Parties seek single phase polls

Chennai/Puducherry: Elections to five states including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will be completed by May 31, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, on an official tour to Tamil Nadu, said on Wednesday. 

Mr Zaidi also interacted with representatives of recognized political parties in TN at a posh hotel in Chennai along with his senior colleagues. DMK, Congress, BJP representatives demanded removal of bogus voters from TN voters roll and insisted on a single phase polls for TN and Puducherry. The DMK also submitted a memorandum pointing out the inclusion of fake names in voters rolls.

Earlier in the day, Zaidi, who reviewed the poll arrangements in Puducherry, told reporters that voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), a system for voting machines which allows voters to ensure that their votes are cast without error will be introduced in three Assembly constituencies in Puducherry ?namely ?Oulgaret, Orleanpet and Karaikal (South)?.
 

VVPAT will also help to detect election fraud or possible malpractice and the machines will arrive shortly. For the first time, the state elections will also have exclusive polling booths reserved for physically disabled, visually impaired and leprosy afflicted persons in Puducherry. To ensure inclusive participation of pubic in the election process awareness programmes will be conducted.

In Puducherry, all polling stations will be covered by webcasting and flying squads with advanced GPS systems will monitor the booths. Officers on election duty will be monitored by the election commission and transfer orders of officials part of the election process will be reviewed when there are complaints from political parties, he said.

The possibilities of information technology will be widely used in the election and a mobile application to register the public grievances and complaints of political parties will be introduced shortly. Election commissioners A. K. Joti , O.P. Rawat and former TN chief electoral officer Sandeep Saxena, who is now with the ECI, also accompanied the chief election commissioner.

The full commission of ECI is scheduled to meet chief secretary, home secretary and DGP, police IGs, district collectors and officials of income tax and central excise on Thursday. Chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni also had brief chat with ECI officials on poll arrangements taken in TN.