Ranchi: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar announced that all polling booths in the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections will be under CCTV surveillance. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at the Election Bhavan in Dhurwa, he emphasized that ensuring a transparent and error-free election process is the Election Commission’s top priority.
To enhance monitoring, webcasting will also be employed, allowing live feeds from polling stations to be viewed at the Chief Electoral Office in Dhurwa. Kumar shared that during the previous Lok Sabha elections, a few discrepancies were identified using CCTV and webcasting, which were promptly corrected.
The CEO also mentioned that all election officers and staff at polling stations will have access to an updated “ASD List.” This list will contain details of deceased voters, those who have relocated, and any absentee voters, ensuring that the risk of duplicate votes is minimized.
Additionally, Kumar highlighted that since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, a total of ₹166.82 crore worth of illegal materials and cash have been seized across the state. The highest seizure was by the state police, which confiscated ₹121.96 crore. Other departments, including the Commercial Tax Department (₹8.43 crore), Excise Department (₹7.31 crore), Forest Department (₹7.22 crore), and Income Tax Department (₹1.62 crore), also reported significant seizures.
The Election Commission is committed to maintaining strict vigilance to ensure free and fair elections across Jharkhand.