Bhubaneswar: In a move towards ensuring a smooth and transparent election process, the State Chief Electoral Officer R Santhagopalan held a meeting with representatives from various political parties in Bhubaneswar Tuesday to seek suggestions on improving the electoral process. The meeting was an opportunity for key figures from political parties to voice their concerns.
It was attended by representatives from several prominent political parties, including Amar Patnaik (BJD), Sivananda Roy (INC), Dushmanta Kumar Deb (CPM), Madhusudan Yadav (BSP), and Sudipta Kumar Das (AAP). One of the central topics of discussion was the inclusion of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the electoral process.
Santhagopalan explained how these agents would play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy of the voters’ lists. The representatives were encouraged to appoint BLAs to help with the continuous update of voter lists by assisting eligible citizens in submitting applications for the inclusion, correction, deletion, and transfer of voter entries.
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“Every recognised political party must appoint a district representative to appoint Booth Level Agents,” Santhagopalan stressed. Each party would need to ensure that these agents were registered voters in their respective areas, providing the much-needed local insight and verification.
The role of BLAs was not just administrative but also preventive. They would help identify deceased or displaced voters, ensuring the voter list remained current. It was clear that these agents were crucial in maintaining the integrity of the election process, preventing fraudulent entries, and ensuring a fair election.
“It’s not just about the elections themselves. It’s about adhering to rules throughout the entire year,” Santhagopalan noted. He stressed that violations such as failing to report expenses would not be tolerated, and the Election Commission had a clear framework for tracking and verifying these expenses.
The CEO also pointed out that the National Election Commission issues handbooks and manuals detailing the procedures and rules, all of which were accessible for review and download on their official website. This would help political parties ensure full compliance with the established norms.
PNN
