Observers being monitored closely in poll-bound states: Chief Election Commissioner
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said all polling stations will be on the ground floor, and there will be arrangements for wheelchairs, drinking water, electricity, and ramps for the specially-abled.
FollowChief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Wednesday said the Election Commission was also monitoring observers appointed in West Bengal, where the first phase of polling will be held on March 27.
He said that observers in poll-bound states of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry are being monitored closely by the EC.
Addressing a press conference here, Arora said that the poll body was informed about the general observer's inappropriate behaviour and he was removed on March 22.
Arora added that after verifying and examining the details the Commission decided to suspend the observer and issue directions to authorities to prepare a chargesheet against him.
“Observers are also under constant monitoring,” he said, adding that any action that could hurt the prospects of organising free and fair elections was under the Commission’s watch. The poll body has appointed 55 police observers, 209 general observers and 85 expenditure observers for the eight-phase election.
Responding to the alleged hanging incident of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mandal president in Coochbehar, Arora said, "We requested our special police observer to investigate the incident under his own supervision. Last year during the Lok Sabha elections, a similar incident occurred in Coochbehar. At that time Superintendent of Police was shifted following various allegations and this time we are also looking at it very closely."
Arora and Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajib Kumar arrived in the state on Tuesday for a two-day trip to review poll preparedness. After their arrival, they met the district administration and the police of all eight north Bengal districts through video conferencing. They discussed the law-and-order situation in the region, and poll preparedness.
The CEC on Wednesday said the polling body’s only purpose in West Bengal was “hand-holding” the local administration to ensure people vote in large numbers in a secure environment.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said all polling stations will be on the ground floor, and there will be arrangements for wheelchairs, drinking water, electricity, and ramps for the specially-abled.
