EC reviews poll preparedness for assembly elections in Haryana

New Delhi [India], August 13 : The Election Commission of India is gearing up to conduct assembly elections in Haryana and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu on Tuesday held a detailed and comprehensive review of the poll preparedness for the forthcoming Assembly Elections in Haryana at Chandigarh, said an official press release from Election Commission.
The term of the State Assembly in Haryana is due to expire on November 3, 2024, and elections are scheduled on 90 legislative assembly constituencies in the state.
During the two-day review visit of the Commission, representatives of national and state political parties including Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Indian National Lok Dal, and Jannayak Janta Party came to meet the Commission.
During the meeting, these political parties raised several issues such as the conduct of free and fair elections with strict action against misuse of government machinery, and deployment of adequate central forces in sensitive polling stations while some parties also highlighted the requirement of updating the electoral roll with the removal of dead and shifted voters in Panchkula.
Regarding polling stations, there was a request to reduce the distance between polling stations and improve facilities for elderly and women voters while some parties advocated for changing the location of party polling desks from 200 meters to 50 meters from the polling station entrance in urban areas.
Concerns were also raised about the inaccessibility of election Observers for timely grievance redressal. Other demands included the timely sharing of voter lists with candidates immediately after the nomination deadline.
The Commission assured the representatives that it has taken cognizance of the suggestions and concerns of the political parties and ECI is committed to conducting free, fair, participative, inclusive, peaceful, and inducement-free elections in the state.
Political parties were encouraged to actively engage in the ongoing second Special Summary Revision process to update the electoral rolls ahead of the elections.
The Commission also discussed the administrative, logistics, law and order, and election-related arrangements with the Chief Electoral Officer and State Police Nodal Officer.
Prior to the detailed review with DEOs and SPs, CEO Haryana gave an overview of all aspects of election management including the ongoing 2nd Special Summary revision of Electoral Rolls in the state with respect to July 1, 2024 as the qualifying date.
The final electoral roll will be published on August 27, 2024, a copy of which will be provided to all recognized parties free of cost.
The Commission also held a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to review the overall poll preparedness and law and order matters.
The Haryana Assembly Elections 2024 are expected to take place on or before October 2024, as the current Assembly's tenure is set to end on November 3 this year. However, the election schedule is yet to be announced.
Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, it was reported that the Election Commission will hold a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday to review the security situation in the union territory, sources said.
In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024.
If it happens before September, Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of 10 years as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
Recently, a poll body delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the poll preparations in J&K. During a press conference in Jammu during the visit, Kumar had emphasized that the commission is committed to holding elections there "at the earliest".
No outside or internal forces can derail the electoral process, he had said, adding that the people of J-K will give a befitting response to "disruptive forces.
CEC further said that all parties in Jammu and Kashmir are "batting strongly" for holding assembly elections.
There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are General, nine are ST and seven are SC.
Notably, along with Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand is also among the states that will undergo assembly polls by the end of the year.