Candidate pics on EVM this election

Saibal Gupta, TOI, Jan 31, 2016,Kolkata: After the introduction of photographs of candidates along with their name in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in Bihar elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to introduce the same in West Bengal and other states going for assembly polls in the next few months. 

As the commission had to face certain problems in the Bihar elections, EC has sent a set of instructions to all the Chief Electoral Officers of the states to avoid any kind of confusion so far as the quality and the nature of the photographs of the candidates are concerned. In a letter to the CEOs the commission has sent a list of specifications of the photograph that the candidates are supposed to submit to the District Election Officer (DEO) at the time of the nomination. 

The candidates will have to give a photograph with normal clothing without any political uniform. The candidates will have to present a full face view directly facing the camera with neutral facial expression and eyes open. The photograph of candidates with sunglasses will not be entertained. 

The commission has asked the CEOs to send the instruction to all the DEOs well in advance so that they inform the candidates accordingly. 

An election commission official said, "During Bihar election we found candidates submitting photographs with their political flags draped around them. Many even wore shirts that had political symbols imprinted on them. They submitted photographs when there was hardly any time to tell them to change it and so we had to go ahead, in many occasions, without the photographs of the candidates. This time we didn't want this problem to recur and so we have sent the instructions well in advance."