“Proper arrangements should be made at the polling stations to ensure that citizens come to vote. All necessary facilities should be provided to the voters. To increase voting, returning officers, observers, Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) nodal officers and the entire election team should make collective efforts.” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said while reviewing the preparations for voting after holding discussions with the central observers appointed in the Lok Sabha constituencies in the third phase through video conferencing on Tuesday. Election Commissioners Gyanendra Kumar and Dr S S Sandhu were also present in the meeting.

 

During the virtual meeting, chief election commissioner Kumar held deliberations with the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan and general observers of Morena and Rajgarh parliamentary constituencies of the state and sought detailed information about the preparations. He directed the officer to take additional efforts to increase the voting percentage in the third and forthcoming phases and asked the officials to contact the voters directly and motivate them to vote and also make extensive arrangements to facilitate them. In the meeting, CEO Rajan informed the Commission that voting is scheduled on May 7 in the third phase in 9 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. “Block Level Officers (BLOs) are distributing voter slips door-to-door and contacting the voters personally and appealing to them to vote. ‘Chalien Booth Ki Ore’ campaign is set to commence in all the polling stations from May 1 for the third phase and on May 7 for the fourth phase. Extensive activities will be carried out during this period.

 

Every possible method is being used to convey its message to the voters. Co-ordinated efforts are being made rapidly to citizens that voters come to the polling booth to vote. To increase the voting percentage in the third and fourth phases, arrangements like drinking water, lighting, ramps, benches and facility houses etc. are being made in every polling station as per the needs of the voters. Central observers of Morena and Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituencies also gave their feedback to the Commission and informed about the efforts being made to increase voting. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kumar Kaul, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Tarun Rathi, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Kumar Shukla were virtually present in the meeting.