New Delhi: The Election Fee will attempt to make sure that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, other than being peaceable, “also see less noise, less clutter and everyone gets equal opportunity”, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar mentioned on Nationwide Voters Day.
Talking in New Delhi, Kumar mentioned Thursday: “That’s what our job is… to provide a level playing field.”
The CEC’s feedback got here within the backdrop of opposition events questioning the ballot watchdog’s impartiality. Saying that the bar of political discourse should be saved excessive, Kumar added, “At this stage, political parties being the biggest stakeholders, must become the best partners, ensuring an ethical journey.” He added, “The commission has issued an advisory also to arrest the plummeting level of the political discourse.”
Amidst Congress’s criticism after the ballot physique allegedly didn’t meet a delegation of the INDIA bloc demanding higher use of VVPATs, the CEC mentioned political events have been the second largest stakeholders after voters.
“Whatever we do, we disclose to political parties. Whatever we do, we involve political parties at every stage, starting from preparations of electoral rolls to the voting to EVM machines. We respond whenever there is a letter or an issue raised by a political party,” he mentioned.
Election Commissioner Arun Goel quoted the Vedas to stress that India was the world’s oldest and largest democracy. “While we are the world’s largest modern democracy, historically, we are the oldest. In the Rigveda and Atharvaveda, dating 6000 BC to 1100 BC, the term sabha or assembly of elders; samiti or the assembly of the common folk; and Sansad or Parliament — each representative body finds frequent mention,” he mentioned.
He added, “Rigveda sukta says, ‘Come together, speak together, together let the thoughts agree. Common to all is a solemn utterance… Common the assembly… common the thought along the perception’.”
Goel lauded the function of his predecessors since 1950 for “demystifying the electoral steps and creating simple, administratively manageable and publicly verifiable processes”.
He added the fee has saved tempo with Indian polity and the occasions “to weed out electoral malpractices and systematically ushering technology to bring the voter participation ever closer to the citizens”.
The Nationwide Voters Day 2024’s theme was, “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For Sure”, which was a continuation of final yr’s theme.
A number of fee officers, together with state and district stage officers, have been additionally awarded on the operate Thursday for his or her “outstanding performance” for polls held throughout 2023. The classes have been IT initiatives, safety administration, election administration, accessible election, electoral roll and contribution within the discipline of voter consciousness.
A brief voter consciousness movie directed by filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, My Vote My Responsibility, was proven and a postage stamp was additionally launched in the course of the occasion. As well as, a multimedia marketing campaign for voter consciousness was additionally launched with the tagline “Chunav ka parv, desh ka garv (The festival of elections is the pride of the nation).”
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