GUWAHATI: With the Lok Sabha Election 2024 in Assam looming on the horizon, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is gearing up to ensure a smooth, transparent, and safe electoral process.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam, along with the Election Commission, has finalised all necessary arrangements to conduct the upcoming election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner.
ALSO READ: Three Assam Youths Burnt Alive In Meghalaya
To maintain strict vigilance over law and order and expenditure, the Election Commission of India has appointed Election Observers well in advance. Moving towards ensuring transparency and live monitoring; webcasting facilities have been arranged by the CEO, Assam, following the directives of the ECI.
Click Here To Join Our WhatsApp Channel
For the first phase of polling, comprising 5 High Priority Constituencies (HPCs), a total of 10,001 polling stations have been set up, including 92 model polling stations, 11 managed by Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and 752 managed by females.
Webcasting will cover all 5,509 polling stations, enabling real-time monitoring by the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer, and District Election Officers.
Every effort has been made to provide Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at all polling stations, including drinking water, adequate furniture, waiting sheds, toilets, lighting arrangements, crèches for children, signage, ramps for PWD voters and senior citizens, and voter facilitation posters.
Special arrangements such as transport facilities for the elderly, volunteer assistance with wheelchairs, and online registration for transportation via the Saksham mobile app have been implemented to ensure inclusivity.
A total of 40,004 Polling and Presiding officers will be deployed, along with 10,001 Ballot Units (BUs), 10,001 Control Units (CUs), and 10,001 Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.
Micro-observers will be stationed at critical polling stations, and the Mock Poll will commence 90 minutes before polling begins.
In the first phase, 35 candidates will contest across 5 HPCs: 10-Kaziranga, 11-Sonitpur, 12-Lakhimpur, 13-Dibrugarh, and 14-Jorhat.
A total of 8,647,869 electors, comprising 4,282,887 males, 4,364,859 females, and 123 third-gender individuals, are eligible to cast their votes.
To ensure an inclusive election process, the option of postal ballots has been extended to senior citizens above 85 years, PWDs, and individuals employed in essential services.
Various awareness campaigns under SVEEP (Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation) featuring State icons Deepjyoti Keot and Siddhartha Sarma, PwD icon Rakesh Banik, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of ASRLM have been conducted to encourage voter turnout.
The polling will commence at 7 AM and conclude at 5 PM, as per schedule.
CEO Anurag Goel urges all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote in the Lok Sabha Election 2024.