The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : EVMs to be used in local body elections

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Tamil Nadu

EVMs to be used in local body elections

Special Correspondent

“The objective is to wipe out the ballot box system”

— Photo: M. Srinath

REVIEW TIME: M. Chandraseakaran, State Election Commissioner, at a meeting in Thanjavur on Saturday.

THANJAVUR: Electronic voting machines (EVM) would be used in the local body elections in the State, said the State Election Commissioner, M. Chandrasekaran, here on Saturday.

He told presspersons that EVMs were successfully used in the municipal and town panchayat elections. They would be used in three corporation elections in future.

The aim was to wipe out ballot box system and introduce EVMs in all the elections, including panchayat polls. For this, 70,000 units were required. It would cost Rs. 200 crore. A proposal for this had been sent to the Government.

Poll account

With respect to the local body elections held in 2006, 3,533 candidates were disqualified by the Commission as they did not submit poll expenses account. The Commission sent notices to 8,841 candidates in rural areas for not submitting accounts. Among them, 1,512 did not respond and were disqualified. In urban areas notices were sent to 6,026 candidates, of whom 2,021 did not respond and were disqualified. The State Election Commission would soon move into its own building constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.87 crore opposite Koyambedu bus stand in Chennai.

The district officials had been advised to be well versed with Acts such as Panchayat Act to deal with cases related to local body elections, Mr. Chandrasekaran said.

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