ECI team in Punjab to take stock of poll preparations

Chandigarh: Election Commission of India (ECI) team led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey reached here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to take stock of poll preparedness in the state ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections 2022.

The Commission's team includes three Deputy Election Commissioners, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Nitesh Vyas, and T Sreekanth, and Director General Sheyphali B Sharan.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr. S Karuna Raju received the full commission at the Mohali

Airport here.

On the first day, the ECI team headed by CEC Chandra held a one-on-one meeting with representatives of National and State level recognised Political Parties. Representatives from All India Trinamool Congress Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janta Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and Shiromani Akali Dal attended the meeting.

The Commission heard the concerns of the representatives of Political parties and assured that issues raised by them would be deliberated and examined.

Later, the Commission held a meeting with CEO Punjab, State Police Nodal Officer, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to review the preparations for the forthcoming Assembly Elections. The commission also held meeting with representatives of various Enforcement agencies to know about security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of elections.