EC reviews preparation for phase 1 of Guj polls

Ahmedabad: Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi today reviewed the preparations for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Zutshi told the officials at a meeting here that “they must perform their duties impartially. Poll-related decisions should be taken objectively and the ECI will adopt a zero-tolerance approach for any wrong-doing.” [caption id=“attachment_521212” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Gujarat polls.[/caption] Zutshi today met District Collectors (DCs), Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Returning Officers (ROs) of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Porbandar, Bhavnagar and Suredranagar district and reviewed poll preparedness and security measures in these districts. He emphasised the importance of 48 hours prior to voting as political parties would try to influence voters to vote for a particular candidate. He also urged DCs and electoral officers for swift completion of revision of voter roll list and asked sectoral magistrates to be in touch with voters to know whether they have been asked by any political party to forcibly cast their vote to a particular candidate and provide adequate security to them to exercise their franchise. Zutshi will tomorrow hold a meeting of DCs, SPs of Bharuch, Surat, Narmada, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad and Dangs in Bharuch which go to poll in the first phase on December 13. The second and the last phase of polling will be held on December 17 while votes will be counted on December 20. PTI