ECI delegation takes stock of preparedness for Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh

PTI

Raipur, June 9

A delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) reviewed preparedness for the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections and issued several directives, including enrolment of eligible voters, an official said on Friday.

The ECI delegation, led by senior deputy election commissioner Dharmendra Sharma, was on a two-day visit that concluded on Friday, during which it chaired a series of meetings with state election officers, officials from the administration and police at Circuit House here, the official said.

Collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) of all 33 districts attended the meetings, he said.

The delegation held a discussion with all district election officers (collectors) and SPs over preparedness for the polls and directed them to carry out extensive exercise to enrol more eligible voters and focus on the rectification of the voters’ list, said a public relations officer from the office of Chief Electoral Officer (Chhattisgarh).

The delegation also reviewed the basic and necessary facilities available at polling booths and directed officials to ensure that such amenities are made available, he said.

Detailed discussions were held for providing security during the elections, particularly in the left wing extremism-affected (LWE) areas, the official said.

Requirement of Central forces, communication networks, other requirements, etc were also among the issues discussed to ensure a fair and peaceful election, he added.

On Thursday, collectors and SPs of 18 districts attended the meeting, while officials from the remaining 15 districts were present the next day, he said.

The ECI delegation also held an extensive discussion with the state’s chief secretary, director general of police and secretaries of various departments linked to elections work on Thursday, the official said.

The election to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly is scheduled to be held at the end of this year. The current strength of the ruling Congress in the state is 71, BJP 14 and JCC(J) 3, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has 2 MLAs.

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