Electoral rolls with photos to check fraud soon: EC

NEW YORK: India will soon have electoral rolls with photographs of voters to check bogus voting, election commissioner Navin Chawla has said.
The election commission has earned “enormous credibility” and appreciation in the country but continues to update its skills and procedures to ensure free and fair polls, he told the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce here.
The commission is using information technology in a big way and is in the process of having electoral rolls with photographs of electors to avoid the possibility of fraud, Chawla said.
Another important aspect is the updating of the electoral roll, the poll panel member said, pointing to the recently-held elections in Karnataka where the voters’ list was updated within three months with about 5.5 million names removed and another 2.5 million added.
Chawla, who has been accused by the main opposition BJP of “partisan” conduct, said the commission took the work of ensuring impartiality very seriously.
Any complaint received by the commission is promptly investigated and if any substance is found, steps are taken to correct it, including excluding the official from the electoral process, he said.
Chawla said the model code of conduct had become a very “effective” tool in disciplining contesting candidates and political parties during elections to create a level-playing field.