Poll Body To Make Live Streaming of Election Universal, Dry Run For By-Polls

The Election Commission of India has announced the implementation of 100 per cent webcasting across all polling stations in the upcoming bye-elections in four states, in a bid to effect transparent, closely monitored elections. This enhanced surveillance will be rolled out for the first time during the bye-elections of June 19, covering five assembly seats in Gujarat, Kerala, West Bengal, and Punjab.

Webcasting, which provides live streaming of polling station activities without compromising voter secrecy, was previously limited to 50 per cent of polling stations, particularly in critical and vulnerable areas. 

With the new directive, all polling stations with internet connectivity will now be covered under this real-time monitoring system.

In areas with poor or no internet connectivity (shadow zones), the Commission has mandated videography and photography to ensure that poll-day documentation is maintained.

To ensure effective oversight, webcasting control rooms will be set up at the state, district, and assembly constituency levels. These will be managed by dedicated nodal officers assigned to each level.

Sources, however, indicate that full-scale implementation may only begin from the Bihar assembly elections later this year. 

Partial implementation will be done from June 19 bye-polls.

Assembly bye-elections are scheduled for two seats in Gujarat, and one each in Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal. 

The key focus of these bye-elections is the Jalandhar West seat, from where AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjiv Arora is contesting. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal promised to make him a minister in Punjab if he won. 

The second is Visvadar seat in Gujarat, where AAP's Gujarat face Gopal Italia is contesting. The bye-poll is being held because of the resignation of the AAP MLA who joined the BJP. 

The third seat is Nilambur in Kerala, a key contest ahead of next year's assembly election. This seat fell vacant after Independent MLA PV Anvar resigned. He is now contesting on a Trinamool Congress ticket. Mamata Banerjee's party is contesting in Kerala hoping to expand its footprint.

In another historic move, the Commission has also revised the electoral roll for bye-elections - marking the first such revision in over two decades. 

This initiative reaffirms the Election Commission's commitment to fair, transparent, and tech-enabled elections across the country.

The Commission has also announced the introduction of a new Standard Operating Procedure to fast-track the delivery of Electors Photo Identity Cards or EPICs within 15 days of an update in the electoral rolls. 

The initiative aims to enhance service delivery while maintaining data security.