The Election Commission has streamlined its working to facilitate not only a check on bogus voting but also to check on persons being denied their constitutional right to exercise their votes. For the first time it evolved a system to give an opportunity to voters who names figure on the list of Absent/Shifted/Dead and Duplicate (ASD). 

 

There are around 2.3 lakh voters whose names figure in the list of ASD in South and South Central Mumbai parliamentary constituency and they will get an opportunity to vote provided they furnish a government approved photo identity card like Aadhar card, PAN card, Passport, Driving Licence, … for tender voting. There will be a booth level officer who will assist voters whose names figure in the ASD list. However, EC has deleted around 6,54,356 names from the voters lists in these two constituencies.

 

Apart from confidence building exercise carried out by EC, to enable the electoral officials to conduct free and fair elections, 66 micro observers from central government agencies who will be reporting to their observer in the South and South Central Mumbai constituency.

 

“For the first time we will be conducting web casting in selected sensitive polling centres to prevent bogus voting and law and order problems arising out of clashes between political parties and in addition are also video recording the proceedings in every polling booth. Totally out of the 9,879 polling booths in Mumbai, there are 3131 polling booths in South and South Central constituency. Collectively, 16,22,248 male and 16,10,221 female voters will cast their votes in these two constituencies,” said Mumbai District Electoral Officer Shaila A.

 

Even while police commissioner Rakesh Maria refused to mention or divulge that the EC and police have jointly identified religious sensitive polling stations, Shaila disclosed that 16 religious sensitive polling stations have been identified in South and South Central Mumbai constituency including Chembur and Anushakti Nagar areas. Out of the 16 religious sensitive polling stations, 7 have been identified in Mumbadevi, 6 in Sion-Koliwada, 2 in Shivdi and 1 in Worli.