Election Commission of India (ECI) is fully prepared to conduct the upcoming Lok Sabha as well as Odisha Assembly elections

Bhubaneswar17/2/24:: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said it is fully prepared to conduct the upcoming Lok Sabha as well as Odisha Assembly elections.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said arrangements are being made for putting in place a webcasting facility in 50 percent of the polling stations in the state.

“We are fully prepared for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. All the preparations are almost complete and we urge all voters to come and participate in this festival of democracy,” he said.

The CEC addressed the media on the concluding day of the ECI team’s three-day visit to the state. The team held discussions with the senior officials including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) during the visit. They also talked to the representatives of various political parties and reviewed preparations for the twin polls.

Stating that there will be webcasting facilities in more than 50 percent of polling stations in the state, the CEC said that out of 37809 polling stations, there will be webcasting arrangements in 22,685 polling stations.

Stressing that the polling stations will be under close watch with webcasting arrangements, the CEC said quick action would be ensured whenever any trouble is reported from any booth during polling.

Emphasizing the need for free and fair polls, Kumar said it is a non-negotiable requirement from the Election Commission that all the DMs, SPs, IGs should remain impartial, transparent, and equally accessible to all political parties.

Stating that the polling staff will provide details regarding the total votes polled at each booth to the agents of political parties, he said there will be three-tier security at the warehouse meant for the safe storing of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The central armed police forces (CAPF), the state armed police forces, and the district police forces will guard each EVM warehouse.

The political parties are allowed to deploy their representatives outside the EVM warehouses. The polling officials can open and seal the warehouses in the presence of representatives of political parties, the CEC said.

He said the ECI has asked all enforcement agencies including the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, GST officials, police, and Excise Department to keep watch on illegal activities, including the distribution of cash and liquor among the voters, during the elections.

To a query, the CEC said that the Commission will act by the directives of the Supreme Court regarding the electoral bonds scheme.

The CEC also informs about the following directions issued to district collectors and SPs:

1)Be impartial, transparent, and accessible to all parties equally & ensure a level playing field

2) Ensure impartiality at junior officials working at cutting edge level for a level playing field

3)No place for violence in the electoral arena

4) Vehicles used to ferry cash will be strictly under watch

5)Strict separation between official & political events

6)3-tier security at district EVM-VVPAT warehouses should be ensured at all times

7)EVMs to be sealed properly

8) Polling agents to get details of votes polled at polling stations

9)Paid news & candidates using their publications & channels for campaigning will be watched & added towards election expense

10)Govt machinery should not be used for promotion of party events & advertisements