Lok Sabha elections 2024: BJP urges Election Commission to follow two-step voter verification

“The issue and complaints with regard to rigging at the polling stations, the Commission may explore the possibility of ‘two step identification’ before any voter is permitted to enter the voting compartment. Fool-proof record of such two-step identification must be available to the Commission and political parties for assured fair polls,” the BJP memorandum read.

The party also said that instead of the current practice of videography and live webcasting at 50% of the polling stations, it should cover 100% of polling stations across all states.

While the memorandum did not elaborate, Pathak told The Indian Express that the delegation told the Commission that complaints of “ghost voters, fake voters or duplicate voters” are made by different parties during elections. He said the party suggested taking a photo of the voter and comparing it to the photo identity card before entering the booth. Then, the polling staff checks the name and ID against the list of electors for the booth. “This would build greater transparency in the polls,” Pathak said.

The BJP also asked EC to ensure that polling booths are set up in high-rise residential societies, something which the poll panel had instructed CEOs to do in September last year. “While we welcome the Commission’s initiative in this regard, we are yet unaware of setting up new polling stations as per directions of the Commission,” it said.

Setting up new polling booths in high-rise housing societies would improve voter turnout, BJP argued. “We sincerely hope the Commission will ensure setting up such polling stations well before the announcement of general elections,” the BJP said.

The party also raised the issue of the delay in approval of advertisements and publicity campaigns by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees during elections.

“The functioning of these committees have been noticed to be erratic and whimsical and sometimes even influenced by extraneous considerations. We have cases of wrongful and illogical rejection of media creatives and unwarranted delays…The campaign times being very short, these delays can jeopardise the election campaigns,” the BJP said.