767 auxiliary polling stations approved for Chhattisgarh

Raipur, October 15

Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved 767 auxiliary polling stations due to considerable rise in number of voters for upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. These polling stations will be established in those areas where number of voters exceeds the ECI’s given permissible strength. The auxiliary booths will be housed within the campuses of original polling stations for convenience of voters.

The chief electoral officer Sunil Kujur informed that the ECI had fixed optimum limit of voters for each polling station. He said the permissible strength of voters in a booth located in urban area would be 1400 and that of rural area would be 1200. “This arrangement has been done for convenience of voters as well as polling staff,” he added.

With establishment of 767 auxiliary booths the total polling stations in state will increase from 21,418 to 22,185.

Considering increased number of polling stations, the state election office has demanded additional 8000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) from ECI. “Presently, we have 36,000 EVMs but with inclusion of auxiliary booths, we will require additional 8000 EVMs,” Kujur said.

He informed that maximum number of polling stations and auxiliary booths would be opened in Kasdol assembly constituency which has highest number of voters, i.e. 2.92 lakh.

Kujur informed that the ECI had also decided to tighten noose on independent dummy candidates who are fielded by polling parties to keep the election expenditure of their original candidates within Rs 16 lakh slab. The role of dummy candidates is to campaign for the original candidate covertly.

The commission has directed the state election office to append the expenses of such dummy candidates to the total expense of original candidates. Besides, a case will be filed against the dummy candidates under different sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Kujur said people can file complaint to the state election office if they find a dummy candidate using his vehicle and office to campaign for a candidate of any political party. “We will also take action against those candidates who will provide their vehicles to other candidates on polling dates,” he added.