<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/elections_01_04d3da8a3a.jpg" alt="elections-01.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_elections_01_04d3da8a3a.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_elections_01_04d3da8a3a.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">In a scathing letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners, close to 90 former civil servants have written an open letter, urging them to keep their word on ensuring a level-playing field during elections, which forms the basis of holding free and fair elections.Referring to the case of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the former civil servants, under the aegis of the Constitutional Conduct Group, have said: “A disturbing pattern of harassment and witch hunting of opposition parties and opposition politicians on the cusp of the general elections calls into question the motivation of the agencies.”The letter refers to the timing of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the IT department opening up old cases related to the Congress and some other Opposition parties, searches on Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who is a candidate in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.“The pattern of events over the past month calls for firm action from the ECI to quell rising public suspicion that the ECI is sitting silent while a politics of vendetta is being practiced to deny opposition parties the freedom to actively participate in the election process,” says the open letter.The letter also points out that ECI had made “no efforts to assuage doubts in the minds of the thinking public and political parties about the integrity of EVMs and the need to use VVPATs effectively to ensure accuracy in the recording of votes, a matter that is now sub judice. Nor has the ECI been particularly effective in enforcing the Model Code of Conduct to check its misuse, especially by the party in power.”The concerned group of former civil servants urged the ECI “to live up to the shining legacy bequeathed by a line of eminent persons who have led the ECI in the past seven decades. The nation looks to you to act with firmness and determination to maintain the reputation and sanctity of the world’s largest electoral exercise.”&nbsp;Click <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://constitutionalconduct.com/2024/04/11/ccg-open-letter-to-the-election-commission-of-india-is-there-a-level-playing-field/">here</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter sent by the former civil servants.<hr>This article was originally published in <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsclick.in/">NewsClick</a> and can be read <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsclick.in/quell-rising-public-suspicion-over-level-playing-field-former-civil-servants-write-eci">here</a>.</div></div>

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Quell Rising Public Suspicion Over Level-Playing Field, Former Civil Servants Write to ECI

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Complaints filed against PM Modi for promoting religious hatred during his Banswara rally, accusing opposition Congress of working to distribute country’s wealth to Muslims

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240511_WA_0002_770x470_89b991314a.jpg" alt="IMG-20240511-WA0002-770x470.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240511_WA_0002_770x470_89b991314a.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240511_WA_0002_770x470_89b991314a.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240511_WA_0002_770x470_89b991314a.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Disappointment with the functioning (or rather the non-functioning) of the current Election Commission of India (ECI) has resulted in a citizen-led protest. On May 11, citizens and civil society organisations from across the country led a joint campaign where they sent postcards to the constitutional authority with the slogan “Grow a Spine or Resign”. Through these postcards, the citizenry has expressed their anger over the lack of action taken against the ruling pollical party Bharatiya Janata Party even after the party’s star campaigners have been openly indulging in electoral malpractices.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240511_WA_0004_768x1024_f313220301.jpg" alt="IMG-20240511-WA0004-768x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240511_WA_0004_768x1024_f313220301.jpg 117w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240511_WA_0004_768x1024_f313220301.jpg 375w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240511_WA_0004_768x1024_f313220301.jpg 563w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_IMG_20240511_WA_0004_768x1024_f313220301.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The main demand that has been raised by those participating in this campaign is for the ECI to take action against Prime Minister Modi, and other few top leaders of the party, for seeking votes by invoking the issues of caste, class, places of worship and religion. ECI’s unwillingness to act over the recent speeches of PM Modi, where he has openly used anti-Muslim slurs and attempted to create a communally volatile environment, as a part of the election campaigning for the Lok Sabha election of 2024 has not gone unnoticed.<video class="video" controls="" width="500px">
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 <video></video></video>Civil society groups and citizens creatively designed send mass postcards and joint statements in over a dozen cities, condemning the lack of action against malpractice by BJP in election campaigning, urges the constitutional authority to abide by their mandatory requirement of unbiased fairness.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:41.23%;"><img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Screenshot_20240511_184512_Chrome2_1_208x300_4284228801.jpg" alt="Screenshot_20240511_184512_Chrome2-1-208x300.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Screenshot_20240511_184512_Chrome2_1_208x300_4284228801.jpg 108w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure>Disappointment with the functioning (or rather the non-functioning) of the current Election Commission of India (ECI) has resulted in a citizen-led protest. On May 11, citizens and civil society organisations from across the country led a joint campaign where they sent postcards to the constitutional authority with the slogan “Grow a Spine or Resign”. Through these postcards, the citizenry has expressed their anger over the lack of action taken against the ruling pollical party Bharatiya Janata Party even after the party’s star campaigners have been openly indulging in electoral malpractices.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_05_04_T165441_731_1a46671123.jpeg" alt="images-2024-05-04T165441.731.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_05_04_T165441_731_1a46671123.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_2024_05_04_T165441_731_1a46671123.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The main demand that has been raised by those participating in this campaign is for the ECI to take action against Prime Minister Modi, and other few top leaders of the party, for seeking votes by invoking the issues of caste, class, places of worship and religion. ECI’s unwillingness to act over the recent speeches of PM Modi, where he has openly used anti-Muslim slurs and attempted to create a communally volatile environment, as a part of the election campaigning for the Lok Sabha election of 2024 has not gone unnoticed.The calls for this nationwide protest stated “We, the people of India, must come together to demand that the ECI immediately takes action to protect our electoral democracy and Constitutional values. We must let the ECI know, that their inaction is neither going unnoticed, nor in any manner accepted by us.”<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1280px;" id="attachment_27967" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27967"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Mumbai3_1fe2812ca3.jpg" alt="Mumbai3.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Mumbai3_1fe2812ca3.jpg 208w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Mumbai3_1fe2812ca3.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Mumbai3_1fe2812ca3.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_Mumbai3_1fe2812ca3.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-27967">Campaign in Mumbai</figcaption></figure>It further said, “While the EC has taken action against Congress, AAP, BRS etc. it has refused to take action against PM Modi or the BJP social media handles which have been spreading hate against Indian Muslims, at an unprecedented level. They refused to act against the BJP for using religious symbols and appealing to communal feelings for securing votes. Each day, the party’s official social media accounts are releasing videos filled with hate against the Muslim community, spreading the false message that welfare for the Muslims will threaten the lives of SCs, STs and OBCs.”Thus, to urge the ECI to discharge their duty in accordance to the Constitution of India, rather than the whims and fancies of the ruling party, citizens and civil rights groups in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Pune sent the postcards.Citizens also wrote messages on these post cards, which included calls for saving the democracy and the Constitution of India to calling out the ECI for not taking any action against the BJP leaders for delivering hate speeches.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1280px;" id="attachment_27968" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27968"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/delhi4_b9ccfd10ca.jpg" alt="delhi4.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_delhi4_b9ccfd10ca.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_delhi4_b9ccfd10ca.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_delhi4_b9ccfd10ca.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_delhi4_b9ccfd10ca.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-27968">Campaign in Delhi</figcaption></figure>The “grow a spine or resign” campaign was a hit on social media, with people taking to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to write their messages criticising the silence of the constitutional authority.Many citizens and groups also submitted joint letters and memorandums at the state election offices. As per a report of the Hindu, the activists in Bengaluru submitted a memorandum to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for Karnataka holding the ECI accountable for its “inaction” against violations of the MCC and laws during the Lok Sabha elections. the same was also done in Mumbai with certain groups, including representatives from Mumbai groups giving a memorandum to the Chief Election Office, Maharashtra at Mantralaya, Mumbai at 11 am.<hr>This article was originally published on <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sabrangindia.com/">Sabrang India</a> and can be read <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sabrangindia.in/growaspineorresign-citizens-mass-city-wide-protest-against-inaction-by-eci-over-pm-modis-hate-speech-suppression-of-voters-rights-during-ongoing-election/">here</a>.</div></div>

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#GrowASpineOrResign: Citizens’ mass city-wide protest against inaction by ECI over PM Modi’s hate speech & suppression of voters rights during ongoing election

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Glaring Mismatches in EVM Numbers Aggravate Concerns on ECI’s Poll Management

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_25_42_770x470_410d8fab0c.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-11-at-17.25.42-770x470.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_25_42_770x470_410d8fab0c.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_25_42_770x470_410d8fab0c.jpeg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_25_42_770x470_410d8fab0c.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Late on June 10, 2024, by email and registered post, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, Amol Kirtikar has challenged the election results declared by the ECI from Mumbai’s North West Constituency alleging largescale “manipulation and illegality in the election and counting process held on June 2024.” This communication complies with the seven day window granted to each candidate for this purpose as granted by the SC on April 26, 2024.He has further stated that there is reason to believe that there has also been tampering with the Electronic Voting Machines. The successful candidate Mr. Ravindra Waikar has polled 4,52,644 votes and Kirtikar polled 4,52,596 votes. He is therefore at Serial No. 2, i.e. immediately behind the candidate declared winner. Kirtikar is also in the process of challenging the aforesaid election in Court.Significantly, in this communication he has drawn attention to Paragraph 76 of the Judgement passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in&nbsp;Association for Democratic Reforms VS Election Commission of India and Ors.&nbsp;&nbsp;Copy of which is enclosed herewith. Paragraphs 76 (a) and 76 (b) of the said judgement are reproduced as under:-76. Nevertheless, not because we have any doubt, but to only further strengthen the integrity of the election process, we are inclined to issue the following directions:(a) On completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPATs undertaken on or after 01.05.2024, the symbol loading units shall be sealed and secured in a container. The candidates or their representatives shall sign the seal. The sealed containers, containing the symbol loading units, shall be kept in the strong room along with the EVMs at least for a period of 45 days post the declaration of results. They shall be opened, examined and dealt with as in the case of EVMs.(b) The burnt memory/microcontroller in 5% of the EVMs, that is, the control unit, ballot unit and the VVPAT, per assembly constituency/assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency shall be checked and verified by the team of engineers from the manufacturers of the EVMs, post the announcement of the results, for any tampering or modification, on a written request made by candidates who are at SI.No.2 or Sl.No.3, behind the highest polled candidate. Such candidates or their representatives shall identify the EVMs by the polling station or serial number. All the candidates and their representatives shall have an option to remain present at the time of verification. Such a request should be made within a period of 7 days from the date of declaration of the result.&nbsp;Kirtikar has therefore exercised his right towards “checking and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller i.e. the control unit, ballot unit, the VVPAT, the microprocessor and the software loading unit by the team of engineers from the manufacturers of the EVMs.” He has also state dearly that he would like to remain present at the time of the aforesaid checking/verification.&nbsp; Therefore, he has required adequate written notice in order to enable me or my representative to be physically present when the said checking/verification is scheduled to take place.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:640px;" id="attachment_28440" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28440"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_05_35_768x403_4e7a216684.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-11-at-17.05.35-768x403.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_05_35_768x403_4e7a216684.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_05_35_768x403_4e7a216684.jpeg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_05_35_768x403_4e7a216684.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28440">ECI Poll Results page showing difference in votes</figcaption></figure>Most significantly, and this is crucial to transparency activists and election watchers concerned that the election process is free and fair, Amol Kirtikar has also requested for a copy of the Technical SOPs issued by the Election Commission of India pursuant to specific directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 26 April 2024.Whilst he and his team have accessed the Administrative SOP, the Technical SOP guaranteeing the integrity of the SLU (symbol loading unit) and microprocessor is not accessible on the ECI Website.&nbsp; It is this SOP that will ensure and guarantee due observance of directives of the Supreme Court of India.&nbsp; Interestingly, one of these Administrative SOPs was issued on April 29, 2024 after the first two phases of polling had already taken place, the second one is dated June 1, 2024 i.e. the last phase of polling.Experts have told Sabrang India that the Administrative SOPs issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) pursuant to extremely critical and contested proceedings before the Supreme Court of India (SCI) in no way strictly ensure that the storage of these units will be safe and secure. This issue could also be a matter of serious challenge in the near future.Kirtikar has lodged a complaint on several counts even on the day of counting itself, i.e. June 04, 2024 and these issues will be subject matter of the election petition that is required to be filed within 45 days.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:518px;" id="attachment_28442" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28442"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_08_32_a6cc68b3fb.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-11-at-17.08.32.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_08_32_a6cc68b3fb.jpeg 113w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_08_32_a6cc68b3fb.jpeg 363w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28442">Kirtikar’s complaint to Returning Officer given on the day of polling, June 04 2024</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile media reports<a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/48-vote-plot-thickens-mystery-man-with-mobile-inside-counting-centre-23353433">&nbsp;on June 10</a>&nbsp;that the Vanrai police are investigating allegations from losing candidate Amol Kirtikar that man close to his rival might be involved in foul play. A &nbsp;“mysterious mobile phone” found on vote-counting day at the NESCO centre has kicked up a controversy, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, Amol Kirtikar, who lost by only 48 votes, accusing his rival, Shiv Sena MLA&nbsp;<a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-lok-sabha-election-results-2024-ravindra-waikars-48-vote-win-explained-23353039">Ravindra Waikar</a>, of manipulating poll results. An ECI staffer found in possession of the device, banned inside counting centres, is under scrutiny while police are scrutinising the phone’s call records.Waikar won the hotly contested&nbsp;<a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-lok-sabha-election-results-2024-north-west-witnesses-neck-to-neck-battle-between-amol-kirtikar-ravindra-waikar-23352653">Mumbai North West</a>&nbsp;seat by a mere 48 votes. According to Kirtikar, the voting was stopped by a representative inside the NESCO centre between 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm when he was leading by 651 votes. He alleged that the results were unaccountably then declared, stating that he had lost the contest by 48 votes.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:563px;" id="attachment_28441" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28441"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_06_58_563x1024_865cb7a752.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-11-at-17.06.58-563x1024.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_06_58_563x1024_865cb7a752.jpeg 85w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_06_58_563x1024_865cb7a752.jpeg 275w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_06_58_563x1024_865cb7a752.jpeg 412w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_Whats_App_Image_2024_06_11_at_17_06_58_563x1024_865cb7a752.jpeg 550w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28441">SOP dated April 29, 2024</figcaption></figure>To read the ECI SOP dated June 1, 2024, <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/wp-contenthttps://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/2024/06/ECI-SOP.pdf">Click Here</a>To read the full&nbsp;Supreme Court Judgement dated April 26, 2024, <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/wp-contenthttps://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/2024/06/240426-SC-Order-of-264-in-ADR-petition.pdf">Click Here</a>To read Kirtikar’s letter to the Election Commission of India, demanding a probe into mysterious presence in the booth,&nbsp; <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/wp-contenthttps://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/2024/06/240610-Amol-Kirtikar-letter-to-Election-Commissioner-New-Delhi.pdf">Click Here</a></div></div>

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Maharashtra: Shiv Sena UBT’s Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai alleges election manipulation, files complaint with CEC, SEC

<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">The latest expose by Senior Investigative Journalist Poonam Agarwal on the mismatch in the number of EVM votes polled and counted in as many as 140 constituencies has once again stirred the controversies on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). In this special interaction Poonam Agarwal talks in detail about the manner in which she pursued the story and asserts that the ECI undoubtedly owes an explanation to the voters of this country. Link to Poonam Agarwal’s expose <a style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/NSJ9jpHRjuU?si=jNZbK-RS0oK3stv0">here</a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;display:inline !important;float:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">.

EVM, ECI Mismatch Controversies Come Up Again

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_07_08_T133230_423_770x391_6507bf0c1a.jpeg" alt="images-2024-07-08T133230.423-770x391.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_07_08_T133230_423_770x391_6507bf0c1a.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_2024_07_08_T133230_423_770x391_6507bf0c1a.jpeg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_images_2024_07_08_T133230_423_770x391_6507bf0c1a.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">A month – or more exactly 31 days – has gone by since the results to the Lok Sabha elections were announced. The verdict and its various nuances as well as its larger social and political impacts have been analysed from diverse perspectives over this period. However, an important aspect – and that too an absolutely fact oriented aspect – has not come in for discussion at an appropriate scale and breadth. And the central constitutional body – the Election Commission of India (ECI)- which is duty bound to address this question continues to maintain a stoic, and indeed unjustifiable, silence on this. Yes, I am talking about the appalling reports on the malfunctioning of the electronic voting machines (EVMs), especially in relation to massive mismatch between votes polled and counted in nearly 150 out of 543 constituencies.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:660px;" id="attachment_28824" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28824"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_07_08_T133214_576_1_1f97994dd9.jpeg" alt="images-2024-07-08T133214.576-1.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_07_08_T133214_576_1_1f97994dd9.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_2024_07_08_T133214_576_1_1f97994dd9.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28824">(From Left) Control Unit, Ballot Unit and VVPAT – Constituent components of an EVM</figcaption></figure>We have also seen the predictable behaviour of two different streams of the media during the past one month. While it was business as usual for the cowering and committed mainstream Godi media, who were busy celebrating the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close shave with what would have been his first electoral defeat, the agile social media had already turned the agenda to reveal the explosive goof up by the controversial voting machine. The new age media’s startling revelations about some serious discrepancies between polled votes and counted votes, with an addendum from some that lakhs of votes weren’t even counted in the world’s largest democratic elections! Regardless of the usual viewership-hankering rat race on YouTube, some of these reports were from acclaimed commentators with a track record of decades worth of reliable reporting.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:650px;" id="attachment_25240" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-25240"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Whats_App_Image_2023_12_07_at_12_35_48_4d4446cb1e.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp-Image-2023-12-07-at-12.35.48.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2023_12_07_at_12_35_48_4d4446cb1e.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Whats_App_Image_2023_12_07_at_12_35_48_4d4446cb1e.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-25240">NDTV Newsroom</figcaption></figure>Personally, I too have followed the developments on this front closely with some serious number crunching, going through the figures for all the 543 constituencies in the country. My inquisitive tryst with the voting machine goes back five years, to the 17th Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Right after the results were out, <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/interactions-poonam-agarwal/">Poonam Agarwal</a> had published a shocking report in The <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thequint.com/author/2574/poonam-agarwal-2">Quint</a> that the polled and counted votes on the EVMs were out of whack in 373 Lok Sabha constituencies. That was a whopping 70% of all the seats. To make matters worse, The Quint also reported that it had only taken into account the actual numbers from the first four phases of voting, as the numbers from the remaining three phases on the commission’s website were merely showing as ‘estimates’.&nbsp;Soon after, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court by organisations like the Association for Democratic Rights (<a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:all 0.4s ease 0s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theaidem.com/glaring-mismatches-in-evm-numbers-exposed-through-rti/">ADR</a>), which were heard and disposed off perfunctorily. The Election Commission of India was able to get away with such a far-reaching lapse in the court without a hitch, by shifting the blame to the petitioners for allegedly relying on “unauthorised” sources for their numbers. How the top court could nonchalantly brush aside such glaring signs of electoral dysfunction in the country is indeed mind-boggling.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/elections_01_ff35b4c4e1.jpg" alt="elections-01.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_elections_01_ff35b4c4e1.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_elections_01_ff35b4c4e1.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The above numbers were indicative of the deepening mystery behind the problematic electronic voting machines of India, which has been at the heart of many political discussions in recent times. I was convinced that once the results for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were published on the Election Commission’s official web, a comprehensive analysis of all 543 seats was needed to understand the deep anomaly of polled and counted votes. Without question, the data had to come from ‘reliable sources’ so the authenticity of the findings are not questioned once again. So, once the results of the recently concluded General elections were out, I went into the numbers meticulously.&nbsp;It was literally an exercise where I had to burn the midnight oil for about ten days trying to collate data strewn all over the place on an extremely unfriendly website of the Election Commission of India. As I carried out this exercise for all 543 constituencies in the country, one thing was clear. The buzz on the social media around EVM vote mismatch was a micro tip of the iceberg. At the end of the toil, I had arranged the polled and counted votes for each of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, along with the winning margins on a spreadsheet, and as I crunched these numbers, I was in for an absolutely mind-boggling revelation. While collating the info, I knew the number of seats where the polled and counted tallies were out of whack had to be way more than the 373 from 2019, and eventually when the analysis was complete, it was indeed so.Overall, the vote mismatch would lead to two different scenarios, one where the counted votes outnumbered the total polled votes leading to ‘surplus’ votes in the control unit, and the other where the contrary created a ‘deficit’ situation. In the former clutch of seats, where ‘fantasy votes’ were counted making the entire democratic process a standing joke, the latter set, where not all polled votes were counted made a total fallacy of the verdict of the people. Either scenario would have the potential to turn the results upside down. Undoubtedly, the situation is such that the so-called cult of the world’s largest democracy was getting blown to smithereens.My opening finding was that the polled and counted numbers were at odds in an insanely inordinate 539 out of the 543 seats, which is a mind-blowing 99.26% of all the seats! This was way more than the 373 that were off in the partial evaluation in 2019. The only consolation for the pro-EVM caucus this time was the four seats where the polled and counted votes were magically in agreement. These four seats were Amreli in Gujarat, Attingal in Kerala, Daman Diu and Lakshadweep islands. Everything else was a mystery that the Election Commission of the country needed to come up with a tactic to solve.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:800px;" id="attachment_28821" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28821"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240708_WA_0014_768x945_57e7a0dbe9.jpg" alt="IMG-20240708-WA0014-768x945.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240708_WA_0014_768x945_57e7a0dbe9.jpg 127w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240708_WA_0014_768x945_57e7a0dbe9.jpg 406w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240708_WA_0014_768x945_57e7a0dbe9.jpg 610w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28821">Party-wise split up of Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 General Elections</figcaption></figure>There were several seats with wafer-thin winning margins where the surplus or deficit count was close enough to have a bearing on the results of the polls. Some of these constituencies where votes were in surplus included Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Karimganj of Assam, Jajpur in Orissa, and Phulpur and Salempur of Uttar Pradesh. The list is much longer for deficit seats, which included Kokjrajhar of Assam, Kanker in Chhattisgarh, Beed and Dhule of Maharashtra, Ferozpur of Punjab, Jaipur Rural in Rajasthan, Virudhunagar of Tamil Nadu, and Arambagh and Balurghat of West Bengal. Apart from these, five seats of Uttar Pradesh, which were Aligarh, Bansgaon, Hamirpur, Phulpur and Salempur too featured on the deficit list. Nonetheless, none of the winning margins in these cases were low enough to be impacted by this anomaly, which meant the outcome of the polls were left intact.However, the vote mismatch in the Outer Manipur seat was glaring enough to reasonably invalidate the poll result. Here, the total counted votes outnumbered the polled votes by a gargantuan 410,585 votes, which beats all measures of logic. I would be inclined to attribute the aberration to some kind of data entry glitch, but the rest of the discrepancies cannot be ascribed to the same reason.&nbsp;Attached are the numbers for a few ‘near miss’ seats, along with their polled votes, counted votes and winning margin, as obtained from the Election commission’s website.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:932px;" id="attachment_28820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28820"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Mismatch_partial_c29e55a002.png" alt="Mismatch-partial.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Mismatch_partial_c29e55a002.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Mismatch_partial_c29e55a002.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_Mismatch_partial_c29e55a002.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-28820">Tally of votes showing the mismatches</figcaption></figure>Overall, deficit votes surpassed surplus by a mile, leading to 586,136 votes coming to be believed as missing or not counted, in contrast to a surplus of 449,906 votes in total. Four states had their deficit votes cross the 50,000 mark – Andhra Pradesh topping the list with a deficit of 84,807 votes, Tamil Nadu with 73,235, Orissa with 67,282 and UP with 53,660 votes. Both deficit and surplus put together, the total mismatch numbers for the country could send chills down your spine, as it surpassed the million mark, a total of 1,036,042 votes!<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:828px;" id="attachment_19021" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19021"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/SC_e1666260547336_768x429_4d418c8d70.png" alt="SC-e1666260547336-768x429.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_SC_e1666260547336_768x429_4d418c8d70.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_SC_e1666260547336_768x429_4d418c8d70.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_SC_e1666260547336_768x429_4d418c8d70.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-19021">Supreme Court of India</figcaption></figure>The above anomaly in votes should wake up the authorities from their smug disillusionment around the infallibility of the electronic voting machine. While none of the above findings would signal intentional manipulation of any sort, they do forcefully cast doubt on the technical adequacy of India’s voting machines. Before further aspersions are cast on the integrity of the electoral process in the world’s largest democracy, the Election Commission and the Supreme Court of India must take notice and act.</div></div>

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More Studies On Polled-Counted Votes Mismatch Raises Grave Queries on EVM Technology

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">A detailed multidisciplinary analysis of the 2024 election figures carried out by the ‘Vote For Democracy’, (VFD) a Maharashtra based collective of academics and social activists, has revealed shocking discrepancies in the polling and counting processes. The VFD’s 266 page report titled, ‘Conduct of Lok Sabha Elections 2024’, ‘Analysis of Vote Manipulation and Misconduct during Voting and Counting’ points out that the discrepancies in terms of tabulation and addition of votes as well as polling and counting are evident in as many as 538 seats out of the total 543.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">The Report, prepared under the watchful eye and data expertise of retired IAS Officer and transparency activist, Shri. M.G Devasahayam and Dr. Pyara Lal Garg also pointed out that the victory of the BJP led NDA in as many as 79 seats across 15 States is directly related to the vote mismatch.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.7;margin:0px 0px 15px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Here, academics Professor Sebastian Morris and Professor Harish Karnick, who were part of the team that carried out the analysis, join with writer and Social Activist Teesta Setalvad to discuss the salient points of the VFD Report. The full Report can be accessed <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://votefordemocracy.org.in/">here</a>.

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Vote Mismatch in 538 Seats, Reveals Detailed Multidisciplinary Analysis of 2024 Polls

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/SC_e1666260547336_770x462_c71d2dda12.png" alt="SC-e1666260547336-770x462.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_SC_e1666260547336_770x462_c71d2dda12.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_SC_e1666260547336_770x462_c71d2dda12.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_SC_e1666260547336_770x462_c71d2dda12.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">Judge P.K. Goswami aptly stated that “The right to challenge an election is conferred under the Act which is made in conformity with the provisions of Article 329(b) of the Constitution. It is well settled that it is a special right conferred under a self-contained special law, and the court will have to seek answers to the questions raised within the four corners of the Act. The powers of the courts are circumscribed by its provisions. This is not a common law right, and an election petition cannot be equated with a plaint in a civil suit.”<hr>Despite this clarity, obtaining expedited judgments in election petitions remains a persistent challenge. With political parties actively contesting elections through their nominated candidates, understanding election petitions is essential for safeguarding democratic values. In an indirect democracy like India, voters must rely on a transparent, free, and fair electoral process to select their representatives. As part of the fundamental right to free and fair elections, recognised under Article 19(2) of the Constitution, elections are central to democracy.Initially, I viewed voting as the ultimate expression of democracy. However, as I progressed in law school, I realized that democracy extends beyond voting to include the transparency of the entire electoral process, including the conduct of elections and vote counting.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/eci_pti_1024x576_772db7abd3.png" alt="eci-pti-1024x576.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_eci_pti_1024x576_772db7abd3.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_eci_pti_1024x576_772db7abd3.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_eci_pti_1024x576_772db7abd3.png 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_eci_pti_1024x576_772db7abd3.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">In a populous country like India, ensuring free and fair elections is undoubtedly a Herculean task. For instance, Maharashtra, a state with a population in crores, conducts state-wide elections in a single phase, requiring meticulous governance and surveillance. Elections often become a power struggle, and in the zeal to win, some candidates resort to illegal means, disregarding the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) guidelines and the Model&nbsp;Code of Conduct.The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA) governs election disputes, offering a detailed framework to question election validity and address grievances. Over the years, various Supreme Court and High Court judgments have strengthened this legal framework, forming the backbone of election dispute resolution.&nbsp;<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Grounds for challenging elections</h3>Section 100 of the RPA provides avenues to challenge election results in cases of corrupt practices, including bribery, undue influence, impersonation, or procedural lapses. Common grounds include:<ol style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:17px;margin-bottom:20px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Non-compliance with constitutional or statutory provisions.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Errors in the scrutiny of nomination forms.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Malpractices during vote counting.</li></ol>Such violations undermine the electoral process and provide legitimate grounds for filing election petitions.&nbsp;<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Empowering citizens in election petitions</h3>Traditionally, only candidates contesting elections file election petitions. However, voters of that constituency can also challenge election results. Empowering citizens with this knowledge enables proactive engagement in maintaining democratic integrity. The slogan “Your vote, your voice” transcends mere voting—it includes taking action against unfair practices. Proactive citizen involvement in election disputes can expose corrupt practices and reinforce constitutional principles.Judges must appreciate the role of informed citizens who act as watchdogs for democratic values. When citizens file election petitions, they contribute to creating a culture of accountability and transparency.&nbsp;<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Filing and adjudication of election petitions</h3>Under Section 81 of the RPA, election petitions must be filed within 45 days of the election results. The procedural requirements for an election petition include:Particulars of the dispute: Details of the constituency, contesting candidates, and grounds for challenging the results.Affidavit: A sworn affidavit affirming the truthfulness of the allegations.Relief sought: Specific remedies expected by the petitioner.Petitioners are also required to bear court fees and litigation costs, including legal representation.&nbsp;Election petition trials follow civil suit proceedings, involving:<ol style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:17px;margin-bottom:20px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Framing of issues.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Presentation of evidence by both parties.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Cross-examination of witnesses.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:500;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;">Arguments by counsel.</li></ol>The court may dismiss the petition if the petitioner fails to substantiate their claims. However, if allegations are proven, the court may declare the election void or, in certain cases, award victory to another candidate with valid votes.<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Appeals and judicial oversight</h3>Parties aggrieved by High Court decisions can appeal to the Supreme Court of India within 30 days. The Supreme Court reviews the judgment and may uphold, modify, or overturn the High Court’s decision.&nbsp;<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Role of the judiciary and citizens</h3>In Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court and its benches in Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) and Nagpur adjudicate election disputes for State Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary elections. Judges must balance legal provisions with constitutional principles, ensuring the process remains fair and impartial.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:828px;" id="attachment_19021" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19021"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/SC_e1666260547336_acf5af98ef.png" alt="SC-e1666260547336.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_SC_e1666260547336_acf5af98ef.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_SC_e1666260547336_acf5af98ef.png 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_SC_e1666260547336_acf5af98ef.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-19021">Supreme Court of India</figcaption></figure>Equally, citizens must move beyond passive voting roles and actively participate in safeguarding democratic processes. By challenging malpractices and holding governance accountable, voters ensure electoral integrity and contribute to the broader vision of constitutional democracy.<h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(39, 39, 39);font-family:Manjari;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;text-align:left;">Conclusion</h3>The procedural intricacies and legal nuances of election petitions provide a robust framework to address electoral grievances. By fostering awareness among citizens and ensuring judicial efficiency, India can strengthen its democratic ethos. Upholding the democratic principles of free and fair elections requires collective responsibility—from candidates, voters, and the judiciary alike. The journey of democracy does not end with casting a vote; it extends to ensuring that every step of the electoral process embodies transparency, fairness, and accountability.</div></div>

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Strengthening democratic principles through election petitions

Malayalam (ml)

Tamil (ta)

English (en)

Hindi (hi)

Telugu (te)

Kannada (kn)

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Dancing To Her Tune

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An Unwritten National Autobiography

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_6258d15665.jpeg" alt="images-1.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_6258d15665.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_1_6258d15665.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">People who read literature in India knew him, MT Vasudevan Nair. Language was no hurdle for his works to reach out beyond the state borders of Kerala. While Malayali diaspora took a handful of nostalgia along to the places they went, a little bit of MT was also in that.Today, the big business of literature finds translators to translate anything that moves. All tetrapods of literature are given awards that stink of corporate imperialistic nexus. But MT belonged to a different era when blood recognised blood, genius recognised genius. He got translated not once but several times.Basheer, Takazhi and MT were the triumvirate that could transcend the borders and stand tall among the Indian modernist literature. Yes, MT’s literature also had a fair amount of auto-fiction but he hoodwinked it with the magic of text. He was a persuasive minimalist both in writing and in person.An unsmiling MT could generate generations of readers who could smile through tears. MT wrote about a collapsing social structure that divested the old feudal class with their ill-gotten properties. But their social capital remained intact and could exert a lot of influence among the readers by becoming the surrogate emotional ethos of a transition time of Kerala’s socio-political history.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1196px;" id="attachment_31084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31084"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg" alt="mt-1024x575.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31084">MT during his Interview with Sabha TV (Watch <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttnjeaVqn0">Here</a>)</figcaption></figure>When society evolved into a different being altogether, MT turned to the treasure trove of myths and itihasas to eke out allegories that explained the pain of loss, of class, roots and love. His literature spat on the face of bigotry, whether it was religious or familial. He was so stoically poised in his literature that none could have challenged him and expelled him from the world of literature.MT’s literature spoke of love and separation as vehemently as he wrote about the changing social complexions. But he was not sentimental. There was something in his writing that touched some chord in every reader. Before initiating themselves into Ambedkarite politics, the Dalit ideologues also, in their torturous nights of youth, pined for MT’s characters.Those who call the modernists, Dad Vibes, have really lost the sight of the forest while focusing on shrubs and thicket. MT was a forest that moved, as in the great tragedies. He remained a serious writer while the post modernists fell in the trap of publishers and wrote lightning stories and became laughing stokes.MT remains, so is the MT critique. That’s the beauty of a great writer’s life and of course, death.</div></div>

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MT: A Forest that Moved

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An ‘Overture’ Stringing The Pope, Yesudas and the ‘Songster Chaplain’

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/1_cc9df0fe47.png" alt="വലതുപക്ഷവുമായുള്ള-സംവാദത്തിൻ്റെ-വ്യർത്ഥത-1.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_1_cc9df0fe47.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_1_cc9df0fe47.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">When old age shall this generation waste,Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woeThan ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st,“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is allYe know on earth, and all ye need to know.” (John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn)<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/6_904b2e9f2a.jpg" alt="6.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_6_904b2e9f2a.jpg 147w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_6_904b2e9f2a.jpg 470w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">Siddharth Tagore, Founder Director of Delhi’s <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/artkonsultindia/photos">Art Konsult</a> Gallery is no more. He cannot be contained in such a cold statement, so matter of fact like death itself. Besides the gallery, he founded magazines such as Art and Deal, Travel and Deal and many other publications. Even when he knew that he wouldn’t make any profit out of the publications, he invested money in them because he knew art wouldn’t survive without the literature surrounding it.&nbsp;Yet another venture of Tagore’s was an auction house, namely Art Bull. The name was perfect for a bullish art market of the 2000s. But the glitch was this: Siddharth Tagore was not bullish. Nor was he bearish. He was cherubic, complete with a benign smile on his face and a burning cigarette between his fingers. Whenever I came out after having a meeting with him, I would ask myself, was he cut for this business?&nbsp;Tagore could have been a poet and dreamer like his internationally renowned namesake of yesteryears.. After the pandemic period I met Tagore after a gap of four years at the Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre where Art Konsult had organized a group exhibition. After the inaugural function, I shook hands with him and I realized that his hands had lost the firm grip though the warmth remained. “I have not been keeping well,” he told me.&nbsp;<div class="gallery galleryid-31051 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-full" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:30px -8.96875px 0px;padding:0px;" id="gallery-1"><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg" alt="c-768x993.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 121w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 387w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 580w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg" alt="b-768x985.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 122w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 390w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 585w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/a_7888f94e4b.jpg" alt="a.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 121w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 385w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 577w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure></div>Then on another occasion, at the same gallery, I met him again, this time without the crowd. He preferred to wear a pair of fading blue jeans and white shirt, a reminder of those romantic 1970s when every youth in West Bengal dreamt of poetry, love and revolution. Jeans and Shirt were the uniform of love and revolution. I think, when Tagore came to Delhi as a young man, he carried those qualities along, plus his sense of dressing. Lovers in those days smoked rather constantly and drank Old Monk Rum.&nbsp;On that day when I met him, Tagore told me that he had quit smoking, which was news to me. I couldn’t have imagined the man without a cigarette between his fingers or at least a packet of cigarettes to fuss with. I understood the gravity of the situation.&nbsp;Then again, we met when Praveen Upadhyay of the Progressive Gallery at Laddo Sarai organized a talk session with art professionals that included Tagore, Prayag Shukla, Vinod Bharadwaj and myself. Tagore was supposed to talk about the art market. When the mike was handed over to him, he fussed with it for a while and said that he always wanted to make it big by promoting young artists, but somehow, he never made huge business.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:689px;" id="attachment_31054" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31054"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg" alt="7-768x511.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 235w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31054">Siddharth speaking to the media at Art Konsult</figcaption></figure>Then I remembered Tagore telling the same during the market boom years that lasted in India for around ten years starting from 2005 to 2015. In 2008, the world market had collapsed, but the Indian art market using its cunning and reserve withstood the pressures and dragged the impending failure for a few more years only to revive itself by the beginning of the third decade of the new millennium.&nbsp;Had Tagore acquired a penchant for failure despite his resilience in running a gallery, publications and an auction house for over three and a half decades ? Did he enjoy calling himself a failure in the art market? Was he romantically involved with the idea of failure even when he kept others who were with him in the business, floating? I don’t know for sure. But Tagore remained grounded and rooted; he tried his best to keep himself away from the nefarious market practices.&nbsp;There were a few people who stood with Tagore in his highs and lows (lows that lasted for not some months but for years together), never deserting him, following his orders. Prashant Seal and Rajula Bisht are two people I remember. These two people have been so close to his heart and even after his twin daughters joining him in the business, both Seal and Bisht never lost their position as the confidantes of Tagore. He loved them like family.&nbsp;I met Siddharth Tagore in 1995. He had started Art Konsult in Hauz Khas Village. Meena Tagore (now Meena Varma) was with him then. Late Vijayan Kannanpally was the editor of Art and Deal. With the growth of art scene, Tagore’s gallery also grew in stature. Art Konsult was one of the few A listed galleries in the city. Tagore took it to South Delhi’s art district, Laddo Sarai during the boom years and later relocated it to Hauz Khas again.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:562px;" id="attachment_31055" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31055"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg" alt="0-768x512.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 234w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31055">Siddharth Tagore with art critic and curator Jyoti A Kathpalia at the Art Konsult, New Delhi</figcaption></figure>It was in his Laddo Sarai phase that I joined him as the Editor of Art and Deal. It was the same when he decided to start Art Bull and Travel and Deal. I brought out around ten issues of Art and Deal between 2010 and 2013, with a gap in 2012 when I joined the United Art Logistics to establish the United Art Fair. Tagore literally lent me to the other organization with a promise that I could walk into the editor’s office at any time that I wanted. And I did go back.&nbsp;As a part of Tagore’s team, he gave me full freedom to edit the magazine and curate exhibitions. I curated a few shows and introduced a few new artists of which some are very reckonable names in today’s art scene. The exhibition ‘Merging/Submerging’ was a showcasing of contemporary photography art and ‘R.A.P.E’ (Rare Acts of Political Engagement), an all-woman show responding to the brutal murder of Nirbhaya in Delhi. This exhibition was a super hit and was discussed in all the print and television media. Art Bull did do a couple of exhibitions and auctions. I did not take much interest in it though Tagore hoped that his auction house could change the scenario and also break certain monopolies. Tagore also initiated an Art History Lecture series which I conducted on his behalf.&nbsp;Siddharth Tagore remained true to his calling. With a kind of detachment, he sponsored exhibitions that he knew well, would not bring any business. He was an avid collector of folk and tribal art and together with Meena Varma, he initiated an organization called ‘Art of the Earth’ for promoting the folk and tribal art of India, much before the ‘folkploitation’ of today’s art market became rampant. Tagore helped whoever came to him with a request for an exhibition or an immediate financial relief. &nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:640px;" id="attachment_31053" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31053"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg" alt="3-e1734762508660-669x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 102w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 327w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 490w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 653w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31053">Siddharth Tagore signing the <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://amzn.in/d/4TijcgO">book</a> “Ganika- In the visual culture of the 19th-20th Century India” at the Art Konsult</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg" alt="4-560x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 85w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 273w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 410w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 547w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">When artists in Calcutta packed their wares and set out for Delhi, they knew Siddharth Tagore was there if nothing else worked (perhaps he was their primary destination), along with cigarettes and Old Monk Rum. He never discouraged the people who came to him with a clear intention to exploit. He was not cautious about relationships that brought him a fair amount of heartburn. As I said elsewhere, Tagore was a poet in his heart, with a heart ready to bleed for love and art.</div></div>

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