ECI reviews poll preparedness for Assembly elections in Kerala
KOCHI: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday held a detailed and comprehensive review of the poll preparedness for the forthcoming Kerala legislative assembly elections in Kochi. The CEC
was accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
During the review visit, according to a Friday statement, the Commission interacted with representatives of recognised national political parties, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Indian National Congress (INC).
The Commission also met representatives of recognised state political parties such as Communist Party of India (CPI), Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress, Kerala Congress (M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party and sought their suggestions.
Several parties, during the review, urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to keep in mind upcoming local festivals while finalising the dates of the elections. Major festivals in Kerala during the March–May period include Vishu in April and the grand temple celebration Thrissur Pooram in May. This time of year also marks the vibrant Pooram festival season in several other temples across the state.
The parties also requested special arrangements to facilitate elderly voters and persons with disabilities (PwD), and urged stringent measures to curb the use of money power as well as the distribution of liquor and freebies during elections. They also raised concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetically generated content that could vitiate the electoral atmosphere.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar reiterated that SIR has been conducted in the most transparent manner. The objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible elector is left out, while no ineligible person is included in the Electoral Rolls. He added that "forms 6/7/8 can still be filed for any inclusions/deletions/changes. Appeals can be filed with the DM/CEO as per RP Act 1950".
The CEC assured all political parties that "elections are always held as per Law in an impartial, free, fair and transparent manner". He encouraged political parties to use the cVIGIL component of the ECINET platform of ECI for filing complaints related to violations of the model code of conduct during elections.
Later, the Commission held a detailed review meeting with heads and nodal officers of enforcement agencies, including IGs, DIGs, District Election Officers (DEOs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs). The meeting covered aspects such as election planning, EVM management, logistics, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, and voter awareness and outreach activities.