Transcript No Slide Title

India’s General Elections 2009
Navin B. Chawla
Chief Election Commissioner of India
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G.E 2009
• India just concluded its General Elections to the
Lower House of the Parliament
• This was the 15th General Elections to the Lok Sabha
• There were simultaneous elections to State Legislative
Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim
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The Scale
• The General Elections in the largest democracy in the
world would mean

Enrolling 714 million voters

Setting up of 8,34,944 Polling Stations

Mobilizing 1.18 million Electronic Voting Machines

Direct use of 11 m personnel
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The Electorate
Population
Electorate
 Entire Europe (50 Countries )
 Entire Africa (54 Countries )
 North America (41 Countries )
 South America (15 Countries )
 N&S. America (56 Countries )
-
731 m
449 m
-
922 m
566 m
-
528 m
324 m
-
382 m
235 m
-
910 m
560 m
 India
-
1,163 m
714 m
 Commonwealth (52 countries ex
-
900 m approx
India)
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The Electorate
1200
1000
800
Population
600
Electorate
400
200
0
India
Africa
Europe
N & S America
North America
South America
Commonwealth
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The Complexities
• It’s not just size and magnitude. It is about:

Democracy even at the remotest locations
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Separate polling station for a lone voter

12 men trekking 45 km in knee-deep snow to reach a
polling stations with 37 voters
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The Complexities…..2
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Using elephants, camels, boats, cycles, helicopters, trains
to ferry EVMs and polling teams
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Countrywide ‘vulnerability mapping’
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Tracking information from each polling stations

Dealing with Regional, Religious, Ethnic, Cultural and
Linguistic Diversities
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G.E 2009: The Electorate
• 714 m voters enrolled

43 million more than 2004 (2 X Population of Australia)

Photo Electoral Rolls introduced country-wide
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The images of at least 82% of the electors (582 m)
printed on the rolls
- Good deterrence against impersonation
• Booth Level Officer (BLO) System introduced to
ensure fidelity of ERs at doorsteps.
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G.E.2009: The Ballot Field
• Number of Parliamentary Constituencies: 543
• Total Candidates : 8070
• Male Candidates: 7514
• Female Candidates: 556
• % of Female Candidates: 6.9
• Most Candidates: 43 (Chennai South PC, Tamilnadu)
• Least Candidates : 3 in (Nagaland PC in Nagaland)
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GE 2009: Polling Stations
• 834,944 Polling Stations
• Following Delimitation, PS locations rationalized

Aimed at voter convenience
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Prevention of threat and intimidation of voters
• More than 100,000 new PSs created
• A PS in Gir forest only for one voter
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PSs with two voters and three voters each
• A PS at Auley Phu at 15,300 ft above MSL in Leh, Ladakh
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GE 2009: The Poll Personnel
• Over 11 Million Personnel deployed
 4.69 m at Polling Stations
 4.5 m supervisory, intermediary and supportive
 2 million State / District Police and Home Guards
 Over 1,00,000 CPF used on each poll day
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GE 2009: The Logistics
• Huge increase in Candidates created logistical nightmare
• 119 Special Trains / 3060 coaches for movement of CPF
• 6800
security
personnel
were
airlifted
over-flying
Bangladesh to avoid delay
• 55 Helicopters used, 601 sorties to take polling staff/ EVM
to remote locations and for evacuations in the Maoist
Extremism infected areas
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Monitoring Mechanism
• 2046 Observers monitored the campaign process,
election expenditure by the candidates, poll day
events, post-poll document verification and the
counting process
• 140,000 micro-observers deployed at sensitive PSs
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The New Strategies
• Growing
complexities,
multi-cultural
and
plural
sensitivities necessitate constant innovation:
● Vulnerability Mapping
● COMET
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Vulnerability Mapping
• VM – A response to threat and intimidation of voters
• 86,782 villages / hamlets identified as vulnerable
• 373,886 persons identified as potential trouble makers
• Preventive measures taken
• Video-graphers : 74,729
• Digital cameras : 40,599
• Hardly any complaint of threat and intimidation
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COMET
(Communication for Election Tracking)
• Direct connectivity with all PSs (landline telephones,
mobile phones, HF, VHF wireless networks, Sat phones
and even runners)
• Proved an effective tool for tracking poll day events
• Deterrent for trouble makers
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Elections in Extremism Affected
Areas
• The Maoist extremism - a growing concern
• Conducting elections in the Naxalite affected areas a
security nightmare for poll staff and voters who defy
the ‘boycott’ calls of Naxals
• Most Naxal affected Constituencies taken up in Phase 1
 To ensure maximum area domination of areas heavily
mined with IED
 To prevent cross border movement of Naxals
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Elections in Extremism Affected
Areas...2
• 79 constituencies: 118,604 polling stations
• Relocation of polling stations wherever needed
• Changed the poll time to suit the security requirement
• Elaborate advance security measures in place
• 19 deaths on poll day one
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Every Vote Counts: A Case Study
• PS at Ralakung has 23 voters, at Phema 14 voters
• Polling teams could not be airlifted by Air Force
Helicopters due to adverse weather
• On 12 May, two teams of six persons each set out on a
historic journey
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Every Vote Counts: A Case Study…2
• The teams had to cross a pass called Ralakung La at
16500 ft and then descend to reach the PSs at
Phema(13800 ft) and Ralakung (13500 ft)
• The polling teams went with porters, sat phone
• 48 hours of walking in knee-deep snow
• The polling took place on 15th May
• Both PSs recorded 100% voting
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Every Vote Counts: A Case Study…3
• Countrywide counting on May 16. The Commission had the
following choices:


Postpone the entire counting in full constituency
Wait for the arrival of these two EVMs only if the winning
margin is lesser than 37, otherwise declare the result
• The Commission went for a different option


●
Declared one Presiding officer as ARO and authorized him to
do the counting
Communicate outcome using sat phone
Thus, the 37 votes recorded on 15 May became the first
votes to be counted in the country
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GE 2009 – Counting
• Total Counting Halls : 4,260
• Total Counting Centres : 1,080
• Counting Staff deployed : 178,920
• Supervisory / data staff : 20,000
• Micro-observer at every table : 59,640
• Videography of proceedings of counting
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GE 2009 – Mishaps
• Deaths – 37
•
•
•
•
•

Violence – 23

Accidents – 14
Mine Blasts
Firing
EVMs looted / vandalised
Poll parties kidnapped
Train
hijacked
(Laldera,
Jharkhand)
compensation for Naxal deaths
demanding
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Media Response
Indian Express 16.05.09
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Media Response
•
“It is truly the greatest show on Earth, an ode to a diverse and
democratic ethos….an inspiration to all the World”
- V Mitchell, New York Times
May 22, 2009
Indian voters show the way forward
Financial Times, London, May 17, 2009
•
Leading article: India confirms its status as a democratic beacon …Yet for this
chaotic nation - with its almost unfathomable religious, linguistic and social
diversity - not only to hold free and fair elections but also to deliver stable
government is a truly remarkable achievement.
The Independent, London, May 19, 2009
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GE 2009 - Glimpses…
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Photo Gallery - Elections 2009
Officials checking EVMs
and polling materials
A group of Villagers with EPI cards
Officials carrying EVMs and polling
materials
Electors going to
exercise their Franchise
Officials carrying EVMs
and polling materials
An Elector familiarizing himself
regarding
functioning of EVM
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Photo Gallery - Elections 2009
An elder on way to cast
her vote
Physically challenged
casting her vote
Electors waiting in Q
Indelible ink being marked on
elector’s finger
Prime Minister of India after
casting his vote
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Thank You
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