EC to ferry physically challenged voters to booths in MP polls

Bhopal: The Election Commission (EC) would arrange to ferry physically challenged voters from their homes to polling booths in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls slated for later this year, a senior official said on Monday. The EC's Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar on Monday held a preparatory meeting in connection with the forthcoming polls with returning officers and police officials of 16 districts of Bhopal, Narmadapuram, Gwalior and Chambal divisions attending it.

"The volunteers appointed by the returning officers of districts would ensure to bring physically challenged electors to the booths and drop them back to their homes," Kumar said.

He said that block level officers would identify such persons and said that poll personnel would be given training to carry out this initiative.

Chief Electoral Officer of MP V L Kantharao said there are about 4.5 lakh physically challenged voters in the state.

Kumar said that people could also use a recently launched app - cVIGIL to register their complaints about rigging or violation of model code of conduct in the polls.

"The complainant can upload videos or photos about any irregularity during polling or the violation of model code of conduct. Our flying squad would immediately act on such complaints. However, action can also be taken against the complainant in case of a false complaint," the Deputy Election Commissioner said.

On the demand of some parties to adopt ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Kumar said, "If any political party has doubts about the EVM, then we will always be ready to mitigate it."

When asked about the announcements of dates for MP Assembly election, he said that EC would make it public at a suitable time.

Kumar said the date of the second summary revision of the state's voters list, which was to conclude on August 21, had now been extended to August 31. The final publication of the voters list in the state is scheduled for September 27. Rao said that there were

5.07 crore voters registered in the electoral rolls published in January this year.