Konthoujam by-election EC announces more strictures
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 02, 2011:
The Election Commission has announced that candidates contesting in the Konthoujam A/C by-election should not use more than three vehicles.
On the other hand, following establishment of several monitoring teams, the Commission has started screening of the candidates and their electioneering activities.
According to an official source, the Election Commission imposed the restriction on the number of vehicles with a view to reduce election related expenditures.
The Election Commission's notice specified that each candidate may use three vehicles on the day of polling, one for himself, one for the agent and the third for party workers/leaders.
Taking serious note of the failure of the candidates to furnish names of the political leaders who would take part in their election campaigns within seven days from the date of issuing election notice, the Joint Chief Electoral Officer has notified the candidates that expenditures incurred by political leaders who come to take part in their election campaigns would be accounted in their own election expenditures.
The commission has already directed the candidates to make their election expenditures after opening separate bank accounts.
Meanwhile, the Imphal West District Election Officer convened a meeting of different political parties today and discussed the new instructions issued by the Election Commission.
Konthoujam A/C has a total of 28 polling stations, out of which 19 have been categorised as sensitive while 10 polling stations have been identified as hyper-sensitive.
It has been already decided to deploy two sections of central para-military forces at each polling station on the day of the polling.
With a view to ensure free and fair election and also to check accounts of election expenditures incurred by the contesting candidates of the by-election, several cells, teams and committees were constituted.
According to an order issued by the District Election Officer, Imphal West on January 29 in line with an instruction from the Election Commission of India, expenditure cell, accounting team, video surveillance team, video viewing team, surveillance team for tracking illegal cash transaction, media expenditure monitoring team and expenditure monitoring control room have been set up/opened.
The expenditure monitoring cell would be headed by AG (Audit) AAO M Gyaneshwar.
The accounting team would be led by Lamphel Treasury Officer L Badalkumar.
The video surveillance team which would be led by Pangambam Premjit would make video recordings of the elections campaigns of the contesting candidates.
The team for tracking illegal cash transactions would be headed by the Patsoi SDC and the same team would also keep a watch on carrying huge cash within Konthoujam A/C. The media expenditure monitoring team will scrutinize print and electronic propaganda as well as advertisements in media including paid news.
The team would be headed by ADM, Imphal West Th Chitra.
These measures were discussed in the meeting held today.