Web casts its effect on polling
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The live webcasting of the proceedings in the polling booths helped the election authorities ensure a free and fair poll on Tuesday. Thanks to advanced technology and net linkage to remote areas also, the EC could install the equipment to webcast the proceedings in 5,000 polling stations, leaving only 200-odd polling stations to video recording.
Two polling officials, including one presiding officer and a micro-observer landed in trouble in Ongole assembly segment after they were caught on camera entering into the cabin along with an aged voter. The cabin is a restricted place into which only the voter is allowed to enter. “The polling staff explained to the collector that the old man sought help in casting the vote and that they entered into the restricted place only to explain him the method,” Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal said.
As the polling agents of the contesting candidates also did not complain against the two polling staff, the EC only relieved them of the duties without taking any action, he added. Besides the CEO, the EC officials in New Delhi and all the collectors of districts where bypolls were in progress monitored the polling through webcasting. The officials found it easy to give instructions to the police or polling staff depending on the situation both inside and outside the polling stations, the CEO pointed out.
The main advantage was that there was no room for rigging as the entire world was watching, Mr Bhanwar Lal added. SEC P. Ramakanth Reddy also came to CEO’s office in Secretariat to watch the webcasting process. Mr Reddy spent a good amount of time understanding the various procedures adopted for smo-oth conduct of polls apparently to replicate them in the local body polls.
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