Deputy Election Commissioner Sudhir Tripathi, who is on a visit to Madhya Pradesh on the directives of Election Commission of India to review preparations for Vidhan Sabha elections, held video-conferencing with commissioners and collectors of Bhopal, Jabalpur, Sagar, Ujjain and Indore divisions on Thursday.
Tripathi directed all divisional commissioners and collectors to increase polling percentage during ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections. He directed to pay special attention to the polling booths where voter turnout was very low during last elections, to conduct activities for increasing polling percentage with the assistance of SVEEP and by making voters aware. He directed to maintain polling percentage at the polling booths where it was high.
Tripathi said that summary revision of electoral rolls will not be done now. Errors in electoral rolls should be removed at the earliest. Physical verification of EVMs should be ensured at the earliest in the districts where it has not been done so far. Apart from safety of EVMs, attention should also be paid to their maintenance.
He informed that the Election Commission is trying to complete all election-related preparations six months earlier. For this, all the sectors are being comprehensively reviewed. He expressed satisfaction over the fact that very good work has been undertaken in Madhya Pradesh for rectification of electoral rolls. As many as 85 lakh names were included in electoral rolls out of which 10 lakh names were rejected due to different reasons and remaining 75 lakh were found to be correct. He also expressed happiness that the work of preparing photo electoral rolls has been carried out immaculately.
He directed all the commissioners and collectors to work as per directives of the Election Commission. He also expressed happiness that all the districts are evincing interest in removing EPIC gap and gender Gap. He directed to provide names of the officers deployed in elections who have completed 3 years at one place or are posted in their home towns.
Jaideep Govind directed commissioners and collectors to compile mobile numbers of voters. He directed to chalk out a strategy to deal with critical and sensitive polling booths right now. It should be ensured that activities under SVEEP are conducted till elections. The districts where number of duplicate EPIC cards is excessive should ensure their scrutiny immediately.
The districts which have not sent election management action plan should do so at the earliest.