The Election Commission on Tuesday appointed special observers for administrative, security, and expenditure monitoring purposes in several states to ensure a level playing field during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The election panel said special observers – former civil servants with stellar track records – have been tasked with monitoring the electoral process with strict vigilance. The panel said the responsibility has been given especially in the backdrop of challenges arising from the influence of money, muscle power, and misinformation.
The Election Commission said special observers (general and police) have been deployed in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar, which have a population of more than seven crore. The Commission said that assembly elections are also to be held along with Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It said special expenditure observers have also been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
The election panel said special observers will be posted at the state headquarters and if needed, will visit areas where sensitivity is high and necessary coordination is required. The panel said they may seek requisite inputs from time to time from observers posted in parliamentary constituencies, assembly seats, or districts, wherever necessary, without interfering in their work.
Election Commission officials said they have also been ordered to seek inputs and coordinate with regional heads and nodal officers of various agencies involved in monitoring activities. He said the special observers will have a special focus on border areas and will work towards stopping the influx of migrants and will also seek inputs on redressal of public grievances.
Also on his agenda are rapid responses to counter false narratives and monitoring of the last 72 hours before voting to ensure free and fair elections.
Know who got posting where
Retired IAS Manjeet Singh has been posted as a general special observer in Bihar, while former IPS Vivek Dubey has been posted as police special observer in the state. In Maharashtra, retired IAS Dharmendra S Gangwar has been made the general special observer, while former IPS NK Mishra has been made the police special observer.
In Uttar Pradesh, retired IAS officer Ajay V Nayak is the general special observer, and former IPS officer Manmohan Singh is the police special observer. Similarly, the general special observer in Andhra Pradesh is retired IAS officer Ram Mohan Mishra and the police special observer is former IPS Deepak Mishra who was once with Delhi Police.
The Rajasthan Royals suffered a 5-wicket defeat at the hands of the Delhi Capitals in the 62nd ma
There is a hint of a big upset in Haryana. In the trends so far, the BJP is forming the governmen
Rains before the arrival of monsoon in the national capital have brought relief from the scorchin
England has won the four-match T20 series 2-0. In the last T20 International match, England defea
After brutally killing his mother and four sisters in the Sharanjit Hotel of Charbagh, Arshad did
People affected by floods in Punjab are not getting any relief yet. The reason for this is that t
Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was immediately hospitalized after a Super League match of t
For the first time in the ongoing IPL season, the Lucknow Super Giants’ pace battery appear
The world's largest religious-cultural gathering Maha Kumbh 2025 has started in Prayagraj from Mo
Jammu was again targeted by terrorists! Bullets fired on an army ambulance in Akhnoor
News of another terrorist attack is coming from Jammu. According to sources, terrorists fired on
