Ballot boxes may return in GHMC polls over Covid fears

HYDERABAD: In view of the forthcoming elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the prevailing pandemic, Telangana State Election Commission (SEC) will take a decision on whether to hold the polls using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or ballot boxes.

Newly appointed SEC Commissioner C Parthasarathi indicated the possible use of ballot boxes in case EVMs are not used at a meeting on preparations for GHMC elections on Friday. The meeting was attended by GHMC Commissioner and Election Authority DS Lokesh Kumar, Additional CEO, GAD (Elections), Jyothi Buddha Prakash, senior officials of GHMC and SEC.

Parthasarathi said it was decided to fix a voter strength of 800 per polling station. Precautionary guidelines would be followed based on the  guidelines issued by ECI. It was decided to hold a meeting on poll preparedness during the second week of October with Zonal Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners.

The Commissioner requested the Additional CEO to issue instructions to District Collectors, District Election Officers and EROs for quick disposal of inclusions, deletions and transpositions, if any, in the Assembly Electoral Rolls. 

The Commissioner directed officials to make a plan to train GHMC officials from Zonal to Circle level to acquaint them with software applications in the Te-Poll application, developed by the Centre for Good Governance.

To improve the voting percentage from 45.29 per cent in 2016, he directed officials to prepare an action plan and organise intensive voters’ awareness campaigns by involving NGOs, RWAs and other civil society organisations.

‘Use face recognition software’
The SEC Commissioner said there should be maximum use of technology, including use of innovations like face recognition software, but after thorough scrutiny