The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued several directions to polling station presiding officers, especially regarding tampering with candidates’ buttons, Election Commission sources said.
The polling committee asked the officers to ensure that the candidates’ buttons are clearly visible and not covered with tape, glue or any other material. The ECI also said that chemicals, including colour, ink or perfume, cannot be used on the buttons to reveal the secrecy of votes, adding that such incidents could be considered tampering with the electronic voting machine.
Presiding officers have been asked to immediately report such incidents at polling stations to the returning officers concerned. “All these cases are likely to fall under tampering/interference with electronic voting machine (EVM), which is an electoral offence,” the EVM told officers, according to sources within the poll panel.
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The Electoral Commission also warned that it will not refrain from taking action, including ordering re-polling at booths if such cases are reported.
Elections in Bengal, Tamil Nadu
The ECI directive comes a few days before the elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Both states are scheduled to hold assembly elections on Thursday, April 23, with Bengal scheduled to hold another phase on April 29.
The states of Kerala, Puducherry and Assam have already witnessed assembly elections earlier this month. Election results will be announced in all states on May 4.
Directions of the Chief Electoral Officer of Bengal
As the campaign for the state Assembly elections draws to a close, West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer has directed party workers, party workers and supporters who do not belong to a particular constituency to leave.
“All political functionaries, party workers and supporters who are not voters of the constituency concerned and who have been brought from outside must leave the constituency immediately after the end of the election campaign period (i.e. 48 hours before the scheduled hour for the conclusion of polling),” Tuesday’s order said, according to an ANI report.
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“Any laxity, misconduct, partisanship or failure on the part of any officer will be viewed seriously and will call for strict action in accordance with the law and the gravity of the error,” the order further stated.
