Poll observers to resume duty before Feb 5

Agartala, Feb 1 (UNI) The Election Commission has asked all the 60 newly appointed election observers to resume duty in the respective constituencies in Tripura before the conclusion of filing nomination and remain there till end of the poll day.

Election officials said here today that altogether 52 General and eight Expenditure Observers from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Rajasthan and Gujarat would supervise the February 23 Assembly polls.

One General Observer per constituency and one Expenditure Observer for every eight constituencies were being appointed to ensure close monitoring and supervision.

The Expenditure Observers would also act as General Observers for one of the Assembly Constituencies under his charge.

However, the officials said that during the first visit, they would supervise the process of nominations, scrutiny, withdrawal, and campaign besides supervising the preparation of Electronic Voting Machines, training of polling personnel and conduct of voter awareness programme.

All Observers have been asked to look into deployment plan of forces in the constituency. They would examine the classification of hypersensitive and sensitive polling stations and monitor the process of vulnerability mapping, the officials said.

The Observers have been asked to make sure that the affidavits, that are filed by the candidates during nomination, with details of their assets, qualifications, convictions and cases pending in courts, are displayed prominently for public scrutiny without any loss of time.

They would also constantly review execution of non-bailable warrants, recovery of illegal and licensed arms from undesirable elements besides, monitoring the enforcement of Model Code of Conduct.

The Commission has also directed that in case the poll is delayed by more than two hours, a re-poll should be recommended and the Expenditure Observers were asked to monitor the expenditure closely and check the accounts submitted by candidates regularly.

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