New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner O.P.Rawat on Monday said there will be “satisfactory solution” to the issues raised in an all-party meeting convened where some major parties demanded reverting to paper ballots while there were mixed views on simultaneous polls.
Rawat said the poll panel takes a comprehensive view of the suggestions given to it and will take a call on putting a ceiling on party expenditure in the elections.
“Some of the parties said that going back to ballot is really bad because we don’t want to bring back the booth capturing. At the same time, some parties said there are some problems with EVMs and issues with VVPATs slip count. All those things have been noted by the EC commission and it will take a call,” Rawat told reporters here.
“We will definitely look into the issues presented by them. There will be a satisfactory solution to them,” Rawat added.
He said the major take away from the meeting was that political parties were “very positive and very constructive” in suggesting the ways and means to further improve the integrity of the elections.
He said parties also raised the issue of simultaneous elections. “Parties have raised the issue of ‘one nation and one polls’. A few supported and others opposed it.”
Prime Minister Narenda Modi has on a number of occasion backed the idea of simultaneous polls.
The poll panel had called a meeting with all recognised national and state political parties do discuss a range of issues including fidelity of electoral rolls, gender representation within the party structures and ticket distribution, limiting political party expenditure and expenditure ceiling for legislative council elections.
The agenda included discussion on enforcement measures to ensure timely submission of annual audited reports and election expenditure.
The agenda also included discussion about election campaign silence period and online canvassing during the last 48 hours before conclusion of polling.
Important issues related to conduct of election including alternative modes of voting for domestic migrants and absentee voters and encouraging electoral participation of voters with disabilities were also discussed.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]