From Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said in Guwahati on Wednesday that the 2021 Assam Assembly elections will be held in April in view of the Rongali Bihu Festival and CBSE board examinations for class 10 and 12 students. He said, the assembly elections will be completed before the CBSE board examination between May 4 and June 10. “We have already kept the festival in mind before we come here for review meetings,” he told reporters here. The Chief Election Commissioner said that assam assembly elections may be held in the first week of April 2021.
During the visit, the Commission met with representatives of various political parties and noted their issues and concerns. The commission reviewed the poll preparedness of district election officers, police commissioners, divisional commissioners and igs and also discussed election preparations with the state’s Chief Secretary, DGP, Home Secretary and other senior officials. The Commission reviewed the overall election preparedness with the Chief Electoral Officer, police nodal officer and CAPF nodal officer. The Commission also held a meeting with nodal officers of central and state regulatory agencies such as Excise Department, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, Railways and Airport Authorities, security agencies such as BSF, SSB, State Level Bankers Committee etc. The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that those excluded from Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) list may also vote in this year’s assembly elections.
Because his name is already on the electoral roll. The main points raised by the political parties included a request from the Commission to take into account the dates of the Bihu Festival when deciding the election schedule. Representatives of the political party said such a program would encourage higher voter turnout and also help avoid the monsoon period. Taking into account the covid norms of ensuring social dissing, the delegates wished that the number of polling stations should be increased and the list of such auxiliary polling stations should also be made available in time, so that the parties could organize their booth committees and logistics on time. The need for adequate security and deployment of corresponding security personnel was also referred to at remote polling stations. Some delegates drew the attention of the commission deputing observers from outside the state.
Among other issues, representatives of some political party wished that the expenditure ceiling be increased; Photo identity cards of electors should be well distributed on time; The timelines for publishing the criminal predecessor of contesting candidates in the media should be made more realistic. concern for misuse of social media for the dissemination of communal speeches; misuse of government machinery; Money power and Covid-19 protocol breaches were also mentioned by some representatives. All political parties assured full support to the Commission in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections. The Election Commission of India has always recognised that political parties after voters are the most important stakeholders in the election process. The officials of the Commission are holding frequent meetings with local officials to take stock of the ground situation. Sensitivity about bihu festival dates will be taken cognizance of and accordingly will be factored in while preparing schedule of election dates. The Commission has zero tolerance for misuse of money power or government machinery. A specific meeting was held with the enforcement agencies in this regard in order to break the whip wherever required. According to the well-established standard, the Commission deploys experienced officers from outside the state as observers in each election after proper scrutiny. If necessary, special observers will also be deployed in sensitive/important constituencies/districts to ensure that elections are held in a purely free and fair manner. In view of the kovid social dissing criteria, the Commission has revisited certain existing criteria in particular. Due to this, the maximum number of voters at a polling booth has been reduced from 1500 to 1000. Accordingly, the number of polling stations for the State of Assam will increase by about 5000 and is likely to exceed 33000 for the forthcoming elections. This increase in the number of polling stations in turn will have other logistics and manpower implications. The 126-member Assam Assembly elections are to be held in March-April, with the term expiring in May.
