Haryana Chief Electoral officer (CEO) Anurag Agarwal has been working hard for the last several weeks a free fair and transparent Assembly polls and now says that all preparations are complete now. With the deployment of 57,000 State police forces and 130 companies of Centre Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, fool-proof security arrangements have been made at each polling booths and polling centres in the State.
The Commission so far has received more than 4,400 complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct in various districts of the State and 3,601 were found valid. The returning officers of the districts concerned had served notices to the candidates concerned.
Apart from this, a total of Rs 5.26 crore has been seized so far and appropriate action has been taken by the returning officer in districts concerned. In addition to this, around 6.73 crore litre liquor has been seized from various parts of the State. The CEO said voters have been appealed to exercise their votes fearlessly. The State has a total number of 1,81,91,228 voters, including 97,30,169 males and 84,61,059 female as general electors while 1,07,486 are enrolled as Service Voters, taking the final electoral rolls to 1,82,98,714 who will exercise their franchise in 19,425 polling stations.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, CEO Agarwal reveals State’s preparations for the Assembly polls scheduled to be held on October 21. Excerpts from the interview:
Very few days are left ahead for Haryana Assembly polls. What are the steps being taken to conduct free and fair election in the State?
As per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, we have taken all necessary steps to conduct peaceful election in the State. Half of the total Central Armed Police Forces allocated by Union ministry of home affairs will be deployed in critical and vulnerable polling stations. The district Returning officers have completed their preparations for free, fair and transparent poll. Police have been put on alert and senior police officers have been directed to intensify police patrolling and go for constant checking of the inter-district and inter-state posts apart from putting police team active and alert. Moreover, for the first time in the entire State, VVPATs will also be used at all Polling Booths along with the EVM machines. Thus the officers have been directed to ensure due awareness to all stakeholders about proper use of the machines. The officers were also asked to strictly adhere to the laid down procedures and Standard Operating Procedures about use, storage and Transportation of the machines in all the constituencies.
How many polling booths and polling centres are
critical and vulnerable in the State?
The civil administration and police authorities after a detailed joint exercise have identified 83 polling stations in 60 locations as ‘critical’ and 2,923 polling stations in 1,419 locations as ‘vulnerable’. All such polling stations would be covered by either deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces, Micro Observers, Webcasting etc or a combination of these. Regarding sensitive polling booths, district Kurukshetra has maximum 14 polling booth followed by 10 each in Hisar and Palwal, 7 each in Mewat, Hansi, Sirsa and Panipat, 5 each in Jind and Bhiwani, 3 each in Yamunanagar and Dadri, 2 in Mahendergarh and 1 each in Gurugram and Kaithal. Similarly, regarding vulnerable polling stations district Mewat has maximum 342 followed by Gurugram, Sirsa and Jhajjar with the figure of 3,08, 292 and 254 respectively. Other polling stations indentified as vulnerable include 199 in Faridabad, 143 in Panipat, 142 in Ambala, 141 each in Rohtak and Fatehabad, 119 in Kurukshetra, 98 in Panchkula, 78 in Yamunanagar, 29 in kaithal, 24 in Karnal, 64 in Sonipat, 29 in Jind, 49 in Hisar, 46 in Hansi, 85 in Bhiwani, 91 in Dadri, 107 in Mahendergarh, 60 in Rewari and 82 in Palwal. The State has a total of about 19,500 polling stations in 10,309 locations.
How do you categorise critical, vulnerable polling stations?
As per Election Commission of India guidelines, a booth which has witnessed 90 per cent of voting and where more than 75 per cent of polling recorded in favour of a single candidate, in the past general election, such polling station is put in the category of critical polling stations. A vulnerable polling station or area is where the voters were either intimidated or influenced to vote using unlawful means in the past elections or there is a potential of the same in the Election. After this vulnerability mapping the District authorities are required to take follow up action both prior to the polls and even on the polling day to ensure free and fair polls in the vulnerable areas or polling stations.
What are additional facilities being provided to divyang and other voters during polling?
For the convenience of visually impaired voters in the State, Electors Photo Identity Cards (Epic), and photo voter slips have been printed in Braille script. Apart from this, many types of facilities are being provided to differently-abled voters, including the provision of wheelchairs, ramps at polling stations and transport facilities.
It has been seen that political parties are using all means to win the election. Money and muscle power are commonly used. What are the steps being taken regarding this issue?
As per the ECI’s guidelines, the returning officers and police officers have also been directed to ensure that during elections, no candidate or party influences the voters by giving them any kind of freebies to get their votes. As per Commission guidelines, instruction has been given to every officer that they should go to the field and identify such areas and booths which fall under the category of expenditure sensitive constituencies and pockets. The returning officers of the districts concerned had served notices to the candidates concerned. Apart from this, a total of Rs 5.26 crore has been seized which were being carried out by the persons illegally. Action has been taken by the returning officers concerned in the district. In addition to this, 6.73 crore liter liquors have been seized from various parts of the State.
Political parties are now using social networking sites on a large scale to woo voters. To prevent the party leaders and workers seeking votes in the name of caste or religion, what are the steps being taken by the authorities concerned?
Regarding the same issue, the Returning officers have been given all necessary instructions. An FIR can be registered under the IT Act, if any candidate or political party uploads any video in favour of caste, religion or any derogatory material on the YouTube channel, violating the Model Code of Conduct, during the election. The Commission has received more than 4,400 complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct in various districts of the State. Out of which 3,601 were found valid complaints. The returning officers of the districts concerned had served notices to the candidates concerned.
Haryana shares its boundary with several States. What are the steps being taken to in this direction?
The ROs have already been directed by the deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of the districts to keep a close vigil on the police check post across the State and also speed up the submission of licensed arms process. The officers should keep a check on the illegal liquor and cash movement. During the inter-state police check post, the officers should have proper coordination with the neighboring states to maintain law and order. The police officers should intensify police patrolling and go for constant checking of the inter-district and inter-state posts apart from putting flying squad and static surveillance team active and alert.
How many companies of Central Police forces would be needed to conduct free and fair Assembly election? As per report, you had sought 200 companies of CAPF from the Centre.
The Central Government has approved 130 companies of CAPF personnel for the Assembly polls. Earlier, 120 companies were approved. But we had sought another 10 companies. So far 127 companies of CAPF personnel have reached Haryana and remaining forces are expected to reach in a couple of days. Police personnel will be deployed based on sensitive nature of polling stations. The police station officers have been conducting verification drives in hotels, other commercial establishments and residences in various localities to stop undesirable elements from staying in their jurisdiction. The police officers have been directed to ensure fool-proof security at markets, bus stands, railway stations, cinemas and the like in the State.
What are the preventive steps being taken ahead of Assembly polls?
To ensure smooth conduct of the Vidhan Sabha elections, State Police had already launched a crackdown on wanted criminals and notorious elements in the State. This drive was aimed at arresting criminals and to unearth illicit arms/liquor/narcotic substances throughout the State. All the Commissioners of Police and district Superintendents of Police have been directed to nail down the warrantees, other criminals and notorious elements in their respective areas. The special drive was focused on arrest of proclaimed offenders, bail jumpers, parole or furlough jumpers, most-wanted criminals, convicts who have not surrendered after rejection of their appeals by different courts, bad characters, unearthing of illicit arms, seizure of illicit liquor and narcotics substances and execution of non-bailable warrants. All out efforts were being made to prevent and control heinous crime by intensifying police patrolling and maintain vigilance in the State. State Police will continue to vigorously enforce the law, pursue the campaign against drugs and prevent crimes to ensure safety and security of people.
Illegal drugs and liquor is being used during elections. What steps have you taken to put a check on it?
Huge quantity of drugs worth crores of rupees has also been seized in recent months. The returning officer and senior police officers have already been directed to intensify police patrolling and go for constant checking of the inter-district and inter-state posts. 6.73 crore liters liquor have been seized from various parts of the State.
What are the other steps have been taken regarding peaceful elections?
All instructions and guidelines have been given to the returning officers and police officers and they should implement it strictly. Election will be conducted free, fair and transparent manner in the State. Model code of conduct during the election will be implemented strictly. No one will be allowed to take law in their hands at any cost.