Meetings Held With Political Parties, Enforcement Agencies: CEC Briefs On Poll Preparedness In Rajasthan

The Election Commission of India visited poll-bound Rajasthan after which it held a press conference briefing on the poll preparedness in the state.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar briefs on poll preparedness in Rajasthan

Source : ANI

The Election Commission of India held meetings with various political parties and enforcement agencies in the last two days ahead of Rajasthan polls, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Sunday. Addressing a press conference in state capital Jaipur, the CEC said that the poll panel met with political parties and held discussions with enforcement agencies of both the central and state governments. A review was also held with all the senior officials of the state, he added. 

The polls to the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly is scheduled to be held this year — along with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana — with 5.25 crore registered voters across the state. 

"In the last two days, we met all the political parties- nationally recognized parties and also had a detailed discussion with the enforcement agencies of the central government and the state government,” Kumar said.

#WATCH | On poll preparedness for the Rajasthan Assembly Elections, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, "In the last two days, we met all the political parties- nationally recognized parties and also had a detailed discussion with the enforcement agencies of the central… pic.twitter.com/SZxyFzdrJq

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“Thereafter had a review with the DMs, SPS, IGs, DIGs, Commissioners and all the senior officers of the state government. They said free and fair elections should be ensured, deployment of paramilitary forces at critical polling stations,” he added. 

Among the parties that met with the poll panel were the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. The parties have demanded the ECI to ensure a transparent polling process, action against false affidavits, and a check on distribution of liquor and freebies, said the ECI. 

The parties have also asked for deployment of paramilitary forces at critical polling stations and to ensure that no backdated orders are issued by the state government after the model code of conduct comes into force. 

The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan is looking for a comeback while the Bharatiya Janata Party is also exerting all its efforts to oust the incumbent Congress, though the saffron party has not declared a chief minister candidate. 

According to ABP-CVoter survey, the saffron party is projected to win a seat range between 109 and 119 while Congress could win somewhere between 78 to 88 in the upcoming polls.