Bye-elections to 23 vacancies in Bihar (2), Gujarat (7), Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram (one each), Uttar Pradesh (4) and West Bengal (6) will be held simultaneously on the dates of Lok Sabha elections in these states.
The Commission also allowed a last chance to all such eligible voters whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls for some reason.
“The EC has directed that a special camp be organised at all 9.30 lakh polling stations on March 9 for this purpose,” Sampath said.
The electoral rolls are ready after being updated with January one this year as the cut-off date and will be put up at polling booths for a final check by voters. The EC will use EVMs for the Lok Sabha elections and a total of over 17 lakh EVMs will be deployed during the polls. For the first time in parliamentary polls, a system of paper trail for electronic voting will be introduced in some constituencies on a trial basis and the Commission is in the process of procuring 20,000 EVMs which will be deployed for this purpose.
The EC is also introducing a system of optional e-filing of affidavits by candidates to ensure that no omission is made out. A candidate will have to file a hard copy of the affidavit along with the nomination paper. In case a column is left blank, the Returning Officer will send a notice to the candidate for filing a fresh one, failing which the nomination is liable to be rejected following a Supreme Court directive in this regard.
The Commission has also issued guidelines to political parties asking them to explain the rationale of financing the promises they make in their election manifestos.
