India will be first country to have no duplicacy in voters' list

"When we are able to seed the Aadhar figure (number) on EPIC card that will ensure that there is not a single duplicate number. We will do it definitely by 2015 and then India will be the only country in the world where there will be complete biometric of voters. There will be not a single fraud or duplicate voters," Brahma urged at a conference on electoral reforms here.

Asked about Supreme Court's order which had said that Aadhar is not a prerequisite for availing public services, he retorted everyday lakhs of voters are seeding their names with Aadhar card on their own.

"Everyday our voters are themselves seeding (their names for Aadhar cards). More than lakhs daily. We do not want to make it compulsory but our voters themselves want it. It is a good gesture," the CEC added.

He appealed to all citizens of the country to avoid duplicate names in the voter list saying it is a crime punishable for upto one year.

Brahma cited once the Aadhar number is mentioned in the electoral rolls then individual voters can also change their address online because Aadhar will be the basic identity.

It will remove all allegations of duplicacy in the voters list and harassment to voters in changing their address, he said adding that so far 85 crore Indians have got their Aadhar numbers.

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Arunachal Assembly polls to be held on April 9 along with LS election: EC

The decision of the poll body came days after state governor Lt General (retd) Nirbhay Singh recommended dissolution of the state Assembly on March 6.

   

"Having considered all relevant factors, the Commission has decided that simultaneous election to the state legislative assembly for all 60 assembly constituencies of the state would be held along with the 16th Lok Sabha election," an EC order said on Monday.

   

The three Election Commissioners had met on Friday to discuss the issue.

     

The Arunachal Pradesh Governor had on Thursday announced dissolution of Assembly after accepting the recommendation of the state cabinet which demanded holding of state elections.

    

Lok Sabha elections for the two seats in Arunachal Pradesh will also be held on April 9.

    

The tenure of the 60-member Arunachal Assembly ends on November 4 this year.

   

The notification for the Assembly polls will be announced on March 15 while nominations can be filed till March 22. After scrutiny of papers on March 24, nominations can be withdrawn till March 26.

   

The Commission had on March 5 announced the schedule for elections to the 16th Lok Sabha and Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.

(Agencies)

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Development will be main plank for LS polls: SAD

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the date for general elections which will be held from April 7 to May 12 spread over nine days in the highest number of polling days so far involving an electorate of 81.4 crore.

   

Punjab will have a single-day polling on April 30 to elect 13 MPs.

   

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that the SAD-BJP alliance will seek votes for development and people were eager to show the door to the "corrupt" Congress-led UPA.

   

The five-time chief minister alleged "step motherly" treatment with Punjab by the Centre and claimed people wanted to bring NDA back at the helm.

   

"People are fed up with corruption, scams, price rise and step motherly treatment with Punjab. Every section of the society including the farmers wants to show the door to the Congress and are eager to bring back the NDA to power," Badal said.

   

Expressing confidence in the NDA, the 86-year-old leader said people will vote to bring back the NDA government to power at the Centre and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, will become the country's next Prime Minister.

   

Claiming there was a strong "Modi wave" blowing across the country, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said SAD-BJP will "sweep" the polls in Punjab.

   

"The SAD-BJP will create history by winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats as people can easily differentiate between a development-oriented state and a scam-ridden central government," he said.

   

To a question, Sukhbir said that there was no comparison between Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

   

Sukhbir asked people to vote for NDA to defeat Congress party in the Lok Sabha polls, claiming that people were demoralised by rampant corruption, scams and lack of employment opportunities.

   

Sukhbir also said the development of the state had always been a top priority of the SAD-BJP government.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), ruling party in Punjab, on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of Lok Sabha elections date and said development would be the main poll plank for the SAD-BJP alliance, in the upcoming electoral battle.

(Agencies)

Source: Breaking News