No room for error, CEC tells observers during first meeting

In the first briefing session with about 1,800 Election Commission central observers Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora told them there was no scope for error during the Lok Sabha and select assembly polls in the country.

The CEC also underlined that concerns about abuse of money power and social media are "posing newer challenges" with changing times.

The full Election Commission, comprising CEC Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, apart from other senior officials of the poll body, briefed the central observers about their roles and responsibilities on election duty.

The observers are drawn from various central services like the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax and Customs and Excise) apart from others, and they are taken on special 'EC duty' till the elections process ends.

An EC spokesperson said Arora told the officers that they need to be earnest and had no choice but to ensure that "no mistakes" are committed.

He recalled that during the recent state elections all the good works done by the poll panel were relegated to the background due to
EC Ashok Lavasa, the spokesperson said, reminded the observers that they need to ensure implementation of all instructions of the poll body "in letter and spirit."
EC Sushil Chandra, who last held the post of the CBDT Chairman, had a special word for the about 800 expenditure observers saying their role "becomes crucial when methods of extending inducements to voters are becoming very innovative."