ECI Tightens Measures Against Money Power and Ensures Accessible Voting for PwDs in Bihar Elections

Convener News Desk

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued stringent directives to enforcement agencies to curb the use of money power, freebies, drugs, narcotics, and liquor in the upcoming General Election to the Bihar Legislative Assembly and the bye-elections in eight Assembly Constituencies, following the schedule announced on October 6, 2025.

In a statement issued to Kashmir Convener, an official spokesperson of Election Commission of India (ECI) said to ensure free and fair elections, expenditure observers have already been deployed to monitor candidate spending and have reached their respective constituencies. During their visits, they are engaging with teams responsible for expenditure monitoring. Flying Squads, Surveillance Teams, and Video Surveillance Teams are working round-the-clock to detect any suspected use of inducements to influence voters.

Additionally, the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS), an online platform for real-time reporting of seizures and interceptions, has been activated. Since the announcement of elections, enforcement agencies have seized a total of Rs. 33.97 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs, and other freebies. The Commission emphasized that ordinary citizens should not face inconvenience or harassment during inspections, and any violations can be reported through the C-Vigil App.

In a parallel effort to ensure inclusivity, the ECI issued detailed instructions to Chief Electoral Officers to make polling stations in Bihar fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). All 90,712 polling stations will be located at ground-floor or road-entry level, equipped with ramps at proper gradients to facilitate access for wheelchair users and senior citizens. PwD electors and senior citizens will be given priority while entering polling booths.

For visually impaired voters, Accessible Voter Information Slips with Braille features will be issued alongside regular slips. Under Rule 49N of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, visually impaired voters may also take a companion to cast their vote if needed. Dummy Ballot Sheets in Braille will be available at all polling stations, allowing visually impaired voters to cast votes independently on EVMs using the Braille facility.

Transport and wheelchair services will be provided at polling stations, which can be requested through the Divyang (Saksham) Module of ECINET. In a landmark step, 292 polling stations in Bihar will be exclusively managed by Persons with Disabilities.

Through these comprehensive measures, the ECI aims to maintain the integrity of the electoral process while ensuring participation of all eligible voters, including those with disabilities, reinforcing the democratic principles of transparency, fairness, and inclusivity.