Election Commission of India - Revision history

Jyoti: /* Reforms, proposed and actual */

2026-03-28T13:50:17Z

‎Reforms, proposed and actual

Jyoti: /* Debates in Constituent Assembly, 1949; subsequent changes */

2023-08-17T10:07:28Z

‎Debates in Constituent Assembly, 1949; subsequent changes

Jyoti: /* Election commissioners, selection of */

2023-08-17T10:06:38Z

‎Election commissioners, selection of

Jyoti: /* History */

2022-12-06T19:39:54Z

‎History

Jyoti: /* Recent controversies EC has faced */

2022-12-03T08:14:40Z

‎Recent controversies EC has faced

Jyoti at 08:13, 3 December 2022

2022-12-03T08:13:53Z

Jyoti: /* Election commissioners, selection of */

2022-08-15T19:55:34Z

‎Election commissioners, selection of

Pdewan: /* Election commissioners, selection of */

2019-03-12T09:35:36Z

‎Election commissioners, selection of

Pdewan: /* Reforms */

2018-04-12T21:33:40Z

‎Reforms

Jyoti at 06:18, 22 October 2017

2017-10-22T06:18:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:50, 28 March 2026
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	This led to some candidates missing filing their nomination papers in the recent assembly polls as they had failed to get the required no-dues certificate. There was, however, no legal backing to such instructions from the EC.		This led to some candidates missing filing their nomination papers in the recent assembly polls as they had failed to get the required no-dues certificate. There was, however, no legal backing to such instructions from the EC.
		+
		+	=Special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls=
		+	==2026==
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=22_02_2026_001_020_cap_TOI Bharti.Jain, February 22, 2026: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: The first results of the Special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, 2026.jpg\|The first results of the Special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, 2026 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=22_02_2026_001_020_cap_TOI Bharti.Jain, February 22, 2026: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+
		+	New Delhi : With nine of the 12 states covered in phase 2 of special intensive revision (SIR) having published their final electoral roll, including six, their combined electorate is down 7.9% to 19.7 crore, as compared to 21.4 crore at the time of announcement of SIR exercise on Oct 27, 2025.
		+
		+	Over 1.7 crore electors have been struck off the electoral rolls of the nine states/UTs — Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, MP, Rajasthan, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Goa and Andaman & Nicobar Islands — on account of SIR.
		+
		+	While final electoral rolls of Gujarat, Puducherry and Lakshadweep were published earlier, those for MP, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and Andaman & Nicobar were published Saturday.
		+
		+	Interestingly, the range of net decline in electors at the end of SIR varies from a steep 16.9% in Andaman & Nicobar and 13.4% in Gujarat to just 0.3% in Lakshadweep and 3.2% in Kerala.
		+
		+
		+	''' Bengal, UP and TN yet to publish final poll rolls '''
		+
		+	While four of the nine states/UTs recorded net deletions above the 7.9% overall average, it was the opposite in five states/UTs.
		+
		+	Three states — West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — are yet to publish their final electoral roll as part of SIR phase 2. While Tamil Nadu’s roll will be out on Feb 23, the timeline for Bengal is Feb 28 and for UP is April 10.
		+
		+	Among the six states where SIR stands concluded, Gujarat saw the highest net decline in its electorate since the start of SIR, at 68 lakh or 13.4%. Chhattisgarh’s electorate shrunk by 11.8% and Goa’s by 10.7%. The remaining three states saw a modest decline: with Kerala’s final electorate down by 3.2%, Madhya Pradesh’s by 5.9% and Rajasthan’s by 5.7%.
		+
		+	Among the UTs, only Andaman and Nicobar saw a sharp net decline of 16.9% in its electors. Puducherry electorate was 7.6% less than what it was on Oct 27, 2025; the decline in Lakshadweep was just over 0.3%. While Phase 1 of SIR completed last year was exclusive to Bihar, Assam witnessed only aspecial summary revision.
		+
		+	[[Category:Government\|EELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:India\|EELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary\|EELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Name\|ALPHABETELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]

	=See also=		=See also=

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 =Election commissioners, selection of=
 ==Debates in Constituent Assembly, 1949; subsequent changes==
-[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=LEGALLY-SPEAKING-Should-there-be-law-for collegium-17072017013051 Dhananjay Mahapatra, LEGALLY SPEAKING: Should there be law for collegium-based selection of election commissioners?, Jul 17 2017: ''The Times of India (Delhi)'']
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=LEGALLY-SPEAKING-Should-there-be-law-for-collegium-17072017013051  Dhananjay Mahapatra, LEGALLY SPEAKING: Should there be law for collegium-based selection of election commissioners?, Jul 17 2017: ''The Times of India (Delhi)'']
 Right from the time the Constitution was being finalised through debates in the Constituent Assembly in 1949, there has been unanimity that elections must be insulated from executive interference.
@@ Line 146: / Line 146: @@
 “Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“
 ==2012: BJP’s stand==

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 =Election commissioners, selection of=
 ==Debates in Constituent Assembly, 1949; subsequent changes==
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=LEGALLY-SPEAKING-Should-there-be-law-for collegium-17072017013051 Dhananjay Mahapatra, LEGALLY SPEAKING: Should there be law for collegium-based selection of election commissioners?, Jul 17 2017: ''The Times of India (Delhi)'']
-[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=LEGALLY-SPEAKING-Should-there-be-law-for collegium-17072017013051 Dhananjay Mahapatra LEGALLY SPEAKING - Should there be law for collegium-based selection of election commissioners?|Jul 17 2017: The Times of India (Delhi)]
 Right from the time the Constitution was being finalised through debates in the Constituent Assembly in 1949, there has been unanimity that elections must be insulated from executive interference.
@@ Line 147: / Line 146: @@
 “Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“
 =Model code violations=

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 * Questions were raised about the timing of the investigation by central agencies/departments of family members of election commissioner Ashok Lavasa as they coincided with his dissenting notes against the EC’s weak response to allegations of model code violations by the BJP and its leadership during the 2019 elections. Instead of going on to take over as CEC, Lavasa resigned from the EC in 2020
 [[Category:Government|EELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
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 [[Category:Name|ALPHABETELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIAELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
 ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
 =Clashes of EC: with govt, within EC=

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
-==Recent controversies EC has faced==
+==Controversies EC has faced==
 Once a gold standard institution, the Election Commission’s responses – or lack of any – in some instances have been questioned recently:
@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 * Questions were raised about the timing of the investigation by central agencies/departments of family members of election commissioner Ashok Lavasa as they coincided with his dissenting notes against the EC’s weak response to allegations of model code violations by the BJP and its leadership during the 2019 elections. Instead of going on to take over as CEC, Lavasa resigned from the EC in 2020
 =Clashes of EC: with govt, within EC=

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 See [[examples]] and a tutorial.</div>
 |}
-[[Category:India |E]]
-[[Category:Government |E]]
-[[Category: Law,Constitution,Judiciary|E]]
-[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
 =Clashes of EC: with govt, within EC=
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 [[Elections in India: opinion polls]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:55, 15 August 2022
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	“Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“		“Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“
		+
		+	=Model code violations=
		+	==2010-12==
		+	[Bharti Jain, ‘Selective amnesia’: EC rebuts ex-CEC on its handling of hate speech, February 14, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	S Y Quraishi
		+	led EC from 2010 to 2012, had in an opinion piece published in a daily on February 8, 2020, wondered why EC had stopped short of filing FIRs against Union minister Anurag Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Verma under Representation of the People Act (RP Act) or Section 153 of IPC for hate speech despite finding them “guilty of offences deserving punishment” under Section 123 and 125 of RP Act. He, however, appreciated EC’s decision to drop the two from BJP’s list of star campaigners and temporarily bar them from campaigning.
		+
		+	In a reply sent to Quraishi on February 13, 2020 — a copy of which is with TOI — deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena put on record each of the model code violation proceedings undertaken during Quraishi’s own term. “It would be seen from the enclosed list that no action was taken by the then Commission during this period under Sections 123 and 125 of RP Act 1951/153 of IPC 1860,” he pointed out.
		+
		+	EC cites nine notices issued for polls during Quraishi’s term
		+
		+	EC cited the nine showcause notices issued for elections held between July 30, 2010 and June 10, 2012, coinciding with Quraishi’s term. While five notices were issued in 2012 UP poll, three in 2011 West Bengal poll, two in 2011 Tamil Nadu poll and one in 2010 Bihar poll. As per final outcome of these cases, advisories were issued in five, warning issued in two and remaining two cases closed. No directions were issued to lodge FIR in any of the cases.
		+
		+	No model code of conduct notices were issued during polls in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand in the relevant period.
		+
		+	Citing the notice issued to then law minister Salman Khurshid for announcing 9% reservation for minorities within 27% OBC quota during UP poll, EC recalled that he was subsequently censured. Khurshid later reiterated the announcement, after which EC wrote to President seeking his intervention. Khurshid finally regretted his statements before EC, after which latter decided not to take further action.
		+
		+	EC also issued a notice to BSP’s S C Mishra in 2012 for his repeated references to Dalit-Brahmin political combination. Though Mishra did not reply, EC took a lenient view and merely hoped Mishra would be more careful in the future. Another notice went to former Union minister Beni Prasad Verma for making promises to Muslims, but after he regretted the same, EC did not press for further action. Even then Union minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal received an EC notice for threatening President’s rule in UP. Jaiswal claimed his statement was distorted and EC concluded there was no threat of intimidation of votes.
		+
		+	In West Bengal poll in 2011, CPM’s Anil Basu had made obscene remarks against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.EC only conveyed its severe displeasure and warned him to be more careful in the future.
		+
		+	[[Category:Government\|E
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:India\|E
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary\|E
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Name\|ALPHABET
		+	ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA]]

	=Reforms, proposed and actual=		=Reforms, proposed and actual=

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 “Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“
-=Reforms=
+=Reforms, proposed and actual=
 == Govt thwarts EC bid to bar utility bill defaulters==
 [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Govt-thwarts-EC-bid-to-bar-utility-bill-09102017011012  Govt thwarts EC bid to bar utility bill defaulters, October 9, 2017: The Times of India]

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:18, 22 October 2017
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	“Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“		“Now, all this army cannot be set up as a machinery independent of the government. It is not possible nor advisable to have a kingdom within a kingdom, so that election matters could be left to an entirely independent organ of the government. A machinery , so independent, cannot be allowed to sit as a kind of super-government to decide which government shall come to power. There will be great political danger if the Election Commission becomes such a political power in the country .“
		+
		+	=Reforms=
		+	== Govt thwarts EC bid to bar utility bill defaulters==
		+	[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Govt-thwarts-EC-bid-to-bar-utility-bill-09102017011012 Govt thwarts EC bid to bar utility bill defaulters, October 9, 2017: The Times of India]
		+
		+
		+	The government has rejected a proposal from the Election Commission (EC) to amend the Representation of the People Act to bar candidates from contesting parliamentary or assembly elections if they have not cleared their dues such as house rent in government accommodation, electricity and water bills.
		+
		+	The EC had in a communication to the law ministry requested amending the election laws to include failure to clear dues of public utilities as a disqualification from contesting Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
		+
		+	Barring candidates will require amendment to Chapter III of the RP Act which deals with electoral offences. A new clause will have to be inserted therein for disqualification “on the ground of being a defaulter of public dues“.
		+
		+	However, in its response to the election watchdog, the law ministry had said the proposal was “not desirable“. According to the law ministry , the ban would not be desirable as the authority issuing no-dues certificate or no-objection certificate to a candidate could be biased and may not give the required papers.
		+
		+	The ministry also said in cases of dispute on the dues, the matter could be referred to a court and may take time to settle. In such cases, it would not be desirable to deny the candidate with the nodues certificate.
		+
		+	In July , 2015 the Delhi High Court had through an order asked the EC to “consider the possibility , if any, of putting any impediment to a defaulter of public dues contesting election, to ensure quick recovery of the said dues“.
		+
		+	Based on the judgment, the commission had recently made it mandatory for candidates contesting polls to furnish a `no-dues certificate' from the agency providing electricity, water and telephone connections to their accommodation.
		+
		+	This led to some candidates missing filing their nomination papers in the recent assembly polls as they had failed to get the required no-dues certificate. There was, however, no legal backing to such instructions from the EC.

	=See also=		=See also=