Election commission briefs over 2,100 observers for Lok Sabha elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI), held a daylong session on Monday to prepare over 2,000 observers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and state legislative assemblies. The session took place at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, with some officials participating virtually. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar stressed the need for a level playing field to ensure free, fair, and intimidation-free elections in the country.
CEC Kumar asks observers to be available to stakeholders
During the session, CEC Kumar urged observers to act professionally and be available to all stakeholders, including candidates, political parties, and the general public. He advised them to visit polling stations, familiarize themselves with the area, and identify any vulnerabilities or sensitive locations. Kumar also mentioned that the commission has updated all circulars, manuals, and handbooks on the ECI website for easy access.
Obervers to remain withing their constituencies
Observers were also instructed to stay within their assigned parliamentary constituency boundaries throughout the election process. Kumar also proposed GPS tracking for their vehicles. Moreover, all observers were instructed to publicize their contact information as much as they could and remain reachable via phone and email at all times. They were asked to ensure that central forces and state police maintain neutrality and do not favor any political parties or candidates throughout the electoral process.
Comprehensive training on election management
All the observers were given extensive information on various aspects of election management, including election planning, electoral roll issues, enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and management of the EVM/VVPAT. They were also informed about the legal provisions, media engagement, and voter facilitation. Kumar said, "All observers should be tough yet polite in their conduct on the field."
Who are the observers ?
For the upcoming elections, the ECI has deployed 900 general observers, 450 police observers, and 800 expenditure observers. The commission deploys the observers under Section 20B of the 1951 Representation of the People Act and plenary powers of the Indian consitution. All the appointed observers are given the task of observing the electoral process to ensure credibility and fair play.
Congress petitions against appointment of election commissioners
Meanwhile, the Congress has petitioned the Supreme Court against the appointment of new election commissioners days after Election Commissioner (EC) Arun Goel resigned, saying it goes against the principle of free and fair elections. The plea by Madhya Pradesh Congress leader, Jaya Thakur, urged the court to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre from appointing a chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners. The appointment of commissioners is expected later this week.
