00:00More breaking news coming in. First, EC meeting that is happening amid the rift of the claims.
00:07And this is a crucial meeting that is being held at Nirbachan Bhavan, where all the three ECs are attending
00:13the meeting.
00:14Latest information just coming in. As an internal meeting is now happening at the Election Commission of India.
00:20This is owing to the demand that has been raised by the opposition of the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
00:29and how the matter is snowballing.
00:31Where we also understand the India bloc is wanting to concretize their stand on this issue.
00:39Demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and also staging protest to this effect.
00:47While all of that is part of their plan in the making, an internal meeting that is happening at the
00:55Election Commission of India.
00:56Where all the election commissioners are also part of this meeting.
01:01Of all the claims and counterclaims that have been made.
01:05This meeting has been happening at Nirbachan Bhavan.
01:08Where all the three ECs we are told are attending this meeting.
01:12The picture of which is on your screens right now.
01:15This is the meeting that is happening.
01:18To discuss the claims that have been made.
01:21Whether there was any dissent.
01:23What has been said as part of the internal deliberations.
01:27The letter to cabinet secretary was not related to any policy matter of the commission or IT division.
01:33But related to working of an officer on deputation to ECI.
01:37The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two commissioners.
01:45And the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn.
01:51This is what we are picking up from sources within the Election Commission of India.
01:57In fact a statement that has been made by the Election Commission of India.
02:01Over what that letter to the cabinet secretary was all about.
02:06They are saying it is not related to any policy matter of the commission or the IT division.
02:13But it was related to the working of an officer on deputation to ECI.
02:18The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two commissioners.
02:25And the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn.
02:30The CEO Goa has directed concerned BLOs to conduct house to house visits to left out voters to collect their
02:37forms.
02:3781 voters out of 97 have already filled form 6 for inclusion.
02:43Is again a clarification that has come in from the Election Commission of India.
02:47SIR has already been completed in 20 states, union territories including Bihar and West Bengal.
02:53Any person whose name has got left out during the SIR process or thereafter and any person including young first
03:03time voter may apply to the concerned ERO for inclusion of their names in the electoral roles under the process
03:10of continuous updation.
03:12CEOs have been directed to facilitate the same.
03:15The CEOs, DEOs, EROs will immediately launch a special drive for enrolment of these sectors is something that the Election
03:23Commission of India has clarified.
03:25In view of the request received from CEO Delhi, the period for filing claims and objections has been extended by
03:33the commission till the 30th of October 2026.
03:36The period of disposal of notices and claims and objections has been extended till the 30th November 2026.
03:43Let me take this to my colleague Anmol Bali joining us on the broadcast.
03:47Anmol, a slew of clarifications that have come in from the Election Commission of India.
03:51Also this meeting that is underway at Nirvachan Bhavan.
03:55What more are you picking up as part of what is happening in this meeting?
03:58Are we expecting another press conference or these clarifications to be made as part of that by the Election Commission
04:05of India where all the three will be part of it?
04:09And with regards to the SIR exercise, what other clarifications have come in?
04:16As you know, the Election Commission has just released a statement on the accusations made by an express report against
04:24the Chief Election Commission of Centralization of Powers in the Election Commission where they have clarified many of the points
04:30like the ECI has clearly said that letter to cabinet security concerned an officer on deputation, not any policy matter.
04:37And even they have talked about the Goa voter enrollment, the City of the Goa has directed BLOs to visit
04:43homes and left out voters.
04:44They have given an argument that of 97 voters, 81 have already submitted form 6 for the inclusion and they
04:50have also discussed about the SIR voter enrollment issue.
04:53Like SIR has been completed in 20 states and UTs including Bihar, West Bengal, they have also shared data about
04:59the SIR exercise which is being carried out around India.
05:03They have also discussed about the Delhi deadline extension and other claims made in the Indian Express report and now
05:09the meeting is going on in the Nirvachan Bhavan, the main headquarters of the Election Commission,
05:14where Chief Election Commissioner Ganesh Kumar is seen with both of the Election Commissioners, SIR Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
05:24So clearly they have seen that after the newspaper report, we have seen politics has ignited where opposition parties have
05:30targeted the Election Commission and BJP on the various issues,
05:32but now the Election Commission has released a statement where they have given their arguments on the accusation made by
05:38a newspaper report.
05:41And more quick details from you on what has been said with regards to that letter that was sent to
05:48the Cabinet Secretary,
05:49where the clarification coming in is that it was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT
05:54Division,
05:54but it was related to the working of an officer on deputation to ECI.
05:59The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented,
06:04after which the orders of the two Commissioners and the oversight over the IT Division by the DEC was never
06:10actually withdrawn.
06:12Now this is huge, given the fact that the letter to the Cabinet Secretary was made as the very basis
06:18for which we saw the matter snowballing.
06:22So we have seen that the Election Commissioners clearly came up discussing about this point where the Election Commission has
06:28said that
06:29the letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on the deputation, not any policy matter,
06:34work redistribution orders were not implemented, and other DEC oversight of the IT Division was never withdrawn.
06:40These kinds of all points have been discussed by the Election Commission,
06:44where they clearly said the letter to Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter and other IT Division
06:49issues.
06:49So clearly we are saying that the Election Commission is now putting their arguments in front of the public domain
06:56after the Indian Express story,
06:57where the story has accused the Chief Election Commissioner of the centralization of powers amid the SIR exercise.
07:04So, Isha.
07:06Oh yes, absolutely, Anmul. The meeting is underway right now.
07:09But another question that I asked, can we expect that the CEC along with the Election Commissioners
07:17will also hold a news briefing? They will come out in front of the media to answer all these questions?
07:24So, Isha, we have to wait for the Election Commission next stop, but we can expect a joint press conference
07:30by CECs and Election Commissioners,
07:33because not only opposition, now we are also seeing that NDA partners from Chirag Pazwan to Shwaha,
07:39they are all questioning the Election Commission, and amid this intensifying political war of words,
07:46the Election Commission has to come out and put their arguments collectively in front of the public.
07:50So, Isha.
07:53Oh yes, absolutely, and that is important given the fact that the pressure that is also mounting on the BJP.
08:00Two fronts where the Congress is saying, A, why is the BJP acting as an unofficial spokesperson of the Election
08:05Commission of India?
08:06B, that their own allies are saying that the Election Commission must come out and win the faith of the
08:17voters by clearing all these doubts.
08:20Yes.
08:23Shwisha, Election Commission is the top body which conducts election, and the growth of the voters around India trust Election
08:30Commission,
08:30and this is not the very first time that we are seeing that the Election Commission has come under the
08:35epic center of controversy.
08:36Earlier also we have seen that various acquisitions have been made by the opposition parties, like the Congress party, Amadi
08:43party, Samajwadi party.
08:44But now, after the report and exposure by the Indian Express, the politics has further ignited, where we have seen
08:49that the first election commission has given a statement by their sources, and then they have openly came out.
08:56But they haven't dismissed about the story which was printed by the Indian Express newspaper, but now they have clearly
09:02given a long statement on the various issues like officers' deputation,
09:09go-up voter enrollment issues, and even Delhi deadline extension issues have been discussed in this statement.
09:15And we can also expect a collective press conference by CEC and ECs to kind of clear the clouds over
09:23the Election Commission and over the acquisitions made in the report and by the opposition.
09:28And we're waiting for details on that one.
09:30And Moola, I want to thank you for getting us all the latest.
