The Election Commission also discussed the administrative, logistics, budget, law and order and election-related arrangements with the chief secretary and state police nodal officer.
New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections amid the pandemic, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday reviewed poll preparedness in Manipur, focusing on the conduct of safe elections. The ECI also held a virtual meeting with representatives of political parties, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, State Police Nodal Officer, and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Manipur to review the preparations for the poll process.
During the virtual interaction with top Manipur officials, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra conveyed his concern to the chief secretary about the low vaccination rate in the state and asked to pace up the inoculation drive. The poll panel specifically emphasized the conduct of safe elections with 100 per cent vaccination of all polling staff, proper sanitization, and social distancing at the polling stations.
Keeping in view the Covid social-distancing norms, the panel has specifically revisited some extant norms. As a result, the maximum number of electors at a polling station has been reduced from 1,500 to 1,250. This will ensure a substantially lower number of electors at each polling station. During the virtual meet with the panel, the state’s chief electoral officer was also directed to ensure assured facilities such as drinking water, toilets, ramps, wheelchairs, electricity and shades at all polling stations. It also directed the identification of ‘communication shadow’ polling stations for alternative arrangements
Postal Ballot
At the meet, the Election Commission highlighted that for the first time in the state, the option of a postal ballot would be provided during the polls for ‘absentee voters’ which include senior citizens above 80 years of age, persons with disabilities, and COVID-19 suspects or affected persons.
A postal ballot is an optional facility and it maintains total secrecy of voting. Representatives of candidates will be present during the process and the whole procedure will be videographed. In Manipur, 14,565 people with disabilities and over 41,867 people aged 80 years and above have been mapped for the procedure.
Pre-Poll Violence
Meanwhile, during the meeting with ECI, political parties from Manipur expressed concerns over pre-poll violence and urged the Election Commission to deploy adequate security forces during the poll process. Representatives of All India Trinamool Congress, BJP, CPI, CPI(M), Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Naga People’s Front, National People’s Party, Peoples Democratic Alliance interacted with the poll panel through video conferencing.
The parties from the poll-bound state also flagged concerns over the use of money power, illicit liquor, narcotics drugs and intimidation to influence voters, the EC said in a statement. “Political parties requested for a strict vigil on election expenses by candidates to ensure free and fair polls,” it said. They also expressed their concerns over the implementation of strict Covid protocols.
To this, the commission assured the representatives that it has taken cognisance of suggestions, issues and concerns of the political parties and it is committed to conducting free, fair, participative, inclusive, inducement free and Covid-safe elections in the state. “With regard to the concerns raised on excessive use of money and other inducements to influence voters, the commission reiterated that it has zero tolerance for misuse of money or muscle power or partisan behaviour of state machinery vitiating free and fair elections,” the statement said.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra underscored that strict action would be taken against such erring officials. He noted that expenditure observers will be deployed for a strict vigil to ensure inducement-free elections in the state. The poll panel assured the representatives that it will implement measures like webcasting or videography, deployment of central forces and micro-observers wherever necessary in identified vulnerable polling areas to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling.
Law and Order Situation
The commission also discussed the administrative, logistics, budget, law and order and election-related arrangements with the chief secretary and state police nodal officer.
Reviewing the law-and-order issues, the commission directed that deposition of licensed arms in the state should be expedited. It also stressed that distribution of liquor, drugs, freebies and cash be effectively checked. The chief election commissioner directed officials to maintain a strict vigil on the international border to ensure there is no unlawful transit and infiltration. The panel also directed the state chief electoral officer to ensure quick disposal of complaints received during the electoral process and ensure a robust mechanism for the same.
The term of the Manipur Legislative Assembly is due to expire on March 19 this year. It was mentioned that after the special summary revision 2022, the electoral roll has been published on Wednesday and there are a total of 20,34,966 electors in Manipur.
Manipur is one of the five states where assembly elections are due and the virtual meet was part of the poll panel’s exercise to take stock of the situation. With this, the EC has wrapped up the exercise of reviewing poll preparedness in all five states where Assembly elections are slated to be held in the next couple of months. The commission has already visited Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand in the last few days to take stock of the poll preparedness there. The poll panel is expected to announce the election dates for the five states soon.
