With the Election Commission of India announcing the schedule for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Telangana, the State election authority, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), has intensified vulnerability mapping process to identify sensitive polling stations in different parts of the State.
“The process is under way. It has been programmed for completion at the earliest so that necessary measures can be initiated,” CEO Vikas Raj said.
The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Telangana on Monday. Accordingly, notification for the election would be issued on November 3 followed by polling on November 30 and counting of votes on December 3. The election process would be completed on December 5. The term of the current assembly of Telangana comes to a close on January 16.
According to the CEO, the flying squads, video teams, special surveillance teams and other teams to monitor the proceedings ahead of the elections would come into force from Monday itself. The election authority has also introduced an integrated expenditure monitoring software to monitor the expenditure by the contesting candidates and political parties. These would be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that candidates/ political parties adhere to the rules and procedures in force.
The CEO made it clear that the candidates as well as the political parties should declare the criminal antecedents of the contesting candidates through newspaper advertisements. Special emphasis would be laid on providing level playing field for all political parties in line with the guidelines issued by the ECI.
Political parties seeking to utilise public places like grounds should make an application through the app provided for the purpose. Political parties and general public lodge their complaints on toll-free number 1915 so that they could be forwarded to the authorities concerned for immediate action. “The number has been functional during the office hours till now. But it will be available round the clock as the poll schedule has been announced,” he said.
The Ministers concerned should not club their official duties with election related work and no advertisements would be allowed at the cost of public exchequer. Advertisements that would be issued by the political parties need prior certification from the MCMC (media certification and monitoring committee) at the State and district levels.
The photographs of the contesting candidates would be displayed on the ballot paper along with the party symbol. He elaborated on the arrangements being made at all the polling stations for persons with disabilities as well as senior citizens, including the facility for voting from home through Form-12 introduced for senior citizens.
