Election Commission committed to 'deliver election' in Nagaland: CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday asserted that as mandated by the Constitution it would 'deliver election' in Nagaland.

''We will deliver the elections despite whatever calls there are and it doesn’t affect the political process,'' said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar while replying to media queries in presence of Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel here.

The Naga civil societies have been demanding solution to vexed Naga Political Issue before the conduct of the state election while the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation have declared not to participate in the election process unless their demand for a separate state composed of the six eastern districts are fulfilled.

The Constitution clearly provides and mandates the ECI that the elected government has to be in place before the end of the term of the present Assembly and if it does not happen, it possesses different kinds of problems, Kumar said.

''ECI is mandated under the Constitution to conduct elections and declare results to put the duly elected government in place before the term of the present Assembly comes to end and we are duty bound to do that,'' he said.

The term of the present Nagaland Assembly expires on March 12, the CEC said.

Asked about the dates for the state election, he said that the Commission is taking feedback from the three states of Northeast – Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland - and as per process they will go back and hold another meeting and announce the dates.

On the demand from political parties to do away with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and use ballot papers, he said there is no way to go back even technologically.

In this, he informed that the political parties and candidates can send their representatives to monitor the places where the EVMs will be kept which will also be under 24x7 CCTV surveillance and also three-tier security. Kumar asserted that the Commission is committed to conduct of free, fair and participative elections through involvement in all processes from roll to poll and counting.

The CEC asked the electorates of Nagaland to participate proactively in the ensuing state assembly elections truly in a mood of a festival of democracy.

He informed that in the 60 seats of the state, the total electors are 13,09,651 with 6,53,616 male and 6,56,035 female.

After the Special Summary Revision of the electoral roll published on January 5, the state has added 44,736 voters, he said.

The service electors are 7,981 while Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) are 6,970, he said, adding that there are 36,403 senior citizens in the age of more than 80 years of which 1,675 centenarians (100+). First time voters (18-19) are 30,049, he said.

Nagaland has total 2,315 polling stations of which 531 are in urban and 1,784 in rural areas while PwD managed polling stations are 10 and women managed are 196 while 1,650 polling stations will be under webcasting, he said.

Beside the facilities for PWDs and senior citizens, Kumar also said that the EC has introduced cVIGIL mobile app for every complaint to be responded in 100 minutes, Voter Helpline App to check voter’s name in the Electoral Roll or view polling booth details or to connect with your BLO/ERO, check election results, information on use of EVMs, etc.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)