OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain on Friday reviewed preparations for the biennial Rajya Sabha election and directed officials to ensure smooth, transparent and efficient conduct of the polls scheduled for June 18.
Chairing a coordination meeting at Nirvachan Bhawan in Itanagar, Sain outlined the election schedule and responsibilities of various departments. He said the election process for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state would conclude by June 20 as the term of the sitting member is set to expire on June 23.
According to the schedule, the election notification will be issued on June 1, while the last date for filing nominations is June 8. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 9 and candidates may withdraw nominations till June 11.
Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18, followed by counting of votes at 5 pm the same day.
Sain informed that the secretary of the Legislative Assembly had been appointed Returning Officer and the Deputy Secretary as Assistant Returning Officer. Relevant notifications will be published in the state's Extraordinary Gazette on June 1.
During the meeting, officials finalised arrangements related to polling and counting personnel, electoral rolls, ballot boxes, ballot papers, voting compartments and security measures. The CEO directed officials to ensure proper logistics and accommodation for election observers.
He also stated that only violet sketch pens supplied by the Returning Officer would be used for marking ballot papers.
To strengthen preparedness, the CEO's office will organise a training programme for election personnel on June 5 and conduct a mock drill at the Legislative Assembly.
The meeting also decided to arrange live webcasting of the polling process to enhance transparency and ensure timely submission of video footage to the Election Commission.
Also Read: Election Commission of India (ECI) announces Rajya Sabha polls for 24 seats in 10 states on June 18