The Election Commission (EC) will be sending a second team of officials to Gujarat soon to check the quality of electoral rolls in the state. The Commission sent six teams of officials last month to verify all aspects of electoral rolls and based on the report of these teams, certain directives were issued to the state. The second team is being sent to verify whether the directives have been complied with or not, sources in the Commission said.

Immediately after the publication of electoral rolls, EC teams were deputed to visit all 25 districts of Gujarat to meet district officials, members of social organisations and others to verify the rolls and submit their report to the Commission. The second team is being sent to deal with the complaints of exclusion or discrepancies in the rolls. Apprehensions have been raised from many quarters that Assembly elections scheduled to be held in December may not be free and fair under the present Government and the EC is keeping close tabs on the affairs in Gujarat largely to allay these fears.

The EC has also directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat to conduct vulnerability mapping in all the districts with a view to conducting peaceful and fair elections. Vulnerability mapping is an effective tool to identify absentee voters, trouble mongers and those charged with offences so that sensitive areas can be identified and required preparations can be made to hold elections in a peaceful manner.

The commission took this step to keep a check on anti-social elements who might try to foment trouble during the polls. With a large number of people living outside the state, identification of absentee voters will help in preventing impersonators from casting votes .

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