SHILLONG:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Rajiv Kumar, has urged the Meghalaya residents to participate proactively in the forthcoming elections in a true festive mood.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) officials were in the state to brief on the poll preparedness for the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Election 2023, at Hotel Vivanta, Shillong, on January 13, wherein the officials of the ECI met the representatives of the national parties, the regional parties, to get their views, comments, suggestions, inputs, and apprehensions. The ECI also met the state officials.
Speaking to media persons, CEC Kumar informed that the state’s population is 29, 66,889, with male and female population being almost equal. The term of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly is up to March 15, 2023, and the entire poll preparedness will be completed before the term.
Persons with Disabilities
He informed that the female outnumber the male voters in the state, with 10, 92, 326 female voters, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are also earmarked into the electoral roll, and there are 7478 PWD voters in the state.
PWDs at some of the identified places will have booths which will be managed by them, Kumar said, adding that the step is a way of giving them honour and saying that they are fully empowered to handle the booths as anybody else.
PWDs can download Saksham app for additional facilities, the state icon will be the band, Light After Dark band, whose band members are mostly visually impaired.
Senior citizens
Kumar also mentioned that there are 22, 858 electors who are above 80 years of age and 290 electors who are over 100 years of age, 18-19 years voters are 81,443.
Stating that most senior citizens want to go to the polling stations to cast their votes, he said that if for some reason they do not want to go, the ECI team will ensure that senior citizens cast their vote.
“This will be videographed and this will be communicated in advance,” he said, adding that PWDs can also vote from their home.
“Since, 81, 443 voters are 18-19 years, I would request that when we are making efforts to enroll them, they should convert this from role to vote,” he said.
The number of polling stations is 3482, with 3157 of them in rural areas. There will be 120 Women polling booths, 60 Polling booths will be managed by youths, and 1741 polling stations will be webcasting.
Urban apathy
To target urban and youth apathy, the Commission and the CEO of Meghalaya has identified 5 lowest turnout polling stations in every constituency numbering about 300 polling stations.
“All District Election Officers under the guidance of the CEO are making efforts to understand why there was a low voting last time,” Kumar said.
Know your candidate
He further said that residents can know if any candidate has a criminal background or not through the app–‘Know Your Candidate’.
“Now, if any candidate has a criminal background, the voters need to know this so that they can make informed choices. So, this particular application, Know Your Candidate (KYC) allows the voters to see the criminal background of any candidate,” the CEC said.
He further said, “The Commission has mandated if any candidate has a criminal background, the same must be published in the newspapers three times prominentl,y and also in the news channels, so that the voter can make an informed choice.”
He also said that political parties who are giving tickets to such candidates must also explain in the newspapers and give a justification as to why they have selected such a person with a criminal background in that particular constituency.
Other apps
He also outlined about the cVIGIL app to empower the citizens, where residents can make any complaints to the EC.
Stating that the Commission is committed to conduct free, fair, transparent and inducement-free elections, he highlighted the role of technology to empower the citizens by using apps such as cVIGIL, Know Your Candidate.
“If you want to make any complaints to the Election Commission, download the app,” he said.
He further informed that there is a voter helpline which people can use to find out the location of the booths and others, there is the Suvidha app for candidates and political parties.
Other meetings
Kumar informed that there were detailed meetings with enforcement agencies such as state police, excise, GST, Revenue, Intelligence, CSF, Income tax, Enforcement Directorate, Border Security Force (BSF), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Narcotics Bureau, Railways with a purpose to ensure that elections are inducement-free and there is no scope for cash distribution and drugs to not be consumed here.
There will be check posts at all the inter-state and international borders manned by paramilitary forces and there will be CCTV cameras also.
He added that the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, and the GST will keep a watch on the warehouses so that nothing is stocked there for distribution at the time of the elections or after the elections.