Chizokho Vero
Kohima | March 5
The Election Commission of India has set April 9 as the date for polls to be conducted in Nagaland state, for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. The issue of notification for the polls is set on March 15, while the last date for filing of nominations is March 22. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on March 24 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is set at March 26. The counting of votes will be done on May 16 and the election process is scheduled to be completed before May 28
Kohima | March 5
The Election Commission of India has set April 9 as the date for polls to be conducted in Nagaland state, for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. The issue of notification for the polls is set on March 15, while the last date for filing of nominations is March 22. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on March 24 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is set at March 26. The counting of votes will be done on May 16 and the election process is scheduled to be completed before May 28
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nagaland, Sentiyanger Imchen, IAS, in a media briefing today, said that a total of 11,74,663 electorates comprising of 5,94,572 males and 5,80,091 females will be exercising their franchise in Nagaland state, spread across 2059 Polling Stations. The CEO for Nagaland informed that elections to the 13th Lok Sabha in the State of Nagaland will be conducted with Electorate Photo Identity Card (EPIC). He informed that the printing of EPIC has started. The department expects the first consignment to reach within a few days. First, it will be covering Dimapur I & II, Tening and Kohima.
He stated that the Election Commission desires that EPIC should be distributed, adding that this time voters will be able to vote only if they have EPIC. As of now EPIC is going to be compulsory for voting, he stated.
He also said that Election Commission desires that along with the election process, before the voting take place, Systematic Voters Education and Electorate Participation (SVEEP) programme should be strengthened. In this, he said the election department through deputy commissioners would also be carrying out this exercise to encourage the voters to come out and vote.
ECI lays down
code of conduct
With the announcement of election date, the Model Code of Conduct has been enforced. As per, the election code of conduct, the ECI has called upon the party in power not to use its official position for the purposes of its election campaign and issued directives for fairness in the use of public property for electioneering purposes. It also notified against Ministers combining their official visit with electioneering work and against the use of official machinery or personnel during the electioneering work.
It further cautioned against the issue of advertisement at the cost of public exchequer in newspapers and other media and the misuse of official mass media during the election period for partisan coverage of political news and publicity.
For the time of the elections, Ministers and authorities cannot announce any financial grants in any form or promises and cannot lay foundation stones etc. of projects or schemes. The ECI also directs against the making of any ad-hoc appointments in Government, Public Undertakings.
The Commission further states that there shall be a total ban on the transfer of all officers/officials connected with the conduct of the election. Also, no fresh release of funds under MP including Rajya Sabha members — Local Area Development Fund shall be made in any part of the State where election is in progress.
The commission further directs that official vehicles cannot be used for electioneering work. ‘Official Vehicles’ include all those belonging to the Central Government, State Government, Public Undertakings of the Central and State Government, Joint Sector Undertakings of the Central and State Government, Local Bodies, Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Marketing Boards (by whatever name known), Cooperative Societies, Autonomous District Councils, any other body in which public funds, howsoever small a portion of the total are invested and vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Defense and the Central Police.
