Last phase: Election process to halt in case of non-functioning webcasting

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to immediately halt the election process in case of non-functioning or malfunctioning of webcasting on the final phase of polls on Saturday. The decision was taken by the ECI to keep a closer vigil on the activities of polling booths.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that in case non-functioning or malfunctioning of webcasting in any booth is detected before the beginning of the polling process, the polling mechanism will be stopped immediately and it will resume only after the issues are resolved.

Steps may be taken against the presiding officers if they fail to provide satisfactory answers in case of non-functioning of webcasting.

The presiding officers have been specially instructed to ensure that the CCTV cameras installed at the polling booths are fully and appropriately functional. Sources said that in case the presiding officers continue with the polling even after any event of non-functioning or malfunctioning is detected, the presiding officer concerned will have site reasons for doing so.

In case of dissatisfactory answers, the Commission might initiate an enquiry against him.It was learnt that the Commission has taken this decision following a complaint by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday, where he provided the CEO’s office with information on non-functioning CCTV cameras in around 150 polling booths in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went for polls in the sixth phase on May 25. Nine Lok Sabha constituencies — Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, Mathurapur, Jaynagar, Dum Dum, Barasat and Basirhat are going to polls in the final phase of Saturday. According to the ECI, among the 17,470 polling stations which will go to poll in the final phase, around 3,748 are critical polling stations.