Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said the Commission is committed to ensuring the conduct of peaceful, transparent and inducement-free elections in Meghalaya.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) delegation were on a two-day visit to Shillong to review the state’s poll preparedness in the run-up to the coming elections.
“Meghalaya is a peaceful state and elections are always held in an environment of a festival of democracy. I urge the citizens of Meghalaya to participate proactively in the forthcoming elections with full enthusiasm and in a truly festive mood,” Kumar said.
The full bench has met all political parties and taken their views, suggestions and inputs besides holding reviews with the chief secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP), district magistrates, superintendents of police, state officials, central agencies and others.
“We have asked them to be very vigilant but general law and order is under control and peaceful and this is what they are expected to ensure during the election as well,” Kumar told reporters early Saturday.
He informed detailed meetings with the other enforcement agencies, including excise, GST, revenue intelligence, income tax, enforcement directorate, airport authority, reserved bank of India, narcotics, railways etc.
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He said the purpose behind this is that they will all come together and create a situation and an environment which ensures that elections are inducement free.
The CEC then said that the narcotic bureau will also have a close look at the route which is used for the transit while the air intelligence unit will keep a check on all the planes or the choppers coming into the state and moving out of the state.
Stating that the inter-state and international borders will be adequately manned by paramilitary forces, the CEC said that CCTV cameras will also be installed in all polling stations located in such locations.
He said that the Commission has also reviewed and is aware of the situation along the inter-state border. “All the district officials from both the states have had detailed discussions. Therefore, it would be absolutely peaceful. There is no need to worry or fear,” Kumar added.
Further, the Chief Election Commissioner has also directed all candidates with a criminal background to publish in the newspapers and news channels regarding the cases registered against them.
He added that political parties who have given them tickets must also publish their justification in the same manner.
Kumar then said that all paramilitary forces, polling officials and voting machines will be randomized. “Nobody will know which booth it will go to as it is randomized. No paramilitary force will know which company is going where,” he also added.
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