Election Commission of India members led by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi reviewed the poll preparedness with all the 75 district officials of Uttar Pradesh here on Monday.
The CEC in his address said that the Commission will not tolerate any laxity on the part of the officials for conducting free and fair polls. He asked the district magistrates to make all the arrangements at the polling booths for smooth conduction of the polls.
“We are here to help you to sort out your problems. As soon as the election dates are announced and electoral rolls are published the commission will tolerate any lapses,” he told the Districts magistrates (DMs), Superintendent of Police (SPs) , IGs, DIGs, and Divisional Commissioners during a marathon meeting at the Vidhan Bhawan’s Tilak hall.
During the meeting, the commission expressed its displeasure with some of the districts for failing to complete the tasks set up by the ECI. The officials were given the last opportunity to complete the task which includes identification of sensitive booths and to provide assured minimum facilities at the polling booths.
The Commission also reviewed the ongoing summery revision of the electoral rolls which will be published on January 2, next yearand directed the district officials to regularly check that not a single genuine voter is left out in the voters list. later the Commission members met the senior officials of the state and asked them to be fully prepared for the polls.
Sources said that while the opposition parties have demanded that the assembly polls should be held entirely under the supervision of the central para military forces for free and fair polls. The opposition party leaders told the Commission that they do not have faith on the state police and they apprehend that it could be misused by the Samajwadi party government. The state home department has sought 1,000 companies of central forces for the state assembly polls.
On Sunday, the first day of the visit of the Commission, the poll panel had met the delegations of the political parties and later had a brief meeting with the state police officials. On Tuesday before leaving for New Delhi in the afternoon, the Commission would hold meeting with the nodal officers of Income Tax, Transport, Narcotics and other departments and later will address a press conference.
The ECI team comprises Nasim Zaidi, Election Commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat, Deputy Election Commissioners Umesh Sinha and Vijay Kumar Deo and Director General Election Dilip Sharma. In all the meetings, state Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh was also present along with his officers.