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Challenges of election during coronavirus pandemic

Former chief election commissioner OP Rawat spoke to ETV Bharat’s regional news coordinator Sachin Sharma about the election commission’s preparedness and the challenges before it with regard to holding elections during the COVID-19 period.

Challenges of election during coronavirus pandemic
Challenges of election during coronavirus pandemic

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Published : Jan 29, 2021, 10:09 AM IST

Updated : Jan 29, 2021, 11:37 AM IST

New Delhi: Former chief election commissioner OP Rawat spoke to ETV Bharat’s regional news coordinator Sachin Sharma about the election commission’s preparedness and the challenges before it with regard to holding elections during the coronavirus pandemic.

OP Rawat said in view of the COVID-19 situation, the election commission, in consultation with all political parties, had issued guidelines for the process of filing of nomination papers, campaigning and polling.

The election commission had allotted less than 1,000 voters per polling booth because of which the number of polling stations had increased. The election commission found strict adherence of the COVID rules during the Bihar election. The same process would be followed in the forthcoming elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Assam and Puducherry.

Challenges of election during coronavirus pandemic

Regarding coordination among central election commission, state election commission and officials of the states, OP Rawat said the election commission of India was formed under the Article – 324 of the Constitution. Whereas the state election commission was formed much later after carrying out the amendment. The two have different responsibilities and there is no overlap.

The administrative machinery of the election commission of India in the states is under the chief election officer. They are responsible for holding elections in states. In districts, there is a district election officer under whom there are SDMs. The entire machinery is manned by government officers. Immediately after the notification is issued, everyone starts working on elections.

On the questions of qualitative reforms and votes of migrant workers, OP Rawat said the election commission has recommended to the government for providing the facility of e-ballot for migrant workers and NRIs and it is under process.

On the question of candidates publishing their criminal record, the former chief election commissioner said this was not the first time this rule was followed in Bihar. The Supreme Court had passed a judgement on this much earlier. The Court had issued the order with the objective of ending criminalization of politics.

''Deputy Election Commissioner looking after EVM plays a pivotal role. Because they only have to present the report in court. They have to tell everything to earn the trust of political parties. In such a situation, the Election Commission recommends the extension of such a person and the Government of India accepts this request and issues a notification. However, the officers who come to the Election Commission come for a fixed period of time. He is selected only after seeing his political neutrality,'' Rawat said in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat's regional news coordinator Sachin Sharma.

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Speaking on the extension of service of retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and presently Deputy Election Commissioner of Central Election Commission, Umesh Sinha, Rawat said, he was the Senior Deputy Election Commissioner in my time. Used to watch all the work of planning and administration. The fairness of their work cannot be doubted in any way. Covid had created such situations, after which the regulation had to be implemented with changes in the election process. And it was also to be seen that the Covid did not spread due to the election. Keeping these concerns in mind, the Election Commission gave him a one-year extension.

On former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa joining the Asian Development Bank as vice-president after resigning from his post in 2020, OP Rawat said the position in the ADB is so important that no one can be appointed without application. Appointment in Asian Development Bank is done only after scrutinizing the application, conducting interview, personality test and group discussion.

Regarding the election process, OP Rawat reassured that officers try to execute EVM, VVPAT and adherence to code of conduct with complete integrity and honesty.

Former chief election commissioner said workers of political parties level all kinds of baseless charges to increase the number of votes and raise doubts about the election process. It is only after the election commission carries out the investigation and certifies that the charges had no substance that the political parties accept the final results.

Who is OP Rawat?

OP Rawat joined the IAS in 1977 and retired from the Government of India as secretary, ministry of heavy industries in 2013. He joined the election commission of India as commissioner in August 2015 and took over as the 22nd chief election commissioner in January 2018. At present, he is the chairman of the Supreme Court committee for content regulation of government advertising (CCRGA). He received the Prime Minister’s award for excellence in public administration in 2008-09.

Last Updated : Jan 29, 2021, 11:37 AM IST

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