Ensure level playing field during assembly polls

Chandigarh: The Election Commission has directed district election officers and superintendents of police in Haryana to act with complete impartiality and ensure a level playing field for free and fair assembly elections.

Underscoring its focus on an inducement-free poll process, the commission directed the enforcement agencies to work in a coordinated manner to curb the inflow of illicit liquor, cash and drugs. The directions were issued by an Election Commission (EC) team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The team is on a two-day visit of Haryana to review poll preparedness for assembly elections, likely to be held later this year.

The term of the 90-member Haryana Assembly is due to expire on November 3. The EC team, also comprising election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, arrived in Chandigarh on Monday. During the visit, the team met representatives of national and state parties such as AAP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).

The political parties raised several issues, including the conduct of free and fair elections with strict action against the misuse of government machinery, deployment of adequate forces in sensitive polling stations, and requests to reduce the distance between polling stations and improve facilities for the elderly and women voters. Concerns were also raised about the inaccessibility of election observers for timely grievance redress, a release said.

The EC assured the parties’ representatives that it had taken cognisance of their suggestions and concerns and said it was committed to conducting free, fair, participative, inclusive, peaceful and inducement-free elections.

Regarding the parties’ concerns over the misuse of government machinery when the Model Code of Conduct is in place, the EC directed the district election officers, superintendents of police and the state administration to act with complete impartiality. The district election officers were specifically told to be equally accessible to all political parties and ensure prompt resolution of their complaints and grievances, apart from meeting them regularly through periodic meetings, the release said.