Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday assured recognised political parties that the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election will be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.
The CEC, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, held detailed consultations with representatives of recognised national and State parties in Chennai to review poll preparedness and address concerns.
Officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) said several parties urged the Commission to take stringent steps to curb the use of money power and distribution of freebies during the election. Some also demanded an increase in the number of flying squads and surveillance teams to effectively prevent electoral malpractices.
At the same time, most political parties appreciated the ECI for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu.
Responding to the concerns raised, Gyanesh Kumar reiterated that the elections would be held strictly in accordance with the law and assured that the poll panel would firmly clamp down on inducement-related activities. He emphasised that strict monitoring mechanisms would be put in place to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
A majority of parties requested that the Assembly election be conducted in a single phase. Some also urged the Commission to take festival dates into account while finalising the poll schedule to ensure maximum voter participation. The CEC assured that all such representations would be duly examined before announcing the schedule.
Additional Chief Electoral Officers A. Sivagnanam and V. Sridhar, along with Joint Chief Electoral Officers Srutanjay Narayanan and R. Manuel Raj, participated in and coordinated the meeting.
Representatives from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Naam Tamilar Katchi, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and National People’s Party attended the meeting and submitted their representations to the Commission.