SHILLONG: The state Election Commission (EC) is all geared up to introduce new mechanisms in the upcoming Assembly polls to enhance the efficacy of electoral process in the state with up-to-date techniques.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, state Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor said web-casting will be used for the first time in the polls.
“We have identified 193 polling stations which will have direct web-casting. It will be visible at the offices of the District Election Officers (DEOs), the CEO and if desired by the ECI (Election Commission of India),” he said.
At the same time, web-casting will enhance the quality of poll monitoring and to observe that polling process goes ahead without technical glitches, to view whether franchise is being conducted in a free and fair manner.
Again, for the first time in the Assembly polls, VVPATs will be used in all the 3,082 polling stations, awareness about the VVPATs are going on.
“There will be 60 all-woman polling stations which will be manned by women polling officers. Keeping in view that we are a state which is always been gender sensitive, that should not be an issue,” he said.
According to him, the number of model polling stations will be worked out.
Kharkongor said there are IT applications of ECI, which include Suvidha for various permissions and Samadhan for public grievances.
Voters & polling stations
The total number of electorates in the state as per the final rolls is 1831487 in the 60 Assembly constituencies.
“Out of the 3,082 polling stations, 2025 are normal, 536 are vulnerable, 454 are critical, 67 are critical and vulnerable. But there are certain dynamics as there are areas which were normal that turn critical. We will have to view the aspect carefully,” Kharkongor said.
“It is a dynamic process as it changes from day to day as once the nominations is announced there could be certain areas which were normal but turned sensitive and vulnerable turned normal. We will have to view the aspect carefully,” he added.
Commenting on vulnerable and critical polling stations, he said that vulnerable polling stations, from the ECI’s point of view, are those areas where there are certain incidents of violence or militancy or related poll violence.
Critical polling stations refer to those with unusual polling patterns in which there may be much more than higher average turnout in favour of one candidate or there could be possibility of a section of the populace not exercising their franchise.
Kharkongor said that the state election commission is looking to improve the last percentage of turn up which was 87.97 per cent in the last 2013 Assembly elections.
“As we go to the polls, we will endeavour to improve this poll percentage,” he said.
The highest number of voters is in Mawlai constituency (Khasi Hills) with more than 42,000 voters and the lowest number is in Dalu constituency (Garo Hills) with over 9,000 voters.
Money and muscle power
On the use of money power, Kharkongor said a detailed mechanism to check money power is in place with extensive awareness programmes conducted through systematic voters’ education and electoral participation right to the villages.
He informed that there will be a meeting with the banks on Friday to ensure that any suspicious transaction which is likely to have an influence over the voters is flagged in terms of withdrawals and deposits.
He has also instructed DEOs to have separate meetings with banks.
He further added that inauguration sprees and distribution of schemes will come under the ambit of model code of conduct.
He added that candidates who are carrying Rs 50,000 or more in cash are liable to be asked questions.
Pointing to another aspect, he said that there will be expenditure observers who will be deployed from the election commission to examine expenditure sensitive areas which will be worked out in conjunction with the police and income tax authorities.
As for muscle power 100 companies of CAPF, will be arriving here at the end of the month. Once the CAPF comes, there will be area domination and patrolling will be there so that the threat of muscle power is tackled.
CRPF gears up
Prakash D, the IG of CRPF, NES, led the high-level talks with top police officers regarding poll preparedness. DGP S B Singh assured that all amenities for the CAPFs will be provided in time.
Deployment of forces all over the state was also discussed. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs notification, 100 companies of Central Armed Forces have been allotted to the state. Area domination will begin soon to achieve conducive atmosphere for fair and free poll.
Over 86k first timers
Altogether 86,890 first-timers between the age group of 18-19 years will cast votes this election. Besides, 2,174 people with disabilities and 2,077 service voters have also enrolled.
There are 19 constituencies with 168 polling stations in the inter-state border with Assam and 11 constituencies sharing international border with Bangladesh.
While 21,574 officials will be deployed for polls as many as 385 sector observers, 270 zonal officers, 329 micro observers from the central government departments and 180 flying squads will also be on election duty.
Connectivity
In areas where there are no mobile phone connectivity, as many as 309 VHF sets and four satellite phones will be used for communication since there 313 shadow areas.
Mawlai has the maximum number of 73 polling stations while Dalu in West Garo Hills has only 30.
