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The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday said it had appointed 17 retired bureaucrats as its special observers in eight states where they would supervise the randomisation of personnel, security forces and EVMs and tackle the influence of money and muscle power during the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
“Recognising the challenges posed by the influence of money, muscle, and misinformation, the Election Commission of India has appointed Special Observers for the General Elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies 2024 to oversee the electoral process with strict vigilance. Special Observers appointed are former civil servants with a brilliant track record of domain expertise and past experience with election processes,” the EC said.
The EC appointed a special observer (general) and a special observer (police) each in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar, states with a population of over 7 crore, and in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, where state Assembly elections are being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections.
The EC also deployed special expenditure observers in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, states where the influence of money during elections is a particular concern for the Commission. “The menace of money power and distribution of illicit liquor and freebies is also a concern for the Commission,” the EC said.
Retired IAS officers Manjit Singh, Dharmendra S Gangwar, Ajay V Nayak, Ram Mohan Mishra, Yogendra Tripathi and Alok Sinha have been appointed special observers (general) in Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, respectively.
Retired IPS officers Vivek Dube, N K Mishra, Manmohan Singh, Deepak Mishra, Rajnikant Mishra and Anil Kumar Sharma have been appointed special observers (police) in Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, respectively.
Retired IRS officials Rajesh Tuteja, Himalini Kashyap, B Murali Kumar, Neena Nigam and B R Balakrishnan have been appointed special expenditure observers in UT, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
“The observers are entrusted with the crucial and solemn responsibility to ensure the fairness, impartiality and credibility of elections, which ultimately forms the bedrock of our democratic polity. These Special Observers not only help the Commission in fulfilling its constitutional mandate of conducting free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections but also to enhance the voter awareness and participation in elections,” the EC said.
These special observers are in addition to the around 2,000 serving officers who have been appointed by the EC as general observers across the country. These general observers act as the eyes and ears of the EC on the ground.
