Tackling social media would be one of the main challenges for the election department, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Shrikant Walgad said here while announcing the poll schedule for the State.
“Social media has become one of the huge sources of communication nowadays and it is very difficult for us to tackle it due to lack of resources. However, we have decided to monitor it through our limited resources during the elections”, Walgad said. He said it is for the first time that candidates are being asked to put their social media contacts in their nomination forms so that the required information regarding candidates’ access in the social media can be obtained.
In Haryana, there are 792,139 new added electors out of total about 1.5 crore electorate and around 20,1785 voters are between the age group of 18-19, 38,6119 between 20-19 and 10,3087 voter between age of 30-19 newly added voters, who would excise their franchise first time in these polls and most of the young voters have their access in not only social media but also internet.
Asked if anybody tries to malign the image of any candidate through a fake identity or fake account on the social media, State chief electoral officer said, “In those circumstances we would be helpless”. However, Walgad added that all the contesting candidates would have to get each and every content certified before posting it on the social media and would also have to give expenditure details, if any incurred on posting such content which will be added in the expenditure limit prescribed for contesting elections.
On checking the paid news in print and electronic media, he said monitoring committee has been formed to keep a watch, in case any news proved to be paid news as verified by the committee, expenses of such news would be added in the total expenditure limit of the contesting candidate. However, the expenditure limit of parliamentary elections has been fixed at Rs 70 lakh.
On security and monitoring, he added three flying squads in each constituency would supervise the entire process during elections. It would conduct videography of political functions or rallies. Apart from this, 140 companies of CRPF have been demanded for free and fair elections in the state. He said that 54 CRPF companies have been pressed into service during last parliamentary election held in the year 2009. Haryana Police and Home Guards would also be deputed during polls, he added.
Walgad said that Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) have been issued to all the eligible voters in the State and a special camp would also be organised at booth level on March 9. New voters can also get registered on the spot by filling form 6 at BlOs, he added. He said that there are 16129 polling stations in the state. Each polling station would either have a micro observer for supervision or web casting or videography would be carried out at each station.