Punjab Assembly Elections

India inshorts@indiainshorts

The first round of checks on EVMs and VVPAT machines for the Punjab assembly elections begins across the state on Thursday.

State chief electoral officer Anindita Mitra said the Election Commission requires this testing so that only working machines are used. Engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited will carry out the checks under district election officers, and only machines that pass will be used in the polls.

The whole process will be webcast live from all 23 locations. Political parties have been asked to send representatives to observe it.

India inshorts@indiainshorts

A committee opposing Himachal Pradesh's entry tax is urging the BJP-led Centre to act, saying its many requests have been ignored.

Its legal member has filed a 96-page submission seeking a statewide protest and arguing the Centre can order the state to take down the barriers on national highways.

The Nangal municipal council and the Ropar district council want to impose a matching tax on Himachal vehicles, but the Punjab government has not yet allowed it. The committee will also press candidates in the 2027 Punjab polls on what they have done about the issue.