New Delhi, April 2: The Election Commission of India held a comprehensive review meeting on Wednesday regarding the preparations for the assembly elections scheduled for April 9 in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry. The meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi also in attendance.
During the meeting, guidelines were issued to general, police, and expenditure observers stationed in these three states and the union territory to ensure that the election process is conducted fairly, independently, and peacefully.
This briefing, conducted via video conferencing, saw participation from a total of 282 central observers alongside the Chief Electoral Officers of Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry. According to the data, 136 observers have been deployed for 126 assembly seats in Assam, including 51 general, 35 police, and 50 expenditure observers.
In Kerala, 108 observers have been appointed for 140 seats, while 38 observers have been assigned for 30 seats in Puducherry. Thus, a total of 282 central observers are responsible for monitoring across 296 electoral constituencies in these regions.
The Election Commission has issued strict instructions to observers to ensure that the election process is entirely free, fair, and festive, with no room for threats, violence, or inducements. The Commission emphasized the strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct, stating that immediate action should be taken in case of any violations.
Additionally, observers were instructed to widely publicize their contact numbers and designated times and locations for receiving complaints from the public, political parties, and candidates. They were also directed to monitor various aspects of the voting process, including the quality of training for presiding officers, updating voter turnout data on the ECI Net every two hours, proper use of indelible ink, correct filling of Form 17-C, and removal of mock poll data.
The Commission also ensured that all polling stations have minimum necessary facilities, such as arrangements for depositing mobile phones and adequate seating for voters. Furthermore, a thorough examination of the webcasting monitoring control room arrangements and proper training trials for the staff deployed there were instructed to identify and rectify any technical or operational errors promptly.
Leave a Comment