Restrictions within 100m radius of all polling booths
ECI issues stringent instructions
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 02 2012: Leaving nothing to chance to give room for electoral malpractices, the Election Commission of India has decided to allow no one except voters within 100 metre radius of all the 67 polling stations which would go to re-poll on March 4 .

An official source informed that the CEO has received an official intimation from the ECI to this effect along with a set of instructions with regard to the re-poll.

In addition to the restrictions which would be imposed within a 100 metre radius of the polling stations, the ECI further instructed the CEO to depute Executive Magistrates and sector officers to keep a close watch on the movement of people in the vicinity of polling areas.

Moreover, as per the instruction of the ECI, one micro observer each should be stationed in all polling stations throughout the voting hours to monitor the voting proceedings and check entry of unauthorised persons into polling booths.

In the event of entry of any unauthorised person, the micro observers should immediately inform the concerned presiding officers for necessary action.

With a view to check congestion in polling booths and ensure smooth polling, the ECI has instructed the CEO to allow entry of not more than two to four voters at one time.

No one should be allowed to stand behind a voter when he/she is being photographed and the task of taking photographs should be done by polling officer number 3 .

Moreover, presence of anybody else other than the voter should not be allowed within the voting compartment.

Meanwhile, seven polling parties have left for polling stations of Mao, Tadubi and Karong ACs and four Karong ACs and four polling parties for Tamei AC.

The total number of voters for the 67 polling stations which would go to re-poll is 45,315��22444 males and 22871 females.

Another instruction of the ECI is to exclude from counting postal ballots issued to security personnel on duty who again cast votes in person.

Taking due note of the complaints received from Thoubal and Bishnupur districts, the ECI made special instruction that if anyone of the candidates, their election agents or counting agents raise a doubt while counting postal ballots, those postal ballot papers shall not be taken up for counting unless action is taken by the RO/ARO concerned to satisfy himself that the elector has actually not cast his vote in person at the polling station.

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