supporter

Last Updated: A case had been registered against Jagan Mohan for the death of Cheeli Singayya, who was reportedly run over by the ex-Andhra CM's convoy in Guntur district. A case has been registered against YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, after a party supporter lost his life after being run over by a vehicle that was part of Reddy's convoy in Guntur district. Guntur SP Satish Kumar said a case had been registered against Jagan Mohan for the death of Cheeli Singayya. On June 18, Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Rentapalla with a convoy of three vehicles to call on a family member of a YSRCP leader who had died by suicide a year ago. The event turned tragic as Singayya, who had gathered along the roadside with other YSRCP supporters, was knocked down by a vehicle in the convoy and sustained serious bleeding injuries. As the tragedy unfolded, eyewitnesses rushed to his rescue and alerted the law enforcement. Soon after, the man was taken to Guntur Government Hospital for treatment but he succumbed to his injuries. The tragedy raised concerns over crowd management and sparked widespread criticism regarding the lack of security oversight. 'After analysing various evidence, it was found that the deceased was seen under the wheels of Jagan Mohan Reddy's vehicle," said Guntur district Superintendent of Police (SP) S Satish Kumar, addressing a press conference late on Sunday. A case was initially registered under Section 106(1) of BNS (causing death by negligence) based on a complaint by his wife, Cheeli Lurdhu Mary, at the local police station. However, the SP said that after examining CCTV footage, drone videos, eyewitnesses, and other technical evidence, the case has been updated to include Sections 105 and 49 of the BNS, and legal action will be taken against all those present in the vehicle, including Jagan Mohan. Other accused include Jagan Mohan Reddy's driver Ramana Reddy, Personal Assistant K Nageshwar Reddy, senior YSRCP leader YV Subbareddy, former MLA Perni Venkataramaiah, and former Minister Vidadala Rajini, Kumar told reporters. (with agency inputs) First Published:

Indian Express

3 hours ago

• Indian Express

Before next election, EC must address questions raised about Maharashtra polls

Democracy is not merely the act of casting a vote; it is the unshakeable faith that every vote will be counted transparently, and without bias. Today, that faith stands shaken. When Rahul Gandhi recently raised questions about India's elections, citing Maharashtra's example, he voiced the concern of Indians who don't feel represented by those who sit in our legislative houses on their behalf ('Match-fixing Maharashtra', IE, June 7). One of his most shocking revelations was that over 41 lakh new voters were added to the electoral rolls between the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in the state, within a span of five months. This number reportedly exceeded the total projected adult population of the state by over 16 lakh individuals. How can a state have more registered adult voters than adults? The ECI's response relied on vague terms — like 'statutory forms' and 'field verifications' on an unsigned note — as justifications. These fall far too short given the electoral anomalies witnessed across the country. During the Delhi election earlier this year, reports of similar malpractices surfaced. The AAP alleged that some constituencies saw bogus and suspicious voter additions, accompanied by deletions, predominantly targeting minorities and backward communities that were traditionally against the BJP. The question arises: How is the Election Commission of India (ECI) enabling voter deletions without verification or transparency? History helps. In March 2019, G K Dwivedi, then Chief Electoral Officer of Andhra Pradesh, flagged the misuse of Form 7 to the ECI. His warnings were brushed aside. Today, the same Form 7 is being used — under the ECI's watch — to manipulate electoral outcomes. The ECI's independence has been further compromised through questionable appointments and dismissals. The 2023 Supreme Court judgment put in place a neutral panel of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India to select Election Commissioners. However, the Modi government's December 2023 law replaced the CJI with a cabinet minister, giving the ruling party a majority in the selection panel. In March 2024, EC Arun Goel abruptly resigned just weeks before the general elections, reportedly over differences with CEC Rajiv Kumar, a former Finance Secretary seen as being close to the BJP. The ECI stayed silent on the PM's divisive 'infiltrator' remark during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign. Even in the 2024 Haryana election, some candidates sought a review of the results and EVM-VVPAT slip verification. Why did the ECI get scared to show the papers? Lastly, one must address Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's attempt to whitewash the government's complot by dismissing our questions with an embarrassingly superficial line of reasoning ('Rejected by people, now he rejects people's mandate', IE, June 8). If the CM struggled to grasp the substance of the issue, we'd be happy to arrange a briefing for him. But if he doesn't care to find out, then he should at least refrain from feigning whataboutery as facts. Fadnavis's response didn't address the scale, timing, and demographic targeting evident in the 2024 elections. He failed to explain why 7.83 per cent of the total votes were cast in just the last hour of polling — the voting surge was observed in 12,000 booths of 85 constituencies where the BJP lagged in the Lok Sabha election but led in the Vidhan Sabha. He produced no evidence to counter this. He is also tight-lipped about clustering of voter spikes and blocking of duplicate EPIC number disclosures. Instead of presenting hard facts, he asks the public to trust him blindly. Not because he's backed by proof, but just because he said so. Unfortunately, that's not enough. Democracy runs on accountability and transparency. Both are glaringly absent from Fadnavis's flimsy defence. If he truly believes the government has nothing to hide, he should support the Congress party's demand for making machine-readable data publicly available. In its absence, his party — in power both at the Union and state level— and the ECI will remain under suspicion. As for the ECI, if it believes Rahul Gandhi's concerns are unfounded, it has every reason to respond with evidence — CCTV footage — and prove him wrong. But CCTV footage is a sensitive topic for the ECI, as on May 30, the ECI ordered election footage to be destroyed just 45 days after polling — unless legally challenged. This deliberate narrowing down of the window for scrutiny should raise the eyebrows of concerned citizens. Why is the ECI in a rush? India is drifting from democracy to a managed electoral state, with the ECI now a tool of the ruling party. And this is visible in the credibility crisis the body faces today. Only 58 per cent of Indians trust it, according to the 2024 CSDS-Lokniti survey. The people of India must ask themselves: Are we truly electing our leaders, or are we being manipulated into validating a pre-decided outcome? Evidence like questionable voter roll changes, last-hour spikes, opaque conduct, and dubious appointments point to a deep decay. What we are witnessing are not isolated electoral malpractices, but a more systematic undoing. As Bihar heads into its next major election, the stakes couldn't be higher. The people of Bihar must rise — not just to cast their vote, but to defend the vote itself. Every addition or deletion in the electoral rolls must be scrutinised. This is about every Indian who believes in the sanctity of the ballot, not just the Congress party. If we don't fight now for a truly independent ECI, we may have neither democracy left to fight for nor the right to fight at all. The writer is Chairman, Media and Publicity Department, AICC

Time of India

5 hours ago

• Time of India

Nilambur byelection: Day of reckoning for UDF and LDF

Kozhikode: Counting of votes for the high-stakes Nilambur assembly bypoll will take place on Monday. The bypoll saw a keenly-contested race between UDF and LDF, with former Left-backed MLA and independent candidate PV Anvar adding complexity to the race. A UDF win would signal public discontent with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF govt, while an LDF victory would strengthen the ruling front's push for a third term in power. The counting will begin at 8am on Monday at Marthoma Higher Secondary School in Chungathara. Officials will open the strongroom holding EVMs at 7.30am in the presence of candidates' agents. Counting will start with postal ballots at 8am, followed by EVM votes from 8.10am. There will be 14 tables for counting EVM votes, four for postal ballots and one for pre-counting electronically transmitted postal ballot system votes. Votes from 263 polling booths will be counted in 19 rounds, covering 14 booths per round. After all rounds, officials will count VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations separately in the presence of Election Commission observers. A total of 86 officials will manage the counting, including 25 micro-observers, 24 counting supervisors, 30 counting assistants and seven assistant returning officers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ductless Air Conditioners Are Selling Like Crazy [See Why] Keep Cool Click Here Undo The third round of randomization for officials will take place at 5:30am on Monday. The entire counting process will be monitored using CCTV surveillance. A three-tier security system—comprising central forces, state police and local police—will deploy 900 personnel on duty. Election Commission observers and the returning officer will oversee the process. Following EC guidelines, arrangements have been made for candidates and their agents to monitor counting. EVM counting will start with UDF-ruled Vazhikkadavu panchayat, followed by Moothedam panchayat. If there is no clear lead in these initial rounds, it will likely indicate the tone for the final result. Otherwise, suspense will build as later booths—including Amarambalam, where the LDF expects a strong lead—are counted at the end. After Vazhikkadavu and Moothedam, counting will proceed with other panchayats like Edakkara, Pothukallu, Chungathara, Nilambur, Karulayi and Amarambalam. UDF expects its candidate Aryadan Shoukath to win by over 10,000 votes, while CPM's internal booth-level data estimates a narrow victory of 1,600 votes for its candidate M Swaraj. Nilambur byelection recorded a voter turnout of 75.87%. Of the 2,32,057 registered voters, 1,76,070 cast their votes, including 1,74,667 through EVMs and 1,403 postal ballots.