Poll panel asks parties to avoid use of plastics for election material

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The model code of conduct in poll-bound Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra, where voting to elect new state governments will be held Oct 13, came into effect Monday. The model code of conduct comes into effect from today (Monday) in the all three states, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla told reporters while announcing the poll schedule for the three Congress-ruled states.

May 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Expressing displeasure with two candidates in Himachal Pradesh who violated the poll code, the Election Commission Tuesday asked the authorities to file a case against them. The poll panel said that cases should be filed against Lok Janshakti Party's (LJP) Keshab Chauhan and sitting MP and Congress candidate Chander Kumar - both fighting elections from Kangra constituency - for having more than four people accompany them when they filed their nominations.

May 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Saturday asked the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) to explain why its advertisement of the New Pension Scheme' had been different from the version for which the poll panel had given permission. The poll panel asked the pension authority to explain the deviation and non-compliance with the panel's order for the advertisement which appeared in the Hindu newspaper.

April 14th, 2009 BHOPAL - The Election Commission will file cases against candidates found campaigning for other contestants in the same constituency, Election Commissioner Navin Chawla said here Tuesday. 'The Election Commission is going to keep a close watch on such candidates,' Chawla told reporters.

April 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Thursday issued a notice to Anant Kumar Hegde, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate from Uttar Kannada, for making inflammatory remarks in a poll meeting. The poll panel said it has come to its notice that Hedge conducted a election meeting in Mundgod in his constituency March 21, where he made a statement that 'if Muslims do not stop violence, it will be difficult to celebrate Id-Milad'.

April 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Thursday directed the cabinet to refrain from conducting media briefings after its meetings. In a statement issued here, the poll panel told the cabinet secretary to avoid such briefings.

March 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday directed the Election Commission to accommodate the demand of three registered but unrecognised political parties, including Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam, for a fixed symbol in their particular states. A bench of Chief Justice K.G.

March 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday asked the Election Commission to accommodate the pleas of three unrecognised but registered political parties, including Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party, for poll symbols in their states. A bench of Chief Justice K.G.

March 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal's ruling Left Front is upset with the Election Commission for meeting members of the opposition Trinamool Congress for a longer period than representatives of other parties, including the communists. The poll panel officials had come to West Bengal on a two-day visit during which they held discussions with political parties, giving each party 10 minutes.

March 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Like in the last general elections, political parties will be given time on state-run Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) to speak about their ideology in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission Friday allotted time to seven national parties and 39 state parties to telecast and broadcast about themselves through the national television and radio.

March 19th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - The Central Election Commission (CEC) has asked district electoral officers across Gujarat to conduct a vulnerability analysis of religious minorities, tribals, backward classes and economically weak sections to prevent them from being threatened by political parties during the Lok Sabha polls, an official said here Thursday. The district collectors, who are working as electoral officers, have been entrusted with the responsibility of identifying all sections that could face harassment and be forced not to vote by political parties, a senior official at the State Election Office here told IANS.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued a notice to the Election Commission (EC) asking it why a political party named Shiv Sena Hindustan cannot be registered with it. Justice S. Ravindra Bhat asked the Election Commission why the registration of the Punjab-based political party was refused.

March 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission will hold a meeting of poll observers here tomorrow. During the two-day meeting, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalawami and two Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S Y Quraishi will brief around 1500 observers on the conduct of elections.

March 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission will hold a meeting of poll observers here today. During the two-day meeting, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalawami and two Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S Y Quraishi will brief around 1500 observers on the conduct of elections.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Tuesday termed as speculative media reports that it would announce the schedule of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections this weekend. 'I don't have any information.