NEW DELHI: The EC would not like to interfere in the presentation of the Union Budget, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra said on Saturday, asserting the annual exercise would not disturb the level-playing field for parties during elections to five states.
The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday announced the schedule for assembly elections to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.
Polls will be held between February 10 and March 7 in seven phases with counting of votes on March 10.
Responding to a question on whether the Union Budget on February 1 and the president's address to the two houses of Parliament before that would disturb the level-playing field, Chandra said the Union Budget is an yearly statement which has to be laid before Parliament.
"The Election Commission would not like to interfere in the presentation of the Budget because that is for the whole country and not limited to these five states only," he said.
Noting that budget was a statement of expenditure and revenue, the CEC said, "How will the level-playing field will be disturbed? The level-playing field will not be disturbed (by its presentation)."
Parliament is likely to be in session during elections.
The dates of the Budget session are yet to be announced.
Political parties fielding candidates with criminal cases will have to mandatorily upload on their website details of such persons as also reasons for selecting them to contest the polls
The political party concerned will then submit a compliance report with the poll panel within 72 hours of the selection of the candidate.
If a political party fails to submit such compliance report with the Election Commission (EC), the poll panel will bring "such non-compliance by the political party concerned to the notice of the Supreme Court as being in contempt of its directions".
Following the directions of the Supreme Court in March, 2020, in successive polls, the Commission had been asking parties to furnish such information.
It is mandatory for political parties (at the central and state election level) to upload on their website detailed information regarding individuals with pending criminal cases, including the nature of the offences and details such as whether charges have been framed who have been selected as candidates.
The parties will also have to provide the reasons for such selection, "as also as to why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates," the Commission's statement on the five assembly elections said.
"The reasons as to selection shall be with reference to the qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned, and not mere 'winnability' at the polls," the EC said.
The information will also be published in one local vernacular newspaper and one national newspaper, and has to be uploaded on the official social media platforms of the political party, including Facebook and Twitter.
These details will have to be published within 48 hours of the selection of the candidate and not prior to two weeks before the first date of filing of nominations.
Candidates with criminal antecedents are also required to publish information in this regard in newspapers and through television channels on three occasions during the campaign period so that electors have sufficient time to know about the background of such candidates.
The use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) is no issue now, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said on Saturday, asserting that there is a sense of pride that India has developed a machine which gives accurate and faster results.
His remarks came at a press conference convened to announce the assembly election schedule for Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand.
Responding to a question on parties losing elections questioning the credibility of EVMs, Chandra said, "EVM is no issue now."
"EVM is in existence since 2004 and more than 315 crore voters have used EVM. We feel proud that this country has developed such a machine which gives accurate and faster results," he said.
At least one ballot unit and one control unit make an EVM.
The Election Commission will deploy Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) along with EVM at every polling station in the assembly elections of the five states to increase transparency and credibility of the election process as VVPAT -- also called paper trail machines -- allows a voter to verify her or his vote.
Arrangements have already been made to ensure availability of adequate number of EVMs and VVPATs for the smooth conduct of elections, the EC statement on the poll schedule said.
The Election Commission on Saturday cautioned political parties over hate speeches and said it is closely monitoring social media posts to ensure clean assembly polls in five states.
Political parties and their candidates must ensure that their supporters do not indulge in hate speeches and fake news, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said during a press conference to announce the election schedule for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur.
"Strict watch on social media posts is being kept to ensure that election atmosphere is not vitiated," he said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a raging controversy over hate speeches at a religious conclave in Haridwar where calls were given for violence against a particular community.
Chandra said all election management related news on all major national and regional news channels during the polls will be monitored vigorously.
"If any untoward incident or violation of any law/rule is noticed, action would be taken immediately. Reports of monitoring would also be forwarded to the CEOs (chief electoral officers) concerned. Office of CEO will ascertain status on each and every item and file ATR (action taken report)/status report," he said.
The commission, in a press note, said keeping in view increasing incidents of misuse of social media and menace of paid news, and as a result of the EC's vigorous persuasion, major social media platforms have agreed to observe voluntary code of ethics formulated by them in March 2019.
"These will be applicable in these elections as well as in other elections," the poll authority said.
At least one polling station managed exclusively by women will be set up in every assembly constituency to the extent possible in the five states for which elections were announced on Saturday.
The Election Commission said as part of its firm commitment towards gender equality and greater constructive participation of women in the electoral process, it has directed that, to the extent possible, at least one polling station managed exclusively by women will be set up in every assembly constituency in Goa, Manipur, Punjab Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
In such polling stations, all election staff, including police and security personnel, will be women.
Referring to arrangements on counting day, March 10, the commission said before retrieving the result from control units, seals are verified, and unique serial numbers of these are tallied before counting agents deputed by candidates.
EVMs and paper trail machines are stored back in strong rooms in the presence of candidates or their representatives, till the completion of the election petition period of 45 days, it said.
In this period, petitions challenging the results can be filed in respective high courts.
Following the practice started during the Bihar assembly polls, the Election Commission (EC) said senior citizens above the age of 80 and those infected with Covid will be allowed the option of voting from the comfort of their homes.
It said polling personnel will go to the house of those taking this option and provide them with ballot papers to cast their vote.
Contesting candidates and their agents will be kept informed and strict secrecy will be ensured through videography of such voters, the EC said In view of the prevailing the Covid situation, the commission said mandatory sanitisation of polling stations, preferably, a day before the poll will be carried out.
Thermal checking of voters at entry point of polling stations, either by polling staff or paramedical staff or ASHA workers will be undertaken, it said.
If the temperature of the voter is above the set norms of the health ministry in the first reading, then it will be checked twice.
If it remains, then the elector will be provided with a token and will be asked to come for voting at the last hour of polling, the EC said.
At the last hour of poll, such electors will be facilitated for casting their vote, strictly following Covid-related preventive measures, it said.
The poll panel is also relying on enhanced vaccination of both polling personnel and voters to deliver a 'Covid-safe' election in five states amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
"We can't say Corona is only because of the elections. We have ensured that most people are vaccinated. The situation is dynamic and we are monitoring it," CEC Chandra replied when concerns were raised over holding elections in the middle of a pandemic.
Chandra said COVID-19 cases were increasing rapidly in Maharashtra and Karnataka where no election has been scheduled.
"There is no need to panic, but there is a need for caution. Polling officials and booths are safe," the chief election commissioner said while urging voters to come out in huge numbers to exercise their franchise.
"As on January 7, in Goa, more than 95.8 per cent of people have been vaccinated with both doses. In Uttarakhand, 99.67 per cent of people have got their first dose and 82.39 per cent have got the second dose," Chandra said.
The chief election commissioner said that in Uttar Pradesh, 89.35 per cent population had been administered the first dose and more than 52 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
"In Punjab, 81.9 per cent have been given the first dose of vaccine and 45.6 per cent covered by both doses. In Manipur, 59.6 per cent had been jabbed with the first dose while 44.8 per cent had been administered both shots."
He said that in absolute figures, as of January 7, more than 15 crore people in these five states together have got the first dose of vaccine and more than nine crore had been administered both doses.
Vaccination coverage in poll-bound states have improved after the intervention of the commission, Chandra said.
As the third wave of the pandemic reared its head again with the emergence of the latest 'variant of concern' of coronavirus, the poll panel held meetings with the health and home secretaries and also with health experts.
"After taking all their views and assessing the ground situation, the commission decided to announce elections in the five states," Chandra said.
He said district electoral officers have been asked to appoint a nodal officer for each counting centre to ensure compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.
There should be no public gathering outside the counting venue, the poll panel said, but allowed candidates to appoint or replace counting agents if they turn out Covid positive.
"Anybody violating instructions on Covid measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable, as specified in Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 25th November 2020 of Ministry of Home Affairs," the commission said.