EC to replicate Bihar model for Assam polls

GUWAHATI: The Election Commission will replicate its Bihar model of holding election in Assam with Covid-19 safety measures for a ‘safe’ polls which, said CEC Sunil Arora, would have to be completed by May 4 before the CBSE examination begins.
After reviewing poll preparedness of the state for the last three days, Arora said here, “We recently held elections in Bihar with 7.5 crore population and that too when Covid was at its peak.Unfortunately, we had an IG who died when the election process was on. After meeting team Assam, they are all kind of ready to give the country a peaceful, fair, ethical, robust, transparent and, very importantly till country has not be declared as safe from Covid, a safe election.”
The CEC gave a broad outline of the safety measures that will be in place in the state, which are same as that was applied in Bihar, one of them being extension of poll timing by one hour to avoid overcrowding at polling stations.
The only advantage Assam will have over Bihar is that the vaccine has arrived and the vaccination drive is on. The CEC said request from Assam to get the polling officials vaccinated on priority is being considered at the highest level.
The CEC said the ceiling on expenditure limit for candidates, which was increased from Rs 28 lakh to Rs 30.8 lakh during Bihar election, will remain in Assam as well. He added that during the interaction with political parties, the common point raised by political parties is to keep in view the dates for Bihu festival while deciding the election schedule. “He added that such a schedule would encourage more voter turnout and would help avoid the period of monsoon too,” the CEC said.
“The term of the present assembly is till May 31. We are also aware that the CBSE exam will start from May 4. So, preferably around that time, we have to complete our election process. Sensitivities about Bihu festival dates will be taken cognizance of and factored in while drawing up the schedule of election dates accordingly,” the CEC added.
“Keeping in view social distancing norms, the commission has specifically revisited some extant norms and as a result, the maximum number of electors at a polling station has been reduced from 1,500 to 1,000. Accordingly, for the state of Assam, the number of polling stations would go up by about 5000 and likely to be more than 33000 for the forthcoming elections. This increase in the number of polling stations in turn would have other logistics and manpower implications,” he said.
The CEC further added, “Candidates can upload their nomination papers online and then submit the prints. Not more than five persons, including the candidate, will be allowed to go on doorto-door campaigning. Road shows can be held but there the vehicles have to be staggered with a gap of at least half an hour.”
The commission noted that the CEO’s team has ensured location of all auxiliary polling stations at the ground level and in the vicinity of the main polling station to the extent feasible & in consultation with political parties. SVEEP efforts will be intensified to reach out to more voters, especially 80+, PWD, young and women voters.