Citizens attaining voting age to be included in voters' list:CEC

Shillong, Jan 19 (UNI) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswami has asserted that all citizens, who had attained the voting age, would be included in the electoral lists during the upcoming Assembly elections in Meghalaya.

A single-phase election will be held on March 3 for the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. The counting will be held on March 7.

Mr Gopalaswami, who reviewed the state's poll preparations last night, said he had instructed the Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates to study and rectify anomalies, if any, in the Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs).

''We want to ensure that all genuine voters should get their names included in the voters' list,'' Mr Gopalaswami told reporters after reviewing the poll preparedness with the state Election Commission, Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, Director General of Police B K Dey Sawian, District Magistrates and political parties.

''We would also not hesitate to reject those cases which are not genuine,'' he added.

Election Commissioners S Y Quraishi and Navin B Chawla accompanied the CEC.

Asked on the security scenario, Mr Gopalaswami said there were a few pockets in the border areas where there was some kind of security threat, but by and large, the elections in Meghalaya had always been peaceful.

''I am satisfied with the preparations for the Assembly polls in the state,'' he said, while informing that the commission will hold a meeting in New Delhi on January 21 to finalise the allocation of additional forces.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya government asked the Election Commission to deploy 40 companies of additional security forces to ensure free and fair polling.

''There are some pockets where we felt that there is a need of more security to ensure smooth conduct of polling,'' Mr Chatterjee said.

The filing of nomination papers will begin on February 8 and close on February 15. The last date for withdrawal is February 18.

The current term of the Assembly ends on March 10.

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