Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat has said that the Election Commission would ensure a free and fair 2019 lok polls on its schedule time.
Stressing that the 2019 elections would be held on time, he advocated for use of EVMs in the polls, and said EC has already started the preparation for the lok Sabha polls.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the alumni meet of Bipin Bihari Degree College in Jhansi from where he graduated in 1971, the CEC said that EVMs were much better than ballot papers.
“When ballot papers were used, there were frequent reports of booth capturing. This is not possible with EVMs. If someone has any questions regarding the authenticity of EVMs, they can visit our website and raise questions and we are ready to answer all questions,” he said.
On the issue of Assembly and lok Sabha elections being held together, he said that `` it’s a feasible idea but not possible without consensus among all the political parties ‘’. Defending the ban on paid news during elections, he said it was because of the decision that Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were conducted in a free and fair manner. “The EC is the most neutral institution in the country and no one should raise doubts on it”, the CEC added.