The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer has sought greater discretion for electoral officials using the Election Commission’s ECINET platform during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The request comes as Maharashtra is going through the notice phase of the voter-list revision exercise. The state poll chief has sought changes in the software so that officials at the local level can exercise their statutory powers more effectively while dealing with cases.

The demand relates to the role-based access and restrictions built into ECINET, the Election Commission’s digital platform used for several election-related services and operations. The Election Commission describes ECINET as a unified platform connecting voters, political parties, candidates and election officials.

Maharashtra CEO seeks changes to ECINET

Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam wrote to senior Election Commission officials seeking changes to the way ECINET operates during SIR, according to the report.

The request seeks to ensure that Electoral Registration Officers and other field-level officials can exercise the powers available to them under election laws without being unnecessarily constrained by software restrictions.

The issue is significant because electoral officials are handling discrepancies and other cases arising during the voter-roll revision process. Greater flexibility, as sought by the Maharashtra CEO, is intended to allow officials to take decisions within the powers assigned to them.

What is the ECINET issue?

ECINET is the Election Commission’s digital platform for election-related services and administrative functions. It provides access to voter-registration services, application tracking, voter-list searches and communication with election officials, among other functions.

The Maharashtra poll chief’s request concerns the level of discretion available to officials operating through the system. The demand comes amid questions about whether software-based restrictions can limit officials from exercising powers provided to them under the relevant electoral framework.

The Election Commission has subsequently decided to review ECINET and examine whether its functioning is consistent with the applicable laws and rules. A committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT has been constituted for the review.

Changes announced during SIR

The Election Commission has also eased the procedure for people who receive notices during SIR because of unmapped or logical discrepancies.

Under the revised process, Booth Level Officers can visit the homes of such voters, collect the required documents and upload them on ECINET for consideration by the Electoral Registration Officer. Such voters ordinarily do not have to appear personally before the ERO or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer. Hearings can be held in exceptional circumstances, preferably online, if the ERO considers them necessary.

The Election Commission has also extended the deadline for filing claims and objections in Maharashtra to October 12, 2026, with disposal of those claims extended to November 10, 2026.

The Maharashtra SIR process is aimed at revising and updating electoral rolls. The state administration has provided voters with facilities to verify their previous electoral-roll details and submit the required enumeration information.

A protest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara escalated into violence after an unverified social media claim alleged that a female student had been raped and later died by suicide.

The allegation had not been confirmed by police when the protest began. LPU rejected the claim and described it as false and fabricated. The unrest later involved vandalism, fires and a blockade of National Highway-44 outside the university.

By Monday, September 28, security had been tightened around the campus, classes had been suspended for 10 days and students were leaving the university as parents arrived to take them home.

How the LPU protest began

The protest reportedly began near Girls’ Hostel-3 around 1 am on Sunday.

According to a student interviewed by media, students had received a message on Reddit claiming that a girl had been raped and subsequently died by suicide. The student said more people joined the protest after messages circulated among students.

However, police had not received or confirmed a rape complaint when the protest started. The allegation therefore remained unverified.

As more students gathered, the situation deteriorated.

Masks and iron rods seen during the unrest

Videos from the campus showed large numbers of people, with several individuals wearing masks.

Students interviewed after the violence said they were unable to establish whether everyone involved was a student or whether some people had entered the campus from outside.

One student also alleged that some people involved in the violence were carrying iron rods. These are accounts provided by students and should not be treated as an independently established identification of those responsible.

Police have been examining CCTV footage and investigating whether people from outside the university were involved.

Campus property damaged, fires reported

The unrest resulted in damage to university property, including smashed window panes and other vandalism. Some objects were also set on fire.

The violence extended beyond the campus, with protesters blocking National Highway-44, a major route connecting Jalandhar and Phagwara. The blockade continued for more than 15 hours before traffic was restored on Monday.

Other reporting also said vehicles and parts of buildings were damaged during the unrest.

Police registered FIR, special team formed

Punjab authorities moved to investigate the violence after the situation escalated.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed police authorities to take strict action against those responsible for the vandalism and arson. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav also visited the campus and reviewed the situation.

Police registered an FIR and formed a high-level Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said the police had initially exercised restraint because students were involved in the protest. He said the authorities attempted to address students’ grievances through discussions.

What LPU said about the rape allegation

Lovely Professional University has denied that a female student was raped on the campus.

LPU Registrar Monica Gulati described the allegations as false, baseless and fabricated. The university also released a video featuring three female students from room 504 of a hostel, in which they said that no such incident had taken place in their room.

The video subsequently became controversial when the same students appeared in another video and alleged that they had been told what to say and that the video had been used without their consent.

These claims surrounding the video were circulating allegations and had not themselves been independently established in the report.

LPU classes suspended for 10 days

Following the violence, the university suspended classes for 10 days from September 28.

The university also postponed mid-term examinations until further notice, according to reporting on the situation.

Security was increased on the campus as students began leaving with their belongings and parents arrived to take them home.

What is known about the alleged rape-suicide claim?

At the time of the protests, police had not confirmed a rape complaint at LPU. The allegation had circulated through social media and among students but remained unverified.

LPU denied that the alleged incident had occurred. Police are investigating the violence and the circumstances surrounding the claims.

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to decide the dispute over the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its ‘Flowers & Grass’ election symbol within a defined timeline.

The order came while the court was hearing a plea filed by Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s interim decision to freeze the use of the party’s original name and reserved symbol amid competing claims between rival factions.

The court has given the parties four weeks to complete their pleadings, including responses, affidavits and counter-affidavits. The ECI will then have three months to adjudicate the dispute. This effectively establishes a four-month timeline for completion of the process.

What did the Supreme Court direct?

The Supreme Court directed the contesting sides to place their responses and other documents on record within four weeks.

After the pleadings are completed, the Election Commission has been asked to take three months to decide the dispute concerning the party’s name and election symbol. The matter is being considered under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The Supreme Court’s directions therefore provide a structured timeline for the ECI’s adjudication of the competing claims.

Why is the TMC name and symbol dispute before the Supreme Court?

The case follows an interim decision by the Election Commission in September to prevent the rival factions from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and the reserved ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol while the competing claims are examined.

The Commission had said the dispute required a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

Mamata Banerjee subsequently approached the Supreme Court challenging the ECI’s interim arrangement. The Supreme Court is examining the challenge while the substantive dispute remains before the poll panel.

What names and symbols are being used temporarily?

Following the Election Commission’s interim decision, the two rival factions were allotted separate identities for the upcoming by-elections.

The faction led by Mamata Banerjee was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol. The rival faction was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

These are interim arrangements and do not amount to a final determination of which faction is entitled to the original AITC name and ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol.

What happens next in the TMC symbol dispute?

The immediate next step is for the rival sides to complete their pleadings within four weeks.

Once that stage is completed, the ECI has three months to decide the dispute. The Supreme Court has thus effectively provided a four-month framework for the proceedings to reach a decision.