The Election Commission on Tuesday launched an Android-based mobile application named ‘cVigil’ for citizens to share proof of malpractices by political parties, their candidates and activists when the Model Code of Conduct is in place in the run-up to polls. Now a person can secretly send to it geo-tagged videos and photos of illegal money being distributed or a hate speech being made during polls. The mobile application also facilitates sharing of geo-tagged photographic and video evidence without disclosing the sender’s identity. The app will work only during the time the model code of conduct (MCC) is in place in a poll-bound state.

The uploaded information will be transmitted to the control room from where the field units or flying squads mapped on a Geographic Information System will be immediately alerted for further action.

In case the complainant does not opt for anonymity, the person will also get an action-taken report within about 100 minutes. The application, whose Beta version has now been released, will be made available for use during the coming four State Assembly elections later this year.

The mobile application, for which the EC officials will be trained for effective action against the malpractices reported ahead of the elections, was launched in the backdrop of the inauguration of a two-day national consultation programme on “Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Electoral Process.

Launching the mobile application, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said the poll panel is bringing out this tool as there have been instances when vested interests have misled surveillance teams and directed them to a place away from the scene of poll code violation.

EC unveils ‘cVigil’ app to report poll code violation