New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that Bihar will be the first state in the country to implement 100 percent webcasting in Assembly elections, as per a report by ETV Bharat.
The move, aimed at ensuring strict monitoring of the polling process, comes under revised guidelines that make webcasting compulsory in every polling station with internet connectivity.
Revised Guidelines and Monitoring System
Sources in the ECI told ETV Bharat, “Webcasting will be done in all polling stations in the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. This will be the first state in the country where there will be 100 percent webcasting in all polling stations.”
Earlier, the rule required live streaming in 50 percent of polling stations and in all critical and vulnerable booths. Under the new system, videography and photography will be used only in locations without internet access. To oversee the process, monitoring control rooms will be set up at the state, district and assembly constituency levels, each supervised by a designated nodal officer.
What is Webcasting?
Webcasting refers to the live streaming of events inside polling stations while protecting the secrecy of voting. The ECI said that similar measures had already been applied in by-elections in states such as Punjab and West Bengal, where 100 percent coverage was successfully implemented.
Scale of Implementation in Bihar
The addition of 12,817 new polling stations has raised the total number in Bihar to 90,712, all of which will be covered by webcasting in the Assembly polls. Officials said the system will help ensure there is no violation of the election process and will allow for closer oversight of polling across the state.
The tenure of the Bihar Assembly ends on November 22. A delegation of the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, will visit Bihar on October 4 and 5 to review preparedness. The schedule for the elections is expected to be announced after this visit.
