EC deploys divisional commissioners to make sure polling accessible to voters

The Election Commission (EC) Thursday deployed divisional commissioners as 'Accessibility Observers' to make sure that polling is accessible to the voters at the field level. Voters have the right to exercise their franchise and the Accessibility Observers would oversee effective implementation of all instructions of the EC for free and fair polling, sources at the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said here.

To ensure transparency regarding the functioning of EVMs in the coming Lok Sabha election, the mock poll was arranged during the day at different stages of preparation of the electronic voting machines, the sources said. Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain will meet representatives of all recognised political parties of the state on Saturday.

Jain will also hold a meeting with district election officers, superintendents of police and police commissioners to review the poll-preparedness. The sources said the EC's 'cVIGIL' app, through which voters can lodge any poll-related complaints to the EC, has so far registered 351 complaints of violation of model code of conduct in the state and they were being looked into. West Bengal will go to seven-phase polling beginning April 11.

(With inputs from agencies.)