Gurugram DC stresses strict adherence to ECI guidelines

He urged officials to thoroughly review and implement all rules provided by ECI before carrying out any election-related tasks.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is also the district election officer, on Friday emphasised the importance of adhering strictly to guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the upcoming Haryana assembly elections, scheduled for October 1.

The Gurugram skyline. (HT File)

Addressing a training meeting for returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) from the Pataudi, Sohna, Gurugram, and Badshahpur assembly constituencies at the Mini Secretariat Auditorium, Yadav said that no lapses in following ECI’s directives will be tolerated. He urged officials to thoroughly review and implement all rules provided by the commission before carrying out any election-related tasks.

Yadav also directed ROs and AROs to ensure that all candidates are treated equally, and that the election process is conducted in full compliance with the commission’s regulations.

The DC highlighted the importance of securely handling electronic voting machines (EVMs).

“We have instructed that the movement of EVMs from storage to the strong rooms should be recorded via videography, and the information must be shared with political parties. On September 2, the first randomisation of EVMs will be conducted, and the machines will be allocated according to the assembly constituencies. EVMs and VVPATs will be stored in separate strong rooms for each of the four assembly constituencies at the Government Girls College campus, under strict CCTV surveillance and police guard,” he said.

Yadav also outlined plans for the second phase of randomisation, where EVMs will be allocated to specific polling booths within each assembly constituency. He emphasised that transparency is key, and political parties should be informed about which machines are assigned to which booths, said officials.

He directed election officials to ensure that all logistical arrangements, including vehicles equipped with GPS and police escorts for EVM movement, are in place. He also said that an ARO-level officer should be assigned to oversee this process.