THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, July 11: The ruling JMM launched an attack on the Election Commission on a day when the EC held a review meeting with Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar and all District Election Officers regarding the second special summary revision programme of the voters’ list.
JMM fears early elections in Jharkhand
Sensing the possibility of early assembly elections in Jharkhand, the ruling JMM threatened to launch a movement if the Election Commission announces early assembly elections in Jharkhand along with Maharashtra and Haryana.
Speaking to media persons, JMM central general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said that the term of the Jharkhand assembly ends on January 4. “So, keeping in view the festivals in the coming months, the EC should hold elections between November 10 to December 20,” he maintained.
He said that the meeting held by the EC with the state officers at Patratu, a tourist place, is a bid of the EC to send a message for holding early elections in Jharkhand.
“If it happens it will not only be undemocratic but also an injustice with the State. It appears to be a bid to use the EC to destabilise the Hemant Soren government,” he alleged.
“What is the compulsion, on whose orders is this happening?” he asked.
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EC congratulates Ravi Kumar
Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Election Commissioners of the Election Commission of India, Dharmendra Sharma and Nitesh Vyas, in a review meeting congratulated CEO K Ravi Kumar and the election team of the entire state on behalf of the Chief Election Commissioner of the country for conducting peaceful and fair Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand.
In the meeting, the District Election Officers of all the districts made a detailed presentation through PPT of the activities related to the ongoing voter revision program in their district and the progress so far.
Issues reviewed by EC
On this occasion, the officials from the Election Commission of India reviewed in detail subjects like updating of voter list, door-to-door verification, digitization, renewal of old laminated voter ID cards, distribution of identity cards, minimum facilities required at polling stations, status of redressal of public grievances and voting percentage in the Lok Sabha elections in the second special summary revision program going on in the state and gave necessary guidelines.
All pending applications related to voter registration were asked to be executed in mission mode. All the district election officers were directed to ensure the publication of an error-free and updated voter list.
Inclusive voter list
It was directed in the meeting that the District Election Officers of all the districts should make every possible effort towards making an inclusive voter list by running special awareness campaigns to get the youth, Divyangjans, women, PVTG etc. registered in the voter list.
Also, all the districts should take effective initiatives to get 100% of the students of universities and colleges registered in the voter list. The senior officials of the Commission also stressed the need to work towards increasing coordination between BLOs and voters.
All district election officials were directed to keep holding meetings with political parties at regular intervals and ensure that they regularly provide relevant updates along with taking appropriate action on the points mentioned by them.
