Patna: The Election Commission today
expressed satisfaction with the arrangements for the six-
phased assembly polls in Bihar from October 21, but ruled
out deployment of central paramilitary forces on all polling
booths, a major demand of the parties of the state.
"We are fully satisfied with the arrangements for the
conduct of the assembly polls in Bihar in a free, fair and
transparent manner," Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi
told reporters here.
Over 90 per cent voters have been issued Electoral
Photo Identity Cards (EPICs), while others can use 13
alternative documents to cast vote, he said.
On the security arrangements, Quraishi said adequate
force deployment would be in place for the polls.
However, he said, "Deployment of central paramilitary
forces on all polling booths is not possible nor feasible."
All sensitive polling booths would definitely have
central forces that would also be deployed as static forces at
locations covering three-four polling booths, the CEC said.
On security measures during polls in Maoist-affected
districts, Quraishi said the EC has reviewed law-and-order
situation in general and was satisfied with the availability
of the security forces.
He did not divulge the number of central paramilitary
forces to be made available for Bihar polls.
The EC has launched a plan for expenditure control by
parties and candidates, a measure starting with Bihar and for
implementation in the rest of the country later, he said.
It is mandatory for a candidate to open a bank account
to maintain his/her election expenses, Quraishi said.
Apart from regulating the expenses of a candidate
through banks, he/she will be required to maintain a register
detailing daily expenses even as the EC`s micro observers with
specialization in finance or accounting will be monitoring the
poll expenses of the candidates, he said.
There would also be surveillance, video recording and
viewing by the EC team, and monitoring of the news channels`
footage to prevent electoral malpractices, he said.
The EC has directed its observers to take cognizance
of the live footage being aired by news channels and treat
this as formal complaints of malpractices and initiate
appropriate measures, he said.
Checking of EVMs has also been done in the presence of
representatives of political parties, Quraishi said, adding no
complaints has been made about tampering or potential
tampering by the contesting political parties.
Expressing concern for the average polling of 40-42
per cent in the state over the years, Quraishi urged voters to
turn out at the polling booths in large numbers to make the
election exercise a success.
The CEC likened suggestions made by some district
returning officers for sending slips to the potential voters
detailing their polling booths, its locations` etc with a
request to them to turn up to exercise their franchise.
The CEC, who along with the Election Commissioners V S
Sampath and H S Brahma and other senior officials, was here on
a three-day visit to review poll preparedness, also expressed
satisfaction with the communication and transportation
arrangements for the Bihar assembly polls.
Quraishi also said that the EC will monitor the flood
situation in the state so as to put in place alternative
arrangements for the conduct of the Assembly polls in the
potentially flood-affected districts.
"We are keeping a watch on the flood situation in
Bihar. If necessary, measures like relocation of polling
booths, setting up mobile booths and even re-scheduling the
polling date will be considered for conduct of polls in the
event of flood-like situation in some districts," he said.
"We have an open mind on this issue (flood situation
in some districts of Bihar)," he said, adding the EC will
ensure that no voter got deprived from exercising franchise
for the Bihar polls.
The Gandak river had breached its embankment three
days ago and marooned some villages in Gopalganj district,
even as the adjoining districts like Siwan and Saran also
faced a potential threat of being flooded in the event of
release of additional water from Nepal.
On the demand by several political parties for
re-scheduling the fifth-phase polls on November 9 in view of
the `Chhath` festival, Quraishi said that they are not in a
position to re-scheduled the date of polling given the
constraints under the election window available to it.
The EC had announced the poll dates, including the
fifth-phase on November 9, keeping in view the `Chhath`
festivity for three days beginning November 10, he said.
"It was difficult for the EC to finalise the poll
dates keeping in view various festivities during
October-November and it did its best to come up with the
schedule," the CEC said while reminding that the same had
happened in 2005 as well.
-PTI
