Gujarat has reported as many as126 confirmed cases of paid news, while Himachal reported 91such cases in the Assembly elections in the two states whichcreated a record in the voter turnout.
Gujarat recorded the highest turnout of 70.20 per cent,much above the highest-ever voting of 64.39 per cent recordedin 1995. In 2007, Gujarat had recorded a turnout of 59.93 percent.
Himachal, which went to polls last month, also recordedthe highest-ever voting of 74.54 per cent, after accountingfor postal ballot, which is marginally higher than theprevious high of 74.51 per cent.
"While 444 suspected cases of paid news were reported inGujarat, notices were sent to 224 of them. In Himachal Pradeshpolls, the Commission came across 211 suspected cases of paidnews and notices were sent in 190 cases and 91 confirmed caseswere reported," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath toldreporters here today.
Gujarat's Chief Electoral Officer Anita Karwal said theelection authority has identified 126 confirmed cases of paidnews during the just-concluded polls, with 61 candidatesadmitting of have paid for such news in electronic and printmedia.
She said action against the erring candidates is beinginitiated, which includes adding the paid news expenses in theexpenditure of candidates.
The CEC said polling in both the states was peaceful,except for minor incidents, but polling was not affected orsuspended anywhere.
Sampath said that there were as many as 5,574 personsof over 100 years in Gujarat, many of whom exercised theirfranchise.
The CEC said the Commission had made special arrangementsfor such people to cast their votes and among them was a119-year-old. In Rajkot, as many as 178 such 100+ people casttheir ballot today, officials said.
He said the poll body has made elaborate arrangementsfor counting which takes place on December 20, with thesetting up of counting centres at 39 locations in Himachal and28 in Gujarat.
Of the total 4.27 crore electorate in the two states, 46lakh were in Himachal Pradesh and 3.81 crore in Gujarat. TheCEC said that a total of Rs 2.28 crore of cash seizures weremade during polls in the two states, while 5.75 lakh litres ofcountry liquor and drugs like opium, poppy husk and otherdrugs, mainly from Himachal, were also seized.
The highest voter turnout in Gujarat was in Narmadadistrict which recorded 82.17 per cent, while Sirmour districtin Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest voting of 79.86 percent.
EC officials in Delhi said all complaints received inthis regard had been forwarded to the respective ChiefElectoral Officers of the states concerned and they, in turn,had issued notices. The complaints are being taken up by therespective district and state level Media Certification andMonitoring Committees (MCMCs).
In a first harsh action of its kind against paid news,the EC on October 20, 2011, had disqualified Umlesh Yadav, MLAfrom Bisauli assembly constituency, after finding him guiltyof getting news published in his favour during 2007 UP pollsby paying hefty amount to media outlets.