To conduct free and fair Lok Sabha Elections in the State, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Thursday said that a total of 19,812 polling stations have been set up at 10,363 locations across the state, including 13,588 in rural areas and 6,224 in urban areas. There are polling booths at 2,400 locations in cities and 7,963 locations in villages, he added.
To ensure maximum participation, Agarwal appealed to the People to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 General Elections, scheduled for May 25. A candidate can spend a maximum of Rs 95 lakh in elections, he added.
Chairing a review meeting with departmental officers regarding election arrangements, the CEO said that following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule by the Election Commission on March 16, the Model Code of Conduct is in effect. The notification will be issued on April 29, and May 6 is the last date for filing nominations. Nomination scrutiny will be done by May 7 and Candidates can withdraw their nominations by May 9, he added.
According to the Election Commission's guidelines, public notification will be pasted in the morning before 11 AM on the day of filing nominations. This notification should be in English or the official language of the state. It should be pasted in the offices of Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officer, and other public places such as Panchayat Samiti, Gram Panchayat, etc. The notification should include all details, he added
The Chief Electoral Officer further said that the number of voters in the 18 to 19 age group is 3,65,504, who will vote for the first time. District Election Officers have also been called upon to honour such voters and make them election icons in their respective districts, who have no connection with political parties. Agarwal said that candidates can spend a maximum of Rs. 95 lakh in the elections. For this, they have to open a separate account and submit the account of their election expenses to the Commission within one month after the elections. Candidates who fail to do so will be declared ineligible for future elections by the Commission, he added.
Awareness stickers affixed on lifts of 618 Govt and private buildings
Agarwal said that to raise awareness about the Lok Sabha general elections, awareness stickers have been affixed on lifts of 618 government and private buildings across the state. Awareness stickers provided by the Election Commission have been affixed outside the lifts of both government and private buildings. The message on the sticker reads, "Use this finger not only to press the lift button but also to press the EVM button on May 25. When voters reach the booth, democracy should be strengthened." At the top of the sticker, it states, "Chunaav Ka Parv – Desh Ka Garv," highlighting the significance of the electoral process. The sticker features an illustration of a finger pressing the button on the EVM, serving as a reminder to exercise our voting rights.
The CEO said that awareness stickers have been affixed to the lifts of 618 government and private buildings across the state. These stickers were pasted on lifts of government and private buildings across various districts as follows: Panchkula 16, Ambala 15, Yamunanagar 24, Kurukshetra 30, Kaithal 30, Karnal 30, Panipat 51, Sonipat 30, Jind 30, Fatehabad 30, Sirsa 30, Hisar 35, Bhiwani 32, Rohtak 35, Jhajjar 30, Mahendragarh 30, Rewari 30, Gurugram 35, Faridabad 42, Mewat 15, Palwal 13, and Charkhi Dadri 5. The Chief Electoral officer said that to encourage maximum voter participation in the Lok Sabha elections, stickers are being prominently displayed in public spaces, hospitals, and other locations. These stickers serve to remind citizens about the importance of voting before they press the lift button, he added.
