IMPHAL, December 24: The Election Commission of the India has today put in place the election model code of conduct starting from today in the state and four other poll-bound states while elections to the 10th Manipur Legislative assembly has been scheduled for January 28.
The Election Commission today announced that elections to five states including Manipur will be held between January 28 and March 3. The other states are Goa, Punjab, Uttarkhand and Uttar Pradesh, announced Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi at the ECI complex New Delhi this evening.
The Chief Election Commissioner during a press conference held at the ECI office this evening further announced that polling to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly will be held in a single phase.
He further announced that altogether 16,77,270 voters will exercise their franchise in 2325 polling stations in the state of Manipur. There will be a strict monitoring of the electoral expences of the intending candidates and the political parties during the election process.
There will also be strict verification of voters during the election process and voters should show their valid voter-Id cards in order to exercise their franchise, and the voter Id card will be made mandatory during the election process, the Chief Election Commissioner further announced.
Regarding to security arrangement in the state during the election, the Chief Election Commissioner further recommended the deployment of central forces along with state forces in all 2325 polling stations of the state.
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer of the state PC Lawmkunga under the instruction of the ECI further announced the full schedule of the 10th State Legislative Assembly.
According to an official notification made available to media houses, the state chief electoral officer has announced that the issue of notification of the election process will be done on January 4, 2012 while the last date for making nominations has been scheduled on January 11, 2012.
Further according to the notification, the date for the scrutiny of the candidates’ nomination papers will be done on January 12, 2012 while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature has been scheduled for January 14, 2012.
Counting of votes will start on March 4, the notification further stated.
Meanwhile, further according to the Chief Election Commissioner, various election observers will be dispatched to all the poll bound states to monitor the different aspects of the election campaigning of the intending candidates.
The centre will also open a monitoring cell at New Delhi to monitor any violation of the election code of conduct in all poll bound states.
Actions will also be taken up against any party or intending candidates violating the election model code of conduct to achieve political mileage while the model code of conduct is imposed, he further announced.