NEW DELHI: The
Chief Election Commissioner
, Rajiv Kumar, on Saturday said that
voters
have the right to be informed about the feasibility of fulfilling the promises made by political
parties
during elections. However, he clarified that this matter is currently under judicial review.
He emphasized that political parties have the right to make promises in their election manifestos, and it is important for the electorate to know if these promises are genuine and how they will be funded. This issue is part of an ongoing court case and is therefore sub judice.
During a press conference, Rajiv Kumar revealed that the Election Commission has created a ‘proforma’ to ensure that parties disclose their election promises. However, this aspect is also related to the pending court case. He further mentioned that enforcement agencies have been instructed to stay vigilant and prevent the distribution of cash and freebies.
The National Payments Corporation of India has also been assigned the task of monitoring online transactions. Responding to a question about fake news, Rajiv Kumar acknowledged its prevalence but assured that such news is promptly countered. He mentioned that there was a recent instance where fake news about the announcement of election dates was circulated, but it was debunked within half an hour.
He stressed the importance of curbing the spread of misinformation. After meeting with various political parties, including the BJP, INC, AIADMK, and DMK, Rajiv Kumar shared that the majority of parties have requested single-phase elections and stricter regulations against the distribution of money and freebies.
“We met various political parties both national like the BJP, INC and state parties like the AIADMK, DMK. A majority of their demands were single phase elections, curb on distribution of money and freebies,” he said.
The Election Commission revealed that Tamil Nadu has 6.19 crore voters, with 3.15 crore women and 3.04 crore men. Additionally, there are 1.08 crore people in the age group of 20 to 29 years, and 9.18 lakh first-time voters in the 18 to 19 years age group. To address the issue of money and liquor distribution to influence voters, the Election Commission has introduced a mobile app called cVIGIL (Citizens Be Vigilant). This app allows users to report incidents such as money distribution, and action will be taken within 100 minutes of receiving the complaint.
