New Delhi: Election officials will act spontaneously without waiting for any formal complaint and activate the powers to use central forces if any electoral malpractice is detected during the last two phases of Lok Sabha polls tomorrow and on May 12.
These are among the additional steps that the EC announced today in the wake of allegations of largescale rigging and booth capturing in some states, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and charges that poll authorities at the field level failed to react promptly.
Briefing media on the measures taken by the poll panel for free and fair polls, Deputy EC Vinod Zutshi said here that presiding officers have been asked to use their powers under electoral laws to use central foces deployed in polling stations to prevent any “untoward” incident.
Besides the sector magistrate, who is in charge of 10 polling stations, the EC has also decided to deploy static magistrates in sensitive booths polling stations to respond immediately to complaints.
