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Sunday, Apr 06, 2008
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Stringent steps for smooth polling

Special Correspondent

EC tells deputy commissioners to act tough against poll malpractices

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

All smiles: Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami (centre) addressing presspersons with Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi (left) and Navin Chawla in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: The Election Commission has decided to take certain stringent measures to ensure free and fair polling in the State after taking stock of the situation here in the past two days.

To check electoral malpractices, including distribution of liquor and bogus voting, the commission has instructed the district electoral officers to keep a vigil on transportation of liquor and entry of people into Karnataka from neighbouring States in the run-up to the elections.

On the menace of bogus voting, the commission has asked the deputy commissioners to take steps to monitor the movement of people from Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu into the State on the polling day. It has also instructed the deputy commissioners to take steps to prevent illegal inter-State and intra-State liquor transportation during election campaign and voting and appealed to political parties to desist from using campaign material made of plastic.

Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and Navin B. Chawla, who arrived here on Friday, held meetings with leaders of various political parties and officials concerned on the arrangements being made for the elections to be held in three phases on May 10, 16 and 22.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Gopalaswami said the commission had asked district electoral officers to organise a special campaign on April 8, 9, 11 and 12 to enrol voters left out during the preparation of the final list of voters. There was provision for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls till the last date for filing of nomination papers. Instructions had been given to booth-level officers to look into the list of photo identity cards issued by it.

On the use of money power during the elections, he said: “We cannot sniff out cash. But we will keep a watch on it.”

The commission had seized a large amount of cash during the elections in Goa and Tripura, he added.

Mr. Gopalaswami said that one of the major concerns of political parties was the model code of conduct with regard to use of banners and posters. The commission would study the Karnataka (Prevention of) Defacement of Public Properties Act and three of its amendments and issue a clarification to political parties on Monday. However, the commission had allowed the political parties to put up hoardings, buntings and posters during public meetings and remove them after the meetings.

As an environment-friendly measure, Mr. Gopalaswami appealed to political parties not to use campaign material made of plastic. A grievances cell would be established in all districts to report any violation of model of code of conduct, he said.

On the demand to declare polling day as paid holiday to enable employees in the public and private sectors to exercise their franchise, he said the State Chief Electoral Officer, M.N. Vidyashankar, had been asked to hold a meeting with the authorities concerned on the matter. Industries such as IT and BPO had been exempted from declaring holiday. But they should give time for employees to exercise their franchise, he added.

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