Poll panel to use IT applications in coming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

New Delhi: The Election Commission will use IT applications such as `Samadhan`, `Suvidha` and `Sugam` for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal between April 4, 2016 and May 16.

"To make the election process smooth, effective and transparent, the Election Commission has augmented the use of IT applications. New and upgraded technical tools are being used in election planning for monitoring the election process," an official statement said.

It said the ambit of IT applications would associate itself with national level data compilation of electors, functioning at polling stations, work allocation of officers on duty, use of mobile application and technology, and GIS technology.

These three applications have been deployed in the election going states for facilitation and better election management, it said.

"Samadhan is a public grievance redressal system which has been conceptualised as a comprehensive system with multiple modes for receiving complaints (through online, toll free number 1950), email, mobile application, fax, post, sms, online processing and tracking of complaints. An android application for public grievance redressal system has also been developed," the statement said.

Suvidha is a single window system for candidates and political parties to apply for permissions for meetings, rallies, vehicles, temporary election office, loudspeakers, helicopters and helipads, and the poll panel has issued directions to give permissions within 24 hours.

Sugam is a vehicle management system with the facility of issuance of requisition letters for vehicles, capturing of vehicle details with address, mobile number and bank details of owner and driver and transfer of vehicles from one district to another district. An Android App for Sugam has also been deployed.

The ECI has also informed about development of some more mobile applications for enhanced facilitation for voters like Matdata - an application for voters` facilitation for search in electoral roll and location of polling station.

Other applications include Matdaan for poll day monitoring at polling station, ELECOM for releasing election news or press release, e-counting, for viewing counting trends and result, SMS Poll Monitoring System, for collection of various types of information through SMS from presiding officer and sector officer.

Apart from that, the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS), which will provide single window common interface to the citizens for submitting their complaints, Genesys, a pre counting application for the collection of candidate`s information related to nomination, and EVM Randomization, first and second randomization of EVMs, are the other applications to be used by the ECI during ongoing polling.

Expenditure monitoring, candidate affidavit e-file, abstract statement of candidate expenditure, candidate affidavit e-filing and ECRP Module are some other IT facilitations to be used by the ECI to ensures the entire election process smooth, hassle-free, transparent and effective.