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Digital Desk, Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh is preparing for next year’s municipal and panchayat elections. The State Election Commission has initiated webcasting of polling stations during the elections, following the example of the Chief Election Commission. Panchayat and urban body elections were held in Madhya Pradesh in July-August 2022. Its term is set to expire in 2027. Local body elections could be held between May and August 2027.

Due to this, the Election Commission has now begun other preparations, including training officials, after the final voter list. In view of the preparations for the local elections, the State Election Commission on Thursday trained Deputy District Election Officers and Master Trainers. Commissioner Manoj Srivastava said that even minor negligence in election work can lead to distrust. Therefore, resolve all your doubts and offer suggestions during the training.

Brainstorming on webcasting

Shrivastava stated that webcasting the voting process is being considered. He added that discussions are also underway to conduct simultaneous voting using EVMs. In keeping with the spirit of cooperative federalism, EVMs have been rented for local body elections in Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Local body elections are considered comparatively more sensitive. The role of the Deputy District Election Officer is crucial. Along with adopting the latest technologies in electoral processes, special attention should be paid to maintaining voters’ complete confidence in new technologies. Commissioner Shrivastava told the Deputy Election Officers that local elections are the laboratory of democracy. In Madhya Pradesh, along with providing 50 percent reservation to women in local body elections, several other experiments have been conducted. Confidence should permeate the grassroots level, making it easier to work. Real-time reporting should be provided through an app during voting.