Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi inspects EVMs, poll preparations in Motihari

Patna, May 17 (IANS) As part of his ongoing four-day Bihar tour, Election Commissioner, Dr. Vivek Joshi, reached Motihari, the district headquarters of East Champaran, on Saturday to review preparations for the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections.

Dr. Joshi conducted a detailed inspection of the EVMs and VVPAT machines stored at the district warehouse.

Accompanied by District Magistrate Saurav Jorwal, Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat, and other senior administrative officers, the Election Commissioner also interacted with representatives from various political parties present during the inspection.

“Elections will be held peacefully and transparently. Strict guidelines have been given to officials to avoid any shortcomings,” Dr. Joshi told reporters after the inspection.

He emphasised that increased voter awareness campaigns under the initiative will be launched to boost voter turnout across the state.

District Magistrate Saurav Jorwal stated that Dr. Joshi’s main concern was ensuring transparency in the election process, particularly during EVM handling.

“He said that representatives from all political parties must be present during key stages of EVM operations and inspections. He also encouraged us to communicate every EVM-related development clearly to party representatives,” Jorwal added.

He confirmed that all EVMs and VVPATs in East Champaran will be fully ready by May 24 for the upcoming polls.

This visit follows a high-level review meeting held in Patna on Friday, where Dr. Joshi met with Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, State Police Nodal Officer Kundan Krishnan, and other top administrative and police officials including DM Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh and SSP Avkash Kumar of Patna.

The Election Commission of India continues its on-ground assessment across Bihar to ensure fair, inclusive, and peaceful Assembly polls.

As part of its broader strategy, the Election Commission of India is also conducting large-scale training programmes to ensure the accuracy of the electoral rolls, with participation from polling station officers and recognised political parties' booth agents.

--IANS

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