Flying squads active, 3,000 defective VVPAT machines returned

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has stepped up the deployment of security personnel and removed almost 1.79 lakh posters, hoardings and banners from various places towards the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in Gujarat.

Licensed weapons, numbering 24,268, have been taken away from their holders and licences of 227 people cancelled. There were 56,406 licensed weapons in the State.

“We have stepped up vigil; our flying squads are active in the fields. More than 500 senior officials involved in poll duty have been trained after the announcement of the schedule for the Assembly polls,” Chief Electoral Officer B.B. Swain told reporters in Gandhinagar.

As on October 31, the administration had removed political posters, hoardings and banners from public and private properties in all 33 districts, he said.

“In the run-up to the polls, no poster or banner or hoardings will be put up anywhere, and strictly not on any public property, without approval from the ECI,” he said.

Awareness campaigns

“We are holding training sessions and voter awareness campaigns across the State because, for the first time, the entire election will be conducted using VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) attached Electronic Voting Machines (EVM),” Mr. Swain said.

The ECI has rejected more than 3,000 VVPAT machines that were found to be defective during the trial run.