Agartala, Jan 12: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday said that confidence building among the voters is paramount for the Election Commission of India.

Addressing a press conference in Agartala, he said if voters don’t have confidence and do not participate in a festive mood, then there is no point in celebrating the largest festival of democracy. 

The full bench of Election Commission visited poll-bound Tripura to review the preparations for assembly polls on Wednesday and Thursday.

The CEC reiterated that the commission has policy of zero tolerance towards misuse of money power and muscle power. 

The Chief Election Commissioner said, the enforcement agencies have been instructed to keep strict vigil on such activities and to take appropriate action on time. The CEC also highlighted ECI’s cVIGIL Mobile App for registering complaints.

In an important note, the Chief Election Commissioner said that all political parties and candidates would have to publish criminal antecedents of their candidates at least three times in newspapers, television channels and on their websites.

The full bench of the Election Commission of India headed by the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the poll preparedness of Tripura during the two-day visit. 

The Election Commissioner accompanied by two Election Commissioners- Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel met with the state officials along with Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura Kiran Gitte and all other recognized political parties.

The poll panel first met the leaders of the political parties and then the state and district level officials, including the District Magistrates and the Superintendent of police of eight districts.

Before leaving the state on Thursday, the Commission also held meetings with the reviewed the preparations with the Chief Secretary J. K. Sinha, Director General of Police Amitabh Ranjan and all the Secretaries of Tripura government. (With inputs from AIR News)