The
term of the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka will expire on 03.6.2013. By virtue of
its powers, duties and functions under Article
324 read with Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India and Section
15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India is required to hold elections to constitute the
new Legislative Assembly in the State of Karnataka before expiry of its present
term.
1. Assembly Constituencies:
The
total number of Assembly Constituencies in the State of Karnataka and the seats
reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, as determined by
the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008, are
as under:
|
Total No. of A. C.s
|
Reserved for SCs
|
Reserved for STs
|
|
224
|
36
|
15
|
2. Electoral Rolls:
The electoral rolls of all
the existing Assembly Constituencies in the State have been revised, with
reference to 01.01.2013 as the qualifying date, and have been finally published
in two phases (for 178 ACs on 16.1.2013 and for the remaining 46 ACs on
28.1.2013). As per the final published electoral rolls, total electors in the
State are 4,18,75,267.
3. Photo Electoral Rolls:
Photo
electoral rolls will be used during the forthcoming general election. Photo
percentage in Photo electoral rolls of Karnataka is 98.69%.
4. Identification Of Voters And Electoral Photo
Identity Cards (EPIC) :
Identification
of the voters at the polling booth at the time of poll shall be mandatory.
Electors who have been provided with EPIC shall be identified through EPIC
only. Presently, the EPIC coverage in
Karnataka is 98.37 %.
All the residual electors
are advised to obtain their Electoral Photo Identity Cards from the Electoral
Registration Officers of their Assembly Constituency.
In order to ensure that no voter
is deprived of his/her franchise, if his/her name figures in the Electoral
Rolls, separate instructions will be issued regarding additional documents for
identification of voters, if needed.
5. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs):
The poll in Karnataka will be
conducted at all polling stations using EVMs. The Commission has already made
arrangements to ensure availability of adequate number of EVMs for smooth
conduct of elections. The first level checks of EVMs has been done in the
presence of representatives of political parties in accordance with the
instructions of the Commission. A two-stage randomization of EVMs shall be
made. In the first stage, all the EVMs stored in the District storage center
are randomized by the District Election Officer (DEO) in the presence of the
representatives of the recognized political parties for allocation to assembly
constituencies. In the second stage EVMs
are again randomized to decide the actual polling stations in which they will
be ultimately used. The second stage randomization is done in the presence of
General Observers and candidates or their election agents. EVMs will be
prepared and set for elections after the contesting candidates are finalized in
presence of candidates. At this stage also, candidates or their
agents/representatives will be allowed to check and satisfy themselves in every
manner about the functionality of the EVMs.
6. Law and Order and
Deployment of Forces:
Based on the assessment of the
ground situation, Central Police Forces (CPF) and State Armed Police (SAP)
drawn from other States will also be deployed during the ensuing general
elections. The CPF and SAP will be used generally for safeguarding the polling
stations, the electors, poll-material and the polling personnel. Besides, these forces will be used for
securing the strong rooms where the EVMs are stored pending counting and for
securing the counting centers and for other purposes, as required.
The Commission has been issuing
instructions from time to time with regard to the advance preventive measures
to be taken by the District Magistrates and Police authorities to maintain Law
& Order and to create atmosphere conducive for conduct of free and fair
elections. The Commission will be constantly monitoring the ground situation
closely and will take appropriate measures to ensure peaceful, free and fair
polls.
7. General Observers:
The Commission will deploy
General Observers in adequate number to ensure smooth conduct of elections. The
Observers will be asked to keep a close watch on every stage of the electoral
process to ensure free and fair elections. Their names, addresses within the
district/constituency and their telephone numbers will be publicized in local
newspapers so that the general public can quickly approach them for any
grievance redressal. The Observers will be given a detailed briefing by the
Commission before their deployment.
Commission may also deploy Police Observers to keep a close watch on law
& order situation.
8.
Election Expenditure Monitoring:
The Commission has also decided
to appoint adequate number of Expenditure Observers and Assistant Expenditure
Observers who will exclusively monitor the election expenditure of the
contesting candidates. For greater transparency and for ease of monitoring of
Election Expenses, Candidates would be required to open a separate bank account
and incur their election expenses from that very account. Comprehensive
instructions for the purpose of effective monitoring of the election
expenditure of the candidates, have been issued, which include formation of
flying squads, video Surveillance Teams, involvement of Investigation
Directorates of Income Tax Deptt. etc.
The
formats, for filing of affidavits regarding criminal backgrounds, assets,
liabilities and education qualification of the candidates have been combined
into one format (Form 26) and modified to include a summary sheet. All candidates must ensure that they file
their affidavits in the revised format (Form 26) only. The revised format is available on the ECI
website and in Returning Officer’s handbook.
Necessary
instructions have been issued to the CEO to ensure briefing of political
parties and Media in the districts about ‘paid news’ and the mechanism to check
‘paid news’. Representatives of
Political Parties and Media Organizations are briefed by the Election Commission.
To deal with the issue of ‘Paid
News’, a mechanism has been laid out with three tier of Media Certification and
Monitoring Committees (MCMC) at District, State and ECI level.
Revised comprehensive instruction on ‘paid news’ have been issued on 27th
August, 2012 and is available on ECI Website, which will be supplemented by
further instructions.
9. Micro Observers:
In addition to
General Observers, the Commission will also deploy Micro- observers to observe
the poll proceedings in the polling stations on the poll day in selected
critical polling stations. They will be chosen from Central Government/Central
PSUs officials. Micro-Observers will observe the proceedings at the polling
stations on the poll day right from the mock poll to the completion of poll and
the process of sealing of EVMs and other documents to ensure that all
instructions of the Commission are complied with by the Polling Parties and the
Polling Agents. These Micro-Observers will work directly under the control and
supervision of the General Observer. They will be tasked to ensure purity of
polling process and will report to the General Observers directly about any
vitiation of the poll proceedings in their allotted polling stations.
10. Conduct of Officials:
The Commission expects all officials
engaged in the conduct of elections to discharge their duties in an impartial
manner without any fear or favour. They are deemed to be on deputation to the
Commission and shall be subject to its control, supervision and discipline.
Several instructions have been issued from time to time to ensure impartiality
of officials who are engaged in the conduct of elections. The conduct of all
Government officials who have been entrusted with election related
responsibilities and duties would remain under constant scrutiny of the
Commission and strict action shall be taken against those officials who are
found wanting on any account. The Commission has already given instructions
that no election related official or Police officer of the rank of Inspector
and above shall be allowed to continue in his home district. Besides,
instructions have also been issued that election related officials including
police officials of Inspector level & above who have completed three years
in a district during last four years should be transferred out of that
district. Police officers of the rank of Sub Inspectors who have completed
three years in a Sub Division/Assembly Constituency or are posted in their home
sub division/assembly constituency shall be transferred out of that Sub
Division and the Assembly Constituency. The State Government has also been
asked to transfer all those officers against whom the Commission has
recommended disciplinary action or who have been charged for any lapse during
previous elections or for any election related work, from positions entailing
any election work. The State Government has been instructed to ensure that
those who stand transferred shall move out physically from their last place of
posting and shall not remain there on any pretext including leave. The
Commission has also instructed the State Government not to associate any
officer with the electoral process against whom charges have been framed in a
court of law in any case.
11. Protection to SC/ST Electors:
As per Section 3 (1) (vii) of Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, whoever, not
being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, forces or intimidates a
member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe not to vote or to vote for a
particular candidate or to vote in a manner other than that provided by law
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than
six months but which may extend to five years and with fine. The Commission has
asked the State Government to bring these provisions to the notice of all
concerned for prompt action.
12. Polling Stations:
There are a total of 50446
Polling Stations in the State of Karnataka as on the date of final publication
of electoral rolls.
For the facility of
physically challenged persons, instructions have been issued to ensure that all
polling stations as far as practicable, are located at ground floor and ramps
are provided. Facilitation shall also be provided for locating electors’ names
in a polling station or a group of polling stations through help lines and
facilitation centers.
13. Polling Parties and Randomization:
Polling parties shall be
formed randomly, through special application software. Three-stage
randomization will be adopted. First,
from a wider district database of
eligible officials, a shortlist of a minimum 120% of the required numbers will
be randomly picked up. This group will be trained for polling duties. In the
second stage, from this trained manpower, actual polling parties as required
shall be formed by random selection software in the presence of General
Observers. In the third randomization, the polling stations will be allocated
randomly just before the polling party’s departure. There shall be randomization for such Police
Constables and Home guards also, who are deployed at the polling stations on
the poll day.
14. District Election Plan:
The District Election
Officers have been asked to prepare a comprehensive district election plan in
consultation with SPs and Sector Officers including the route plan and
communication plan for conduct of elections. These plans will be vetted by the
Observers taking into account vulnerability mapping exercise and mapping of
critical polling station in accordance with Election Commission of India’s
extant instructions.
15. Videography:
All critical events will be
video-graphed. District Election Officers will arrange sufficient number of
video and digital cameras and camera teams for the purpose. The events for
videography will include filing of nominations, scrutiny thereof and allotment
of symbols, First Level Checking, preparations and storage of Electronic Voting
Machines, important public meetings, processions etc. during campaign, process
of dispatching of postal ballot papers, polling process in identified
vulnerable polling stations, storage of polled EVMs, counting of votes etc.
Digital cameras will also be deployed inside polling booths wherever needed and
inside all counting centers. CDs of video recordings will be available on
payment to anyone who wishes to obtain a copy of the same.
16. Model Code of Conduct:
The Model Code of Conduct comes
into effect immediately from now onwards. All the provisions of the Model Code
will apply to the whole of Karnataka with effect from today itself. Attention of the political parties and
candidates is particularly invited to the following provisions of the Model
Code:-
“There shall be no
appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes. Mosques, Churches,
Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as forum for
election propaganda.”
17.
Voter Slips:
To facilitate the voters to know
where he/she is enrolled as a voter at a particular polling station and what is
his/her serial number in the Electoral roll, the Commission has directed that
voter slip along with Photo (wherever present in the roll) will be distributed
to all enrolled voters by the District Election Officer. It has also been directed that the said voter
slip should be in the languages in which electoral roll is published for that
Assembly Constituency.
18.
Complaint redressal mechanism – Call Center and Website based:
The poll going
State shall have a complaint redressal mechanism based on website and call
center. The number of call center is 1950
which is a toll free number. The URL of the complaint registration website
will be announced by the Chief Electoral Officer separately. Complaints can be
registered by making calls to the toll free call center numbers or on the web
site. Action will be taken within time
limit on all complaints. Complainants
will also be informed of the action taken by SMS and by the call center. Complainants can also see the details of the
action taken on their complaints on the website.
19. Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation
(SVEEP):
Comprehensive
measures for voters’ education and outreach were taken up during the Roll
Revision process in the State of Karnataka.
These measures will continue during the electoral process. The Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka has
been directed to ensure wide dissemination of election related information and
also for carrying out SVEEP campaigns as well as adequate facilitation measures
through engagement of appropriate partner agencies for ensuring wider
participation of voters in polling. Awareness Observers are being appointed in
every district of the State to make sure that SVEEP measures have been
implemented and the level of information, motivation and facilitation of voters
is duly high.
20. Schedule of Election:
The Commission has prepared the
Schedule for holding General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka
after taking into consideration all relevant aspects, like the climatic
conditions, academic calendars, festivals, prevailing law and order situation
in the State, availability of Central Police Forces, time needed for movement,
transportation and timely deployment of forces, and assessment of other ground
realities. The Commission after considering all relevant aspects has decided to
recommend to the Governor of the State, to issue notification for the General
Election to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka under the relevant provisions
of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Election Schedule for the
abovementioned general election is annexed at Annexure-I.
All Instructions/Guidelines of
the Commission regarding this election can also be seen by visiting
Commission’s website “ www.eci.nic.in”.
Annexure-I
Schedule for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka
|
Event
|
Date (day)
|
|
1. Issue of Notification
|
10.4.2013
(Wednesday)
|
|
2. Last date of making Nominations
|
17.4.2013
(Wednesday)
|
|
3. Scrutiny of Nominations
|
18.4.2013
(Thursday)
|
|
4. Last date for withdrawal of Candidatures
|
|
|
5. Date of
Poll
|
5.5.2013 (Sunday)
|
|
6. Counting of Votes
|
8.5.2013
(Wednesday)
|
|
7. Date before
which election shall be
completed
|
11.5.2013
(Saturday)
|
|
8. Hours
of Poll
|
8.00AM to 5.00PM
|
Election Commission of India
New Delhi, 20 March, 2013
RM//RS