The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed a thorough review of preparations for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, scheduled before November 3. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other commissioners met in Chandigarh to assess the readiness for the polls, which will cover 90 constituencies.
During their two-day visit, ECI officials met with representatives from major political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Indian National Lok Dal, and Jannayak Janta Party. The parties raised several issues, including concerns about ensuring free and fair elections, preventing misuse of government resources, and improving polling station accessibility, especially for elderly and disabled voters.
For the first time, the elections will offer senior citizens over 85 years old and people with disabilities a chance to vote from home if they prefer. This new option aims to make voting more accessible while ensuring transparency through video recording of the home voting process.
The ECI also discussed various aspects of election management with district and police officials, focusing on the electoral roll, EVM management, logistics, and voter awareness. The final electoral roll will be published on August 27, and will include approximately 2.01 crore registered voters, with over 4.5 lakh first-time voters and significant numbers of senior citizens and disabled voters.
The review highlighted that a total of 20,629 polling stations will be set up, an increase from previous elections. These will be spread across rural and urban areas, with special arrangements for women and youth-managed stations. Additionally, webcasting will be implemented in all polling stations to ensure transparency.
The ECI has introduced several technological solutions to support the election process. These include the cVIGIL app for reporting violations, the SUVIDHA app for managing candidate permissions, the KYC app for providing information about candidates, and the Saksham app to assist disabled voters.
To prevent the use of money and other inducements, the ECI has directed enforcement agencies to work together to monitor and control illicit activities. This includes tracking cash, liquor, and drugs, and ensuring that all cash transfers and online transactions are monitored closely.
The Commission assured political parties that all concerns would be addressed to ensure a fair and transparent election process.
