DIMAPUR, JUNE 28 (MExN): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), as part of its effort to strengthen the Clean Election Campaign, has called upon all citizens in the state of Nagaland to actively participate in the nation-wide “special drive” that is being initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in all the States and Union Territories from July 1 to 31.
A press note from the NBCC stated that the purpose of this special drive is to enroll new voters who are between 18-19 years of age and to purify the existing e-roll. While appreciating the work that is being carried out under the committed leadership of the Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland, the NBCC impressed upon all citizens that “we must seize this timely opportunity for coming up with a clean e-roll in the State.”
“The first and foremost requirement in a democratic election process is to have a clean e-roll. Therefore, let us together emphasize the fact that it is possible to have a free and credible election only by having a clean e-roll in place. We are all too aware that the number of bogus e-rolls in Nagaland is staggering and this is a humiliating testimony for a state where majority of its citizens are Christians,” it added.
The NBCC further said that excessive presence of bogus votes directly contributes to proxy voting, buying of votes, and battle between candidates for controlling of bogus votes. Keeping this in mind, and in their attempt to offer moral support to the ECI’s Special Drive, the NBCC suggested certain actions.
It requested the Chief Electoral Officer, Electoral Registration Officers, District Election Officers and the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct the Special Drive in the right manner, and with professionalism and utmost sincerity.
NBCC urged the BLOs to reach out to every section of people under their jurisdiction and initiate their work by taking the confidence and support of community leaders. Further, the NBCC asked individuals, families, and leaders (of village/ward, institutions, NGOs, churches) to extend full cooperation to the Election Department and at the same time hold them accountable in coming out with a clean e-roll in their respective areas.
The NBCC particularly requested the leaders of different bodies (student, women, hoho, church, educational institutions, civil society) to educate young people between 18-19 years for enrolling their names and called upon the people to remove the following: dead electors, multiple voter names, underage voters, and transferred out names.
It further asked communities to act on the Special Drive with integrity, without giving in to short-term calculation and narrow self-interests, and called upon all “believers to pray for the state election officials and community leaders so that they can execute their responsibilities by following the right procedure and without any obstacle.”
