ECI gears up for enhanced elector participation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 20 2025:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) led by CEC Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, has put the entire election machinery right up to the BLO level on a path firmly on course for promoting participation of all electors.
A press note issued by P Pawan, Deputy Director, ECI has informed that technical consultations between UIDAI and experts of ECI are set to begin soon.
Though an elector can only vote in the assigned polling booth and nowhere else, the Commission has resolved to remove duplicates countrywide in EPIC numbers and end a decades-long issue within 3 months.
Regular updation of the voter list will be strengthened in close coordination with the birth and death registration authorities, said the ECI.
In the Commission's interactions with political parties, it was clarified that any inclusion or deletion to the draft elector list is governed by the process of appeals under relevant legal provisions for filing claims and objections, available to all political parties in the Representation of People Act, 1950.In the absence of such appeals, the list as prepared by the ERO prevails.
The press note also recalled that on March 7, the ECI had clarified that merely 89 first appeals and one second appeal were filed after the completion of the Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of January 6 to 10 .
ECI has assured to take steps to ensure that no polling station has more than 1,200 electors and that they will be within 2 kms of the electors.
Even in the remotest rural polling station, basic facilities (AMF) will be ensured.
To tackle urban apathy and encourage more participation, clusters of high-rise buildings and colonies will also have polling stations within their premises.
In a major step towards comprehensive and continuous capacity building of nearly 1 crore election personnel, a two-day conference of CEOs of all States/UTs at IIIDEM was held in New Delhi on March 4 and 5 in which, in a first, DEOs and EROs of each of the State/UTs participated.
The conference provided a clear mapping of 28 stakeholders along with their responsibilities as per the framework set by the constitution, electoral laws and guidelines issued by ECI.
To ensure full participation of political parties in all aspects of the election processes, CEC Gyanesh Kumar during the CEO conference directed that regular all-party meetings and interactions be held by all the 36 CEOs, 788 DEOs, 4123 EROs.
Such meetings across the country will help resolve any outstanding and emergent issues raised by the political parties at the grassroot level.
This process will be completed pan-India by March 31, 2025 .
Electoral handbooks and manuals for instructions will be harmonised with the most recent changes.
Digital training kits in multiple Indian languages will be prepared for easy absorption and effective training of frontline functionaries.
Animated videos and integrated dashboard will provide a digital push to training.
A training module is being devised to train BLOs in days to come, said the press note.
The ECI has also invited suggestions from all political parties on any and all matters concerning the conduct of elections by April 30, 2025 .
The parties have also been extended an invitation to meet the Commission in Delhi at a mutually convenient time.
Comment
