Commission fully prepared for free, fair polls
400 Observers to be deployed in JK, Haryana
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 22: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said today that the Commission is fully geared up to conduct free and fair Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir though certain forces are trying to disrupt the democratic exercise.
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CEC Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr SS Sandhu today briefed 400 senior officers from IAS, IPS, IRS and other Central Services, who are being deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana as the Observers, at Rang Bhawan Auditorium in the Union capital.
Around 200 officers are being deployed as General Observers and 100 each as Police and Expenditure Observers.
Jammu and Kashmir will go to elections in three phases on September 18 and 25 and October 1.
“There are forces trying to disrupt the election process, but we are fully prepared, and the ballot is the answer to such forces,” the CEC said.
Kumar emphasized that the Commission is prepared to conduct free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
“The world is watching the elections in J-K. Some forces are adamant about disrupting the election process, but we are ready to handle them. During the Lok Sabha elections, we saw tremendous enthusiasm in J-K, with record voter turnout. The people of J-K will shape their destiny with their own hands by participating in the voting process,” he said.
The Commission advised the Observers to stay vigilant to false narratives trying to derail the election process and to ensure a quick counter.
Reminding the observers of their crucial role, Kumar emphasised that they, as representatives of the Commission, are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be accessible to all stakeholders including candidates and public at large.
Advising the Observers to overcome language barriers and ensure that there are no gaps in communication, he said that they would be under the watchful gaze of political parties, candidates, voters and EC alike.
Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasised that the officials should observe the complete election ecosystem for free and fair polls.
Noting that the Assembly elections are keenly contested, he said the role of observers becomes all the more critical in these polls.
Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu noted that accessibility, visibility and responsiveness are essential to develop a virtuous spiral enhancing the conduct of the elections.
The Commission asked the observers to remain accessible to all parties, candidates and voters for timely redressal of their grievances. Any complaints in this regard will be viewed seriously by the Commission, an official statement issued after the meeting said.
The Observers were asked to watch meetings of candidates/political parties convened by DEOs/ROs and see that their grievances are properly addressed. They were asked to provide direct inputs to the Commission from the field as an interface with the election machinery, the candidates, political parties and electorates.
“The Observers should ensure that the Acts, rules, procedures, instructions and guidelines related to the elections are strictly and impartially complied with by all the concerned. They should visit Polling Stations and ensure availability of AMF especially ramps and wheelchair and make elections accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and elderly voters,” the Commission said.
As the eyes and ears of the Commission on the ground, the observers were asked to exercise constant vigilance with utmost sincerity.
The EC deploys observers under Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and plenary powers of the Constitution.
IAS, IPS, IRS and those from other Central services are deployed as observers.
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