Full ECI bench to visit state in Dec to supervise poll preparations

EOI, Malda, 30 Nov 2015: Full Bench of election commission of India (ECI) would visit the state in December to discuss the preparations of ensuing assembly election with the DM and SP of all districts as learnt from sources in state electoral department. The assembly election in West Bengal is likely to be held in next April.

It is further learnt from sources that EVMs (electronic voting machines) would be brought to the state from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Officials of state electoral department have already left to bring the EVMs from those states.

Along with EVMs more than 50 VVPAT (voter-verified paper audit trail) would also be brought for the election. VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for EVMs designed to allow voters to be sure whether their votes were rightly cast. It is used to prevent probable election fraud or malfunction and a way to audit the stored electronic poll results,” an official of state electoral department said.

“After a voter casts the vote, a slip will be generated as it happens after withdrawing cash in ATM counters. The voter can be sure that his vote has been correctly cast from the slip. But the voter cannot take the slip away. It would be preserved with the election commission,” he informed adding that VVPAT would be used in crucial polling booths.

It is also learnt that the corrected voters’ list with an inclusion of approximately 20 lakh additional voters would be published on 5 January.

ECI’s full bench would come in December to ensure free, fair and flawless election, the electoral department sources informed.