E-Paper
Assembly polls: EC tackles 47.3k code violation complaints
Of these, 40,395 were found to be correct, according to data collected on the poll watchdog’s cVIGIL software application, which allows citizens to directly register complaints.
The Election Commission of India received 47,393 complaints on violation of the model code of conduct through the course of assembly elections to Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand that were held between February 10 and March 7.
Of these, 40,395 were found to be correct, according to data collected on the poll watchdog’s cVIGIL software application, which allows citizens to directly register complaints.
The commission takes action against a complaint within 100 minutes of it being lodged. These complaints can range from offers of cash and freebies to tampering of polling machines and use of foul language.
The election overseer led by chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra and election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey had said the cVIGIL application was created to empower citizens to ensure free, fair and accessible elections.
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The results for the polls, which were conducted across 690 assembly constituencies in five states, will be announced on March 10.
The highest number of complaints were from Uttarakhand, where 25,845 complaints were lodged, of which 24,774 were found to be correct.
It was followed by Punjab with 17,697 complaints, of which action was taken on 13,633. There were 2,375 complaints and 1,020 crackdowns in Uttar Pradesh. In Manipur, action was taken on 615 complaints out of 860. In Goa, 351 complaints were acted on out of 614.
The greatest number of complaints were on property defacement, followed by distribution of alcohol, freebies, religious and communal speeches and campaigning during the prohibited periods, according to official data. The data isn’t sorted according to political party.
Fearing the misuse of funds to win polls, the commission had also placed special observers in 63 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur. While there were no expenditure-sensitive constituencies in Goa, Uttar Pradesh had the highest at 33 from a total of 403 seats.
