No Election Commissioner has dissented on any decision since Feb 2025 :::: NONE OF 25,000 OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN SIR PROCESS COMPLAINED about SIR

No Election Commissioner has dissented on any decision since Feb 2025: Sources

NONE OF 25,000 OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN SIR PROCESS COMPLAINED ....

As questions grow over dissent within the EC over SIR, sources in the poll body have said its three members have taken every decision unanimously since February 19, 2025.

The purpose of 'propaganda express' is now questionable as it deliberately highlighted 14 objections recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over various aspects of the exercise.  

The article suggested that the objections of two election commissioners were over ruled by the CEC Gyanesh Kumar. This was particularly aimed at pleasing Congress and other opposition parties. 

The media house has earlier too did stories only to discredit Indian army and several other parties and individuals.   

The poll body sources, however, maintain that SIR is a statutory and established process for revision of electoral rolls and sources said that all decisions taken by the three-member poll body since February 19, 2025, have been unanimous.

According to the EC, the central objective of SIR is to identify dead, duplicate, fake and shifted voters while ensuring that all eligible voters remain on the electoral rolls.

Nitish Kumar now with NDA : Three discredited Netas - Lalu, Mamata and Kejriwal 

While answering the questions about Form 6, which is used by new voters and those seeking to add their names to the electoral rolls, the EC sources said that there has been no change in the form.  

On the legal scrutiny of SIR, the commission sources pointed to the Supreme Court's proceedings, saying the court has never suspended the exercise.

The sources said the court allowed SIR to proceed, including the voter declaration and mapping process, while putting safeguards in place for voters.

The EC has described SIR as a comprehensive process that has been followed for years.

It said documents have been sought only from voters born after 1987, while errors in mapping are also being identified through software to ensure that fake or duplicate names do not remain on the electoral rolls.

NONE OF 25,000 OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN SIR PROCESS COMPLAINED ABOUT IT

The EC has also stressed that the process of adding and deleting names is decentralised and carried out at the level of Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, rather than personally by the Chief Election Commissioner.

According to sources, none of the nearly 25,000 EROs and AEROs has complained about the process.

Sources also explained that some of the concerns around SIR have centred on individual cases, adding that Booth Level Officers have been trained to visit voters' homes at least three times for verification, including in cases where voters are not present or have shifted.  

'Propaganda Express' was just feeding the 'narratives' Opposition wanted.   

Explaining questions over 97 Goa voters who were initially left out of the final electoral rolls, sources said the names could not be included due to a technical glitch.

Of these, 88 names have since been added, while three people were found to be Portuguese citizens and six were abroad at the time. The remaining cases are being verified.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also raised the issue of 727 voters allegedly being removed from the electoral rolls at Bela Estate. According to EC sources, the process of adding new names is still underway in Delhi.

Sources explained that when BLOs visited Bela Estate, no one was present there, raising the question of whom the officials could have approached for signatures or verification.

According to EC sources, anyone who has signed and submitted the SIR form to a BLO will have their name confirmed in the draft electoral roll.

How to control 'Propaganda Express' 

On the demand to re-include around 11 crore voters in the electoral rolls, the commission sources said that this would mean restoring names that were removed during the verification process but whose re-verification has not yet been completed.

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Mizo girl: Lalremsiami scores all-important winning goal for India ::: Savita stood tall :::: India's 44-year wait for hockey gold ends

 The Indian women's hockey team defeated defending champions China 

1-0 in final

Lalremsiami scored the all-important winning goal for India in the 10th minute

Goalkeeper Savita Punia saved China's penalty stroke to preserve India's lead

Hockey is immensely popular in Mizoram. Mizos have a local name too - “Vai vuak". 

Most Mizo young boys and girls play Vai Vuak with hockey-like substance made of bamboo sticks and roots. 

Me and my brother also played during our school days in Lunglei, a small town not very far from Bangladesh border. But one-day our mom used the local-Mizo-made hockey stick on two brothers. The 'love' and synchronising of mother's punishment had marks on two brothers' feet for days if not weeks. 

Nevertheless, Hockey is a lovely game. 

Forty-four years is a long wait.

On Friday, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday; India finally got what it had been waiting for. 

Mizo damsel Lalremsiami's superb reverse-stick strike in the 10th minute gave them the all important lead against defending champions China.

The test of nerve was tough.

Goal keeper Savita Punia stood tall when China won a penalty stroke, India's defence refused to give an inch, and the final whistle brought an Asian Games women's hockey gold.

The 1-0 victory also secured India's direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.  

Lalremsiami is the first 'Mizo woman' to appear at the Olympics.

Born on March 30, 2000, at College Veng locality of Kolasib town; she was the fifth of eight children of father Lalthansanga and mom Lalzarmawii. 

She had a humble beginning and at times with 'risk'. 

Prayers to Lal Paa (God in Mizo language) gave her the new life.

When she was only six years old, she became seriously ill. 

"After receiving prayer and healing, she recovered. From then on, she grew up as a healthy and energetic young girl," says a local journalist in Aizawl. 

When she was only 11, Remsiami was introduced to hockey. 

Under the guidance of senior Mizo hockey player T. Lallawmawmi, she "learned hockey" near Diakkawn Field and began playing regularly. 

From the very beginning, understandably, Remsiami stood out from the others. She was agile, fast, and exceptionally talented. 

Because of these qualities, her hockey coach Malawmi had great hopes for her and strongly believed that she could become an outstanding hockey player.  

After joining the India Junior Team, Lalremsiami regularly trained alongside the India Senior Team in Bhopal and Bengaluru. 

She also sometimes played practice matches with the senior players. She was extremely hardworking and enthusiastic. Remsiami progressed rapidly, and her performances during training caught the attention of the coaches.

While she was still with the junior team, she was unexpectedly invited to attend a senior-team meeting one evening. 

Not knowing why she had been called, she sat quietly at the meeting, nervous and confused. Toward the end of the meeting, the India Senior Team squad for the Netherlands tour was announced. 

To her astonishment, her name was included. 

She could hardly believe it and initially thought she had misunderstood. Only after senior players repeatedly congratulated her did she realize that she had actually been selected to play for the India Senior Team.

The final had almost everything India could have expected from a contest against the reigning Asian champions and Paris Olympic silver medallists. 

There was an early goal, a penalty stroke, sustained Chinese pressure and long periods when India's defenders had little choice but to stay compact and clear whatever came their way. But China never found the finish they needed, and India's slender advantage survived until the final hooter.

Lalremsiami gave India the perfect start. 

In the 10th minute, Sakshi Rana picked out the forward inside the circle, and Lalremsiami made no mistake. She turned and unleashed a fierce reverse-stick hit that flew into the upper part of the net, giving the Chinese goalkeeper no chance. It was a superb finish and an important moment in the forward's 200th appearance for India.

ends 

Gujarat ::: Employment is a central issue in wider economic debate :::: For Gujarat and India, next test is if Digitalisation, public investment and Eco. reforms can translate growth into productive employment

 Employment remains a central issue in the wider economic debate in Gujarat.

Hiral Kulkarni, a student of economics in Gandhinagar, said India would add a large working-age population over the coming years and that job creation would therefore remain critical. Sangeeta Chaudhry, her roommate from Jaipur, also pointed to the challenge of absorbing workers moving beyond agriculture.

The infrastructure push is another defining feature of the current economic model. The Economic Survey 2025-26 says central government capital expenditure has increasingly shifted towards asset creation, with effective capital expenditure reaching about 4 per cent of GDP in FY2025. The FY2025-26 Budget provided ₹11.21 lakh crore for capital expenditure.

The national highway network has expanded from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,195 km, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Foreign investment has also grown over the longer period. DPIIT records FDI inflows of $36.05 billion in 2013-14, while its latest annual data covers substantially higher inflows in subsequent years.

A state government officer in Gujarat described the change in the state’s approach succinctly: “The emphasis should be on capital expenditure.”Accounting & Auditing

The broader argument is that infrastructure investment by governments can reduce logistics costs and create conditions for private investment. Whether that translates into sufficient employment and broader household gains remains one of the key questions facing India’s growth story.

A retired tehsildar in Gujarat offered another perspective, saying that India needed to create enough opportunities for young and skilled people to build their futures within the country.

The debate therefore goes beyond the success of UPI, GST, JAM or infrastructure. 

For Gujarat and India, the next test is whether digitalisation, public investment and economic reforms can translate high growth into productive employment, higher incomes and sustained private investment.  

The Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) architecture expanded access to formal banking and digital services, while the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reorganised indirect taxation into a nationwide framework. UPI subsequently changed the way millions of Indians transact.

Today, scanning a QR code to pay a shopkeeper, street vendor, taxi driver or small retailer has become routine. UPI processed 22.64 billion transactions worth about ₹29.52 lakh crore in March 2026, according to NPCI data. 

For FY2025-26, annual UPI transaction volume reached 24,162 crore and transaction value nearly ₹314 lakh crore. Government data also puts India’s share of global real-time payment transaction volume at about 49 per cent.

“I am a huge fan of the UPI system,” said Rafiq Qadir, 27, from Ahmedabad’s Relief Road. “This is more than just a technology project.” 

Yet the economic conversation in Gujarat is not uniformly celebratory. Purbaiben Suratwala, an office worker, said she liked India’s growth story but argued that GDP growth alone could not answer questions about employment and living standards.

“I look at it as a challenge,” she said. “High GDP growth does not automatically mean enough good jobs.”  

An hour-long conversation about India’s  economy and governance at a popular tea stall in Ahmedabad’s Lal Darwaja area offered an unusual ground-level perspective on the transformation of  business and public infrastructure in Gujarat.

The common refrain among several business operators was that the state had moved towards a more market-oriented economy earlier than many other parts of India. They pointed to reduced red tape, easier digital transactions and a greater emphasis on infrastructure and delivery of public services.

The conversation inevitably turned to what is often described as “Modinomics” — a policy approach associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that has combined financial inclusion, digital public infrastructure, tax reform and higher public capital expenditure.

ends 

NPP national vice president Wideo accuses NPF of "poaching" party MLAs ::: Congress leader Rajesh Sethi calls it "NDA politics of MLA chori"

There have been strong reactions from certain political quarters on the drama enacted by the NPF leadership in the name of "merger" of five NPP MLAs with the regional outfit.  

“This was not a merger. If merger, then it is between two parties,” said Vevoyi Wideo, NPP national vice president and candidate for Chizami assembly seat in 2023. 

Instead, this was a case of "poaching", he remarked.

Wideo 

Welcoming the five legislators into the party fold, chief minister and NPF president Neiphiu Rio said on Thursday that their decision to join the NPF, "a party that truly represents the identity and aspirations of the Naga people", was a welcome step.

AICC leader Rajesh Sethi said he was "not surprised". 

"Are you surprised ? I am not surprised at all. BJP is famous for EVM chori and vote Chori as stated repeatedly by our respected leader Rahul ji. BJP's alliance partner NPF is indulging in MLA-chori. This is NDA politics. They must celebrate," Sethi, AICC Minority cell leader, told this blogger. 

To a question, he said - "This development is good for Congress; the political culture of BJP and regional party NPF is coming before the people. This will create space for Congress revival in Nagaland and we all including state unit president Supongmeren Jamir is very serious about it". 

Rajesh Sethi with Congress supporters in Haryana 

Sethi also maintained that the Congress party is "not opposed to clean electoral rolls .... genuine voters, or a credible election process". 

"But we are firm about one thing. We stand strongly against any exercise that may lead to genuine citizens losing their voting rights without adequate transparency, notice and verification. This was fear in Bihar and West Bengal. We have the same fear about Nagaland too," he said. 

In reference to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Nagaland, Sethi pointed out that the exercise provides a formal mechanism for claims and objections from September 20 to October 20 with provisions for Forms 6, 7, and 8.

He asserted that the Congress is within its democratic right to question how many genuine voters have been left out, how many names were proposed for deletion, how many objections were filed, accepted, or rejected.  

Another NPP leader James Vizo in his personal opinion said: 

"Political alliances are part of democracy, but democracy is truly strengthened when political choices are respected, smaller parties are allowed to survive, and elected representatives remain accountable to the mandate of the people". 

In a Facebook comment, Vizo, a key leader in the NPP interim panel (for regular works in Nagaland) sounded little caustic but cautious and remarked: 

"The question before the people of Nagaland is simple: Can democracy remain healthy if political competition repeatedly results in the weakening or disappearance of smaller political voices?"  

James Vizo 

There have been interesting remarks in social media as well.

"Every BJP karyakarta in Nagaland is just another political turncoat ... very much predictable and self seeking. BJP Nagaland is the other side of NPF to fool Delhi, and so called modern Chanakya ... gullibly goes with it," remarked one S. Vikishe. 

ends 

Congress hopes of revival in Gujarat could be "via ex-RSS leader and Modi's ex-friend Shankersinh Vaghela" :::: In 2002, Modi said: "I thank Jesus Christ for giving the right sense to Soniaben for depending on an ex RSS man"

Decade after exit, Shankersinh Vaghela in talks to return to Congress ahead of 2027 polls

Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda said discussions are underway with former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and that the party would take next steps after talks with its leadership.  

Shankersinh Vaghela is a former RSS leader and ex Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was also Union Minister under Manmohan Singh in 2004 and the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Legislative Assembly. 

Onetime a bosom friend and compatriot of Narendra Modi; Vagela started his political career with the Jana Sangh, which later merged into the Janata Party in 1977.

In Gujarat BJP - Keshubhai Patel, Vaghela and Modi were known as very close friends. But in later period - all three parted ways. Keshubhai became chief minister first. Modi was "out in exile" to Delhi. Vaghela worked to topple Keshubhai. And in 2001 November - Modi became chief minister replacing Keshubhai. 

The rest is history.  

Now, a meeting between Vaghela and Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, is on cards. 

Vaghela’s dramatic departure from the Congress in July 2017 following differences with the party leadership came right ahead of the high-stakes Rajya Sabha poll -- in which late Sonia Gandhi's trusted lieutenant Ahmed Patel was seeking re-election.

Fourteen Congress MLAs, including Vaghela, left Congress in 2017. 

Three of them, including Balvantsinh Rajput, crossed over to the BJP before the Rajya Sabha elections. Rajput was subsequently fielded in the Rajya Sabha election against Ahmed Patel.

The high-voltage contest - going up to mid-night drama - ended with Ahmed Patel scraping through by a single vote.

Bharatiya Tribal Party leader Chhotubhai Vasava had come to his rescue. 

The Congress later expelled eight MLAs, including Vaghela, for cross-voting.

In 2002 after post-Godhra riots, the Congress had gone to polls against Modi-led BJP by projecting Vaghela as its face and chief ministerial face. The then chief minister Namo - under fierce attack for the unprecedented anti-Muslim mayhem - had then mocked at Sonia Gandhi and had said:   

"I thank Jesus Christ for giving the right sense to Soniaben for depending on an ex RSS man".  

Even Vaghela slammed Modi and used to say - "This man speaks 'anab shanab'". 

After the December 2022 polls - which BJP swept -- Vaghela had said - "Even Hindutva voters will require a responsible government which cater for people's welfare and development". 

It is altogether a different chapter Modi did not look back since then. Modi also led his party to victory in 2007 and 2012 and later emerged BJP's  prime ministerial face. In 2014 when Modi was elected BJP parliamentary leader (to be sworn in as the Prime Minister); on his last entry to the state assembly - both Modi and Vaghela met by taking each other in arms. 

Vaghela's gesture had made many Congress leaders in Delhi furious.  Much to the chagrin of many Congressman, Vaghela even had said: 

"In 1984 it was 2, now it is 282 (BJP strength in Lok Sabha) and the credit goes to Narendra Bhai." 

Vaghela - then the LoP in the assembly - had even said:  

-- "I hope within the framework of the Constitution there is a Ram Mandir." 

Vaghela had said that the Gujarat chief minister becoming prime minister of India was a cause of happiness for everyone.

State legislators, including Modi's close aide Amit Shah and Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel, addressed the session. 

Anandiben Patel had said that "son of Gujarat" will be the PM of India was a matter of pride. Ms Patel is now UP chief minister and Amit Shah is all powerful India's Home Minister and the 'Chanakya' of BJP's electoral machine. 

Modi and UP Governor Anandiben Patel : Aug 5, 2020 - Ram Mandir foundation day Puja 

ends 

UPI - MDR - a necessity :::: Questions those require analyses are : -- What would be the impact on a large-scale payment system if it went down? :: When there is fraud, who is responsible? ?

UPI MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) charges refer to the processing fee paid by business owners or merchants —not regular consumer s— for accepting digital payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). 

The MDR is a fee deducted automatically from a merchant's account by banks and payment processors to cover the cost of running and securing digital payment networks.  

The launch of MDR can contribute to the development of a more sustainable economic model for the UPI eco system. However, the price tag is not enough to achieve sustainability. 

More transparency of financing and strengthening of the ecosystem should be public. The system should be able to show the benefits of the merchant’s contribution when they are involved in MDR.  

'Governance' will shift from ‘transaction governance to ecosystem governance’. This will result in greater clarity of responsibility within the banking system, between banks and payment services providers and other actors.

The cybersecurity requirements will enhance and there will be also need for  more secure systems in case of failed or fraudulent transactions. 

** UPI has ceased to be just another payment method. 

It’s**  a payment channel that’s now used by millions of consumers and businesses. 

** This puts people in a new position of responsibility, to be 'more accountable'.

Questions those require analyses are :

What would be the impact on a large-scale payment system if it went down? 

When there is fraud, who is responsible? 

How quickly the significant cybersecurity incidents are addressed? 

**

UPI is now an integral part of the digital public infrastructure in India. 

NPCI data revealed transactions worth Rs 29.82 lakh crore from 752 banks through UPI in August 2026

There have been at least 24.51 billion transactions. This is a scale, but it’s not a costless scale. 

The payment system needs investment on a continuous basis. Cybersecurity challenges are new and growing, fraud prevention needs are more complex and sophisticated and banks and payment service providers must have resilient technology to meet the challenges. 

India wants to make UPI financially sustainable without disturbing the conditions that helped make it ubiquitous.

It is not an impossible task. 

Brazil's Pix, another hugely successful instant-payment system, is free for individuals but permits low-cost charges for businesses. 

The key question is not whether UPI should remain free for every merchant transaction.

The pricing structure protects the marginal merchants who are still being brought into the digital payments ecosystem.

ends 

"Biggest dormant" party in Nagaland is BJP :: "self-destruction via Inaction and Status Quo" ::: Congrats Nagaland ... We do not see Solution ... Cock eats up "Book" ... Lotus gets into for a Bolero Ride !!

Any political party deserving one of those Padma awards for inaction in Nagaland politics is the BJP. 

"Biggest dormant" party in the state is the Saffron outfit.  

"My fav. CM has stopped getting angry with himself" - Here 'rejoicing' coup snatched from BJP  

  :: "self-destruction via Inaction and Status Quo"... 

Congrats #Nagaland .. No #Solution ... 

#Cock eats up "Book" #NPP MLAs merge with @Neiphiu_Rio led #NPF  

... Lotus gets into for a Bolero Ride across #India .... #Delhi, #Nagpur 

What's there in Journalism ? What's there inside the box? :  Bolero Ride "acchey din" 

Naga People within the state of Nagaland have to decide ... or else 'extortion' by over 30 factions will continue at least easily till 2028. 

 

The Nagas of Nagaland will have to be 'masters' of their political journey vis-a-vis lasting peace and development for their children. 

Onus shifts on organisations like the Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN). They will have much tougher challenge.

 

The so-called BJP central observers and in-charges can seek a pension scheme. There are clerks with papers ready from Dimapur airport to the state capital. It's done and dusted case. 

The Lotus party is not at all keen to disturb the so called Cock-led equilibrium.   

Five NPP MLAs have now embraced the Cock-hood by announcing the merger. This blogger made the breaking news announcement on Sept 30. 

At least two sitting NPP MLAs denied to their "friends" that anything such development is on card. 

This merger is 'NPF coup'. 

The beleaguered chief minister and NPF boss Rio wants to tell the voters and others -- "Look, I am so successful. My politics is so successful. So what if there is FNTA ? Cock rules Kohima. 'Globe' ..what's that? 

My party is so popular. My Manishankar Aiyars are so genius. 

Enjoy the ride .... Solution .... I have never met anybody by that name".   The NPP MLAs wanted a merger with NPF in 2025 presuming "being in the camp" would make 2028 sail easy. 

The BJP got the early alert. Still it did not act. Actually, it is worse.

The request for merger in 2025 was turned down on the 'reported' ground that Neiphiu Rio does not want to displease Conrad Sangma (Late 'friend' P A Sangma's son. 

But things have changed after Sept 10, 2026. Now for platitudes and 'signaling' that he still commands things -- Rio has taken in these five MLAs. 

The bigger fun is in the story that the NPP legislators were in discussion with the BJP for 'merger'. The saffron party stood with "inaction", preferred being part of the larger Status Quo club. Rio grabbed the opportunity and hence the merger.  

Nyamnyei Konyak - from Moka Assembly constituency - played the pro-NPF anchor. Some 'relatives' were on play.

 

Kohima legislator - Tseilhoutuo Rhütso  (popular as Dr Ato) wanted NPF 'cap' for 2028. Tenyimia voters are still alergic to pro-Hinduta BJP.  

Seyochung–Sitimi - MLA -- C. Kipili Sangtam and Benei M. Lamthiu - who represents 57 assembly segment - Thonoknyu were agreeable to NPF idea.  

snap - source My Neta 

Nuklutoshi – representing Arkakong (Assembly Constituency) in Mokokchung district was not very keen to dump Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma.  

"But a gentleman like him has no option... to be singled out in an era when Bolero power is more than anything else made him accept the hospitality of the Cock party," says a political observer on the condition of anonymity.  

In the meantime, those who want an early Solution may opt for a long holiday. Even veteran S C Jamir may be advised to 'give up the struggle' at such a ripe age. 

"Please take care of your health sir ... You have given life more than it deserves. Maybe we mortals do not deserve the Solution. We deserve free run for extortionists. 

What would my party or Nagaland polity deserve after this inaction is left to their wisdom and emotional sense," said a BJP leader visibly upset at the developments. 

For many Naga politicians - of the era I know - the likes of Hokishe Sema, Vizol, Shikiho, J B Jasokie and even T N Angami (I knew his son N T Nakhro and daughter in law - AIR, Kohima officer) and of course S C Jamir himself ---- politics was ....

never been about power alone. 

Of course, they were no saints, They did love power .... We in the media grilled them and criticised them. 

But each one of them had certain good ideas for the people and the land.

They all wanted to contribute something for the people and the state.

Life, politics and the maneuvering were also a lot about - conviction,  commitment and courage.  

Late Vamuzo and blogger : 1990s - 'Naga Banner' newspaper office 

The temporary winners may be laughing.  Dr Manmohan Singh was India's PM for 10 years. How many people believe he 'achieved' something during his tenure is always questionable. People remember Lal Bahadur Shastri. Legacy is important. 

My 'favourite chief minister' does not understand this. He has perhaps stopped getting "angry with himself". -- As was the case with I K Gujral, according to Late former PM Chandrashekhar. 

The ground reality does not change much. People - who hold the master key in democracy - know what is going around.

Rio having sensed the 'change in public mood' especially after Jamir-Mohan Bhagwat meet and secretary general's remarks against S C Jamir; is looking for a headline-changing game. 

This merger is nothing more than that. 

Bad luck Mr Conrad;  - do not blame all Naga politicians. 

Be aware who are your well wishers and your dad's friends. 

ends