Even minor lapse can undermine trust: MP Election Commissioner to poll officials

Bhopal, Aug 7 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission has asked election officials to ensure error-free conduct of polls, saying even a minor lapse in the election process can undermine public confidence.

Addressing a state-level training workshop for Deputy District Election Officers and Master Trainers here on Thursday, State Election Commissioner Manoj Shrivastava said maintaining the credibility of elections was the foremost responsibility of poll officials.

“Even a small lapse in election-related work can become a cause of distrust. Resolve all your doubts during the training workshop and share your valuable suggestions,” he added.

Shrivastava said local body elections are comparatively more sensitive as they are held at the grassroots level, making the role of election officials even more crucial.

He said the Commission is also examining measures to strengthen the election process, including webcasting of polling stations and simultaneous voting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“The Commission is considering webcasting of the polling process. Detailed discussions are also underway on conducting polling simultaneously through Electronic Voting Machines. While adopting the latest election technologies, officials must ensure that voters have complete confidence in these systems because they always remember the sanctity of the voting process,” he added.

Calling local body elections the “laboratory of democracy”, Shrivastava said Madhya Pradesh has introduced several innovations in election management, including 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.

He also directed officials to ensure real-time reporting through mobile applications during polling to improve monitoring.

Referring to cooperative federalism, the State Election Commissioner said Madhya Pradesh has provided EVMs on rent to Tripura, Sikkim, Maharashtra and Rajasthan for conduct of local body elections.

State Election Commission Secretary Dinesh Shrivastava said the Commission has emerged as a leader in electoral innovation and asked officials to take the training seriously, saying even a minor procedural error during elections is unacceptable.

–IANS

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