CEC hints at simultaneous polls to 9 State Assemblies

However, he said, the CEC was yet to discuss the issue and arrive at a decision.

Maintaining that the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the recent elections to the four northern States proved effective and very successful, Gill said there was no opposition to the EVMs’ use by political parties. The Election Commission will select and announce the names of constituencies wherein EVMs would be used, much before theelections. The EVMs would be demonstrated, if necessary, in the offices of political parties and at market places to make them user-friendly, he added.

About the CEC’s preparedness in the event of any mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha, Gill said, “The CEC is always prepared to implement the orders of the President…”

Gill said the State Election Commissions (SECs) have taken up summary revision of all electoral rolls with January 1, 1999 as the qualifying date. Before finalising the electoral rolls, the CEC will launch a publicity campaign on the lines of the campaign carried out for the pulse polio programme in the country and invite political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the citizens to look into the rolls and suggest necessary changes or point out mistakes, if any, so that there could be no complaints once the election process starts.

Meanwhile, Gill said the CEC had established a computer network and programmed all the data constituency-wise. The electoral rolls are being madeavailable in booklets, on CD ROMS and very soon, on the internet too. The political parties, contesting candidates and everyone who is interested can have access to them hereafter. He said the SECs have been directed to complete the process of computerising the data, including the electoral rolls, at the earliest.

Expressing displeasure over restricting the use of the identity (ID) cards being issued by the Election Commissions to the elections, the CEC said, “I fail to understand why the External Affairs Ministry insists on ration cards for identification and not the ID cards". He would take up the issue with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, he added.