BENGALURU: On Wednesday, Karnataka will vote to decide who will govern the state for the next five years.
The four-month run-up to the elections has been packed with action. There was rampant use of money and muscle power — something the Election Commission of India (ECI) raised concerns about. From record seizure of cash, valuables and freebies to thousands of FIRs being registered, ECI has had to handle multiple challenges while trying to conduct smooth polling in a single phase.
Led by chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Meena, a bunch of IAS and IFS officers and their teams toiled day and night to ensure the electioneering phase has been largely free of trouble.
This 2003-batch IAS officer heads the entire poll machinery in coordination with ECI. Credited with the image of a being a ‘taskmaster’ in his earlier stints as deputy commissioner in Bagalkot, Chamarajnagar and Kolar districts, Meena is known as a diligent administrator.
From preparing Karnataka’s administrative machinery for polling to holding numerous review meetings with officials and enforcement officers to coordinating with ECI, New Delhi, Meena has had his hands full in every aspect.
Starting the day as early as 6am, he works non-stop till 11pm. “Challenges are part of the job. What was required was planning and effective coordination. Accordingly, we planned thoroughly, keeping in mind the deadline and resources we have,” Meena said.
Conducting the polls, especially in one phase, is not a cakewalk as it requires more than 5 lakh officials to handle 58,000 polling booths across Karnataka, besides keeping another 25% as reserve force. Rajendra Cholan, a 2008-batch IAS officer, has ensured that every bit of the poll puzzle is in place.
With enough experience to fall back on from his previous stints across Karnataka, Cholan mobilised manpower from various state and central departments as well as public sector undertakings. As all eyes willbe on EVMs, Cholan is responsible for EVM and VVPAT machine management and supervision. He also holds the charge of overseeing polling day activities, arrangements for counting of votes, and management of strongrooms where EVMs will be stored till counting day.
He is assisted by joint CEOs V Raghavendra and H Jnanesh. “Effective use of technology has made our work a lot easier. Yet, there were unexpected challenges which we addressed and resolved,” recalled Cholan.
Perhaps the youngest of all the officers, Suryasen, a forester from the 2013 IFS batch, was posted with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, managing its IT and technical wing, before being roped in as special commissioner (IT, media and SVEEP).
With urban apathy leading to Bengaluru’s poor voter turnout, Suryasen was given the task of handling social media engagements, preparing SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education andElectoral Participation) material, and handling the media for effectively reaching out to voters.
He not only delivered creative social messages that went viral online, but also ensured the participation of celebrities to drive home the message that voting is vital. Suryasen along with Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, IAS, special commissioner (polls), worked tirelessly in coding election apps to resolve queries pertaining to polling day and counting.
Picked to ensure strict implementation of the model code of conduct, the 2010-batch IAS officer is responsible for maintaining law and order and monitoring the expenditure details of candidates along with observers.
“Every day is a hectic day, with reports of violation coming in from every corner of the state, keeping track of seizures and filing FIRs. We need to monitor the campaign, publicity material and other content of political parties, which is indeed a long process,” Kumar pointed out.
He was also tasked with supervising the revision of electoral rolls, which was a challenge given the sensitivity and watchful eyes of political parties. He was assisted by joint CEOs Yogeshwara S and Yogish.
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