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.
Sarfaraz Khan hit a brilliant century in the first Test against New Zealand being played in Benga
Judiciary: President unveiled new flag and symbol for Supreme Court, said this on pending cases
President Draupadi Murmu on Sunday stressed the need to change the culture of dates in courts and
US President Joe Biden also praised the quick action of the 22-member crew of the cargo ship 'Dal
Will Nitish play this game? Tejaswi and Bihar CM are coming to Delhi on the same flight
The results of the Lok Sabha elections have come. The NDA alliance has got 292 seats. On the othe
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that after 75 years of independence, the count
Slow wind speeds and adverse weather conditions have turned Delhi into a gas chamber. The air qua
The situation in West Bengal has gone out of control since the passing of the Waqf Amendment Act.
Famous Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been receiving death threats for a long time. The actor on
Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui was shot dead outside his son's office in Mumbai on Oct
Apart from tariffs, US President Donald Trump is also in the news for his comments on India's eco
