Taking a precautionary measure ahead of the forthcoming State Assembly elections due later this year, the Election Commission of India asked the Madhya Pradesh Government to enhance security arrangement for the public so that they can perform their franchise and without any fear and anxiety.
The new directives were given by officials of the ECI through a video-conferencing to Collectors and Superintendents of Police of Chambal, Gwalior, Sagar, Jabalpur, Rewa divisions’ districts being held on Tuesday.
Deputy Election Commissioners R Balakrishnan, Vinod Zutshi and Sudhir Tripathi from Election Commission’s side and Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind participated in the video-conferencing.
During the programme, Zutshi sought information from District Collectors and SPs regarding police deployment plan, filling of vacant posts and strategy chalked out to counter casteism, Naxal and dacoit-infested areas.
The State officials informed that flying squads would swing into action 48 hours before polling date in all the Assembly constituencies so that efforts to influence voters through cash, liquor, gifts etc can be prevented.
Asking to ensure availability of security equipments like wireless sets to police forces, Zutshi directed Collectors and SPs to chalk out work plan jointly and ensuring training of subordinate police staff. He also asked them to ensure strict security arrangements outside strong rooms after elections.
Besides directing to ensure deployment of central paramilitary forces for security of polling booths and EVMs, the poll panel congratulated Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind for holding effective training of police officers in Madhya Pradesh.
Balakrishnan asked Collectors and police officers to pay special attention to sensitive and critical polling centres and also sought to know about polling centres figuring on vulnerable map.
He directed to exercise extra caution regarding electoral rolls and ensure security arrangements like those made during general elections of 2008 and 2009 and advised them to give special attention on complaints during on the polling day.
Sudhir Tripathi asked officials concerned to ensure free and fair elections. Observers, flying squads, surveillance teams and CC TV should keep watch over polling centres in sensitive and critical areas, he added.
Jaideep Govind gave details of all election-related preparations in the State and highlighted . He said that all sensitive areas have been reviewed. Action plan has been chalked out to tackle Naxal problem in bordering districts. Police database has also been prepared.
Arrangements have been ensured for voting through postal ballots by staff on election duty. Training has been imparted to poll-related staff in several phases.
Election Commission will seek election-related information through video-conferencing from Collectors and SPs of districts of Shahdol, Ujjain, Indore, Bhopal and Narmadapuram divisions on August 14.