Lok Sabha polls will be held on time, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora

Lucknow: The general elections in the country will be held on time, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said Friday, amid tensions between India and Pakistan. He also said that electronic voting machines are being treated like “football”.

The CEC is in the Uttar Pradesh capital for the past two days to review poll preparations in the state. “The election in the country will be held on time,” Mr Arora told reporters when asked about the poll schedule in the wake of tensions between the two countries.

He said as per a new notification of the commission, candidates will have to give details of their properties abroad, besides those in the country.

“The I-T department will look into it and, if any, discrepancies are found then it will be uploaded on the Election Commission (EC) website and strict action will be initiated,” the CEC said.

When asked about the EC’s stand on inflammatory speeches, Mr Arora said in his review meetings, he tried to find out the status of such cases lodged during previous elections.

In all the 1,63,331 polling centres, VVPAT machines will be used this time, he said.

“We have made EVMs football, knowingly or unknowingly... If result is X, then EVMs are okay, and if it is Y, then the EVMs are faulty,” Mr Arora said. He was also asked about the EC’s view on the apprehensions raised by political parties over the functioning of EVMs.

Defending the use of EVMs, the CEC said that “EVMs are made by highly secure companies — Bharate Electronics Lim-ited and Electronics Corp-oration of India Limited, which are involved in making defence equipment.” He said a technical advisory committee is the-re to keep an eye on EVM arrangements.