Observers for Haryana Assembly Elections | 23 Aug 2024
Why in News?
According to the sources, The Election Commission of India would deploy over 400 observers for the Assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.
Key Points
- The poll body deploys observers under Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and plenary powers of the Constitution.
- In a meeting, the Election Commissioner emphasised that the officials should observe the complete election ecosystem for free and fair polls and asserted that the role of observers becomes all the more critical in these elections.
- The observers were strictly directed to remain accessible to all parties, candidates and voters for timely redressal of their grievances.
Section 20B in The Representation of the People Act, 1951
- The Election Commission may nominate a Government officer as an Observer to monitor the conduct of elections in a constituency or group of constituencies and perform other functions entrusted by the Commission.
- The Observer shall have the power to direct the returning officer to stop the counting of votes or not to declare the result if in the observer's opinion booth capturing has taken place at a large number of polling stations or ballot papers are unlawfully taken, destroyed, lost, or tampered with to such an extent that the result of the poll cannot be ascertained.
- Then the Observer shall report the matter to the Election Commission.
Election Commission of India
- It is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
- It was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950 (celebrated as National Voters' Day). The secretariat of the commission is in New Delhi.
- The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
- It is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states. For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.