Latest news with #VivekJoshi
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC stresses inclusive voting in border areas during W Champaran visit
Patna: Election commissioner Vivek Joshi on Sunday held a review meeting at Valmikinagar in West Champaran with officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), environment, forest and climate change department, and the district administration. The SSB, through a PowerPoint presentation, highlighted its surveillance and security efforts along the India-Nepal border. Following the presentation, Joshi discussed the region's socio-geographic and cultural landscape and emphasised the need to ensure effective participation of border-region electors through a coordinated strategy. Joshi directed the SSB to enhance coordination with the district administration and local police and to further strengthen surveillance mechanisms to ensure peaceful, fair, and inclusive elections. He also noted that the additional manpower available with the SSB could be effectively utilised for election-related duties. Accompanied by DM, West Champaran, Dinesh Kumar Rai, the election commissioner later visited polling stations nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17 at the Govt Middle School, Bagaha-2, under the Valmikinagar assembly constituency. Joshi interacted with booth level officers (BLOs) and discussed voter participation and the impact of recent training. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo Joshi arrived in the state on Friday on a four-day visit to review the preparations for the assembly elections due later this year. Following his visit to Valmikinagar, the election commissioner proceeded to East Champaran (Motihari) district. He will return to New Delhi on Monday via Vaishali and Patna.
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Bihar: ECI reviews poll preparedness in Valmiki Nagar, West Champaran
As part of his four-day visit to Bihar ahead of the 2025 Legislative Assembly Elections, Election Commissioner of India (ECI) Vivek Joshi conducted a high-level review meeting in Valmiki Nagar on Sunday, focusing on electoral preparedness in the sensitive India-Nepal border region. The meeting was attended by top officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Forest Department, and District Administration. It commenced with a detailed PowerPoint presentation by the SSB, outlining surveillance operations and border security measures in place to ensure free and fair elections. Joshi emphasised the strategic importance of the border districts and underlined the need for coordinated inter-agency action to facilitate secure and inclusive elections. 'Effective participation of voters in border regions is critical, and surveillance must be complemented by outreach and administrative preparedness,' he stated. The Election Commissioner directed the SSB to intensify coordination with local police and district authorities, while also suggesting that the additional manpower available with the force be deployed for election-related duties. Commending the successful conduct of previous elections in the region, Joshi acknowledged the synergy among the SSB, Forest Department, Police, and District Administration. He also interacted with Tharu tribal artists, appreciating their cultural contributions as a vibrant part of the region's democratic ethos. Joshi later visited polling stations 14 to 17 located at Government Middle School, Bagaha-2, under the Valmikinagar Assembly Constituency. He also held discussions with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), focusing on voter awareness and the impact of recent training sessions. The BLOs informed the ECi that training conducted in New Delhi by the Election Commission of India has significantly improved their preparedness and confidence. Joshi urged the Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gujiyal to ensure that such training sessions across Bihar maintain a strong focus on legal literacy, technical competence, and transparency. He further emphasised the importance of the active participation of Booth Level Agents from political parties, along with BLOs, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant EROs to ensure procedural integrity at the booth level. Joshi expressed satisfaction with the district's poll preparedness, noting that West Champaran's voter turnout has been consistently higher than the state average. He encouraged the local administration to launch creative and targeted voter outreach initiatives to further boost participation. 'This visit was crucial to understanding electoral dynamics at the grassroots level. I appreciate the proactive cooperation of district officials, and I have directed the formation of dedicated teams for high-quality election management,' Joshi said. After wrapping up his engagements in Valmiki Nagar, the Election Commissioner departed for East Champaran (Motihari) and is scheduled to return to New Delhi tomorrow via Vaishali and Patna.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ensure transparency in poll process: EC
Motihari: Election commissioner Vivek Joshi visited Motihari on Saturday to assess preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. Accompanied by a team from the Election Commission, he conducted a detailed inspection of the district's election infrastructure and stressed the importance of transparency at every stage. Joshi first visited the election warehouse where he closely examined the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) systems. He asked the DM, SP and other officials to ensure that all preparations continue under the supervision of representatives from political parties. The commissioner also visited the first level checking (FLC) centre in Motihari to review the inspection process of EVMs and VVPATs. He interacted with engineers from Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and sought detailed information about the testing procedures. During the inspection, Joshi issued key guidelines to officials, placing special emphasis on conducting all operations with complete transparency. He was accompanied by Bihar chief electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjial, who also reviewed the administrative preparations. DM Saurabh Jorwal informed the commissioner that the district has a total of 7,209 ballot units, 5,613 control units, and 6,058 VVPATs. The inspection process began on May 2, and so far, 4,380 ballot units, 4,380 control units, and 4,380 VVPATs have been examined. Of these, 431 ballot units, 47 control units, and 36 VVPATs were rejected due to technical issues. Jorwal assured that the work is being carried out transparently in the presence of political party representatives and that this transparency will be maintained throughout the process. Representatives from BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, LJP, BSP and the Aam Aadmi Party were also present during the inspection.
The Print
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
ECI expresses concern over low voter turnout in Bihar in 2024 LS polls
Election Commissioner of India, Vivek Joshi, who reached Patna on a four-day visit to Bihar to review the preparations for the upcoming assembly elections, chaired a meeting with the CEO, State Police Nodal Officer Kundan Krishnan and other senior officials here on Friday. Bihar's voter turnout in the last Lok Sabha elections was around 10 per cent less than that of the national average, the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said. Patna, May 16 (PTI) Ahead of the assembly polls due later this year in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday expressed concern over the low voter turnout in the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and asked officials to formulate a strategy to enhance participation of people in the electoral process. In the meeting, preparations for the upcoming elections, adherence to the Model Code of Conduct, special summary revision of the electoral roll and other related issues were discussed. 'The Election Commissioner of India expressed concern over the low voter turnout in Bihar. While the national average voter turnout stands at 66.10 per cent, Bihar recorded only 56.28 per cent in the last Lok Sabha elections, which is significantly lower,' the CEO said in a statement. Joshi stressed the need to formulate a comprehensive strategy to increase voter turnout, which should be implemented at the micro level and regularly reviewed by the ECI. 'He noted that in the last 10 years of general elections, Bihar's voter turnout has hovered between 56 per cent and 57 per cent, which necessitates focused efforts to improve it,' said the statement. Bihar has a total of 7,69,046 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and 5,91,347 elderly voters aged above 85 years. The ECI directed that maximum inclusive participation of these voters be ensured so that they can vote without any hindrance. 'This will not only affirm inclusive participation of all sections of society in the electoral process but will also play a vital role in increasing the overall voter turnout,' said the statement. Joshi instructed officials to ensure that all election-related activities are carried out impartially and within stipulated timelines. He also urged the administration to take proactive and creative initiatives to ensure the active participation of all stakeholders. The ECI is conducting extensive training programmes to ensure the accuracy of the electoral roll. 'Those attending training programmes include polling station officers, electoral registration officers, and booth-level agents of recognised political parties. These training sessions are being held in New Delhi, as well as at divisional and district levels across Bihar,' the statement said. Bihar has a total of 77,895 polling stations, and the ECI directed officials to ensure that all essential facilities are provided there. According to the final publication of the electoral roll, Bihar has approximately 7.80 crore registered voters. 'The Election Commissioner directed that no eligible citizen should be left out of the electoral roll. He expressed concern about the low registration among youth aged 18 to 19, whose current number stands at only 8,08,857, compared to the estimated population of around 6.4 million in that age group. Hence, he directed special focus on registering voters in this age category', the statement said. During his four-day visit, Joshi will inspect the First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs in Motihari on Saturday and will hold a review meeting. He will also visit Bettiah (West Champaran). On Sunday, he will meet with SSB officials in Valmiki Nagar and conduct a field visit. On Monday, he will visit areas in Vaishali district. Joshi's visit is aimed at conducting on-the-ground assessments of voter facilities, security arrangements, the FLC process, training centres, and the condition of polling stations. Through this visit, the ECI intends to ensure that elections in Bihar are conducted in a fair, peaceful, and participatory manner, the statement said. PTI PKD NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC Joshi on 4-day visit to review poll preparations
Patna: Election commissioner (EC) Vivek Joshi reached Patna on a four-day state visit to review the preparations for the upcoming Bihar legislative assembly elections due later this year. He will interact with the officials of the state and election commission, and inspect the status of voter facilities, security arrangements, FLC process, training centres and polling stations to ensure fair and peaceful elections in Bihar. Joshi will also hold a meeting with state chief electoral officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, nodal police officer, IG, DIG, and Patna district magistrate and SSP before a field inspection. According to a press communique, Joshi will also visit Motihari in East Champaran district and Bettiah in West Champaran to inspect the first-level checking of EVMs, and review the election preparations with the respective DMs, SPs, EROs and BLOs. India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, the training institute of the Election Commission of India , has already started large-scale programmes to ensure the accuracy of the voter list. Polling station officials of Bihar and booth-level agents of recognised political parties are participating in the training programmes being organised division-wise. The first-level checking of EVMs is also going on in 13 districts. After his arrival, Joshi was welcomed by state CEO Gunjiyal.
