Assembly Election Polls Concludes in Jharkhand

• 21 Nov 2024

Why in News? 

Assembly elections of 2024 concluded in Jharkhand state. The state recorded 67.59% voting, surpassing 67.04% voting in the Assembly Elections of 2019.

Key Points

• Polling in Jharkhand: 
  • Peaceful and Orderly Voting began and progressed peacefully across 38 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in 12 districts of Jharkhand. 
  • Large voter turnout characterized the polling atmosphere, with diverse groups, including first-time voters, women voters, tribal voters, and PwD voters, actively participating. 
• Focus on Tribal Voters and Unique Polling Stations: 
  • Special efforts were made to boost participation among tribal voters, including 100% enrollment of 1.78 lakh members from 8 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). 
  • 48 Unique Polling Stations were decorated with themes reflecting tribal culture, creating a welcoming atmosphere for voters. 
• Accessibility and Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF): 
  • Polling stations were equipped with toilets, ramps, drinking water, and sheds, ensuring voter comfort. 
  • Facilities were provided to make the voting process smooth and inclusive, such as benches, volunteers, and wheelchairs, etc. 
• Combatting Electoral Malpractices: 
  • Vigilant approach was used to ensure fairness, with seizures of money, narcotics, and other inducements. 
  • Coordination among law enforcement agencies helped curb money and muscle power effectively. 
• Digital Facilitation and Monitoring: 
  • Suvidha 2.0 App facilitated campaign permissions, with 11,932 applications processed in Jharkhand. 
  • cVIGIL App enabled voters to report Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations. Jharkhand recorded part of the 24,992 complaints, resolved at a 99% resolution rate, with most resolved within 100 minutes. 
• Counting and Results: 
  • Counting of votes for Jharkhand's Assembly Elections is scheduled for 23rd November 2024.

Suvidha Portal 

• It is a technological solution developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure a level playing field upholding the democratic principles of free, fair, and transparent elections. 
• The Portal aims to streamline requests for permissions and facilities from political parties and candidates during elections, transparently prioritising requests based on the First in First Out principle. 
• It caters to permissions for organising rallies, opening temporary party offices, door-to-door canvassing, video vans, helicopters, obtaining vehicle permits, and distributing pamphlets.

cVIGIL App

• The cVIGIL app by the Election Commission of India has emerged as a powerful tool for citizens to report election code violations, particularly during the ongoing General Elections 2024. 
• Key Features: 
  • Register Complaints: cVIGIL allows anyone in the election-bound state to report violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that comes into effect from the date of announcement of elections and goes on till a day after the polls. 
  • Anonymous Reporting: Users can submit complaints anonymously, ensuring their personal details remain undisclosed. 
  • Geotagging: The app automatically adds geotags to reports when users use the camera feature, providing precise location information to field units.