By IANS,
Gandhinagar : The Central Election Commission (CEC) has asked district electoral officers across Gujarat to conduct a vulnerability analysis of religious minorities, tribals, backward classes and economically weak sections to prevent them from being threatened by political parties during the Lok Sabha polls, an official said here Thursday.
The district collectors, who are working as electoral officers, have been entrusted with the responsibility of identifying all sections that could face harassment and be forced not to vote by political parties, a senior official at the State Election Office here told IANS.
After vulnerable groups are identified, a list of “critical” polling booths will be made to arrange security well before the voting day, the official said.
Gujarat goes to polls April 30.
The official said the poll panel has asked the home department to ensure that there are no complaints from the vulnerable groups regarding intimidation by political parties at the time of campaigning and voting.
The election commission has also asked electoral officers to detect and report the use of money and muscle power by the candidates to grab votes, particularly in rural areas.