The Election Commission, on Wednesday, held a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and attended by Returning Officer (RO) P.C. Mody, who is the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha, to review the preparedness of the election machinery for the upcoming presidential elections.
The meeting was attended by Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey and virtually attended by the additional returning officers (ARO) and chief electoral officers in states and Union territories.
Addressing the meeting, the CEC emphasised the need for every step for dispatch, polling and return of material to be meticulously managed. He reiterated that the RO and the AROs adhere to the highest level of compliance for all statutory processes and instructions meant to ensure free and fair elections.
The ECI had earlier issued directions to the RO, AROs and CEOs on various aspects of conduct of election—setting up of place of polling, printing of ballot papers, secrecy of ballot paper, security of ballot boxes and other polling material.
Specially designed ballot boxes, ballot papers and election material are required to be sent in a secured and time-bound manner to the places of polling. The ECI instructed various government departments to ensure secure and smooth transport of the polling and polled material.
The commission updated the list of members of the electoral college for the presidential polls in keeping with the provisions of Article 54 of the Constitution and Rule 40 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Rules, 1974. The electoral college comprises the members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas.
The election to the office of the president are scheduled to be held on July 18. The ruling side has nominated Draupadi Murmu, a tribal leader, for the election, while former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is the candidate backed by the opposition.
