The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday made it clear to central and state enforcement agencies that it will have zero tolerance towards use of money power in the upcoming elections to the State Assembly. Kumar, who is heading the Election Commission team which is on two-day visit to State, on second day had meeting with different central and state agencies including senior police officers and others. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. S.S. Sandhu also reviewed poll preparedness and held meetings with political parties, security forces and other stakeholders. The ECI team reviewed the preparations with District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police from all 24 districts, the Chief Secretary, and the DGP. The ECI team also had meeting with Chief Electoral Officer, State Police Nodal Officer, and Central Forces Coordinator to review the preparations.  "During the review meeting with nearly 20 central and state enforcement agencies like DRI, NCB, state and central GST, RPF, RBI, state police, income tax, enforcement directorate, etc, the commission underscored its focus for inducement-free elections. The commission conveyed its zero tolerance towards use of money power in the elections," the EC said in a release. The CEC cautioned the officials to avoid any undue harassment of the public in the name of checking during the elections. The Election Commission (EC) directed all enforcement agencies to work in a coordinated manner to "curb illicit liquor, cash, and drug inflow in the state besides synchronising and updating their route maps". He emphasised that the district administration needs to conduct a festive and comfortable voting experience for voters. Rajiv Kumar stressed the need for an inclusive voting experience, encouraging voter participation through innovative awareness campaigns. He directed DEOs to enhance voter outreach, particularly through SVEEP activities and ones that incorporate local culture, such as archery and hockey, as well as painting competitions featuring tribal themes. He also recommended engaging local influencers to promote awareness, and urged intensified efforts to address voter apathy in urban areas like Bokaro, Dhanbad, and Ranchi. Social media monitoring was another key point, with DEOs and SPs instructed to respond swiftly to fake news and, if necessary, take legal action. Jharkhand Assembly elections Assembly elections in Jharkhand are scheduled to be held later this year. In 2019, elections for the 81 assembly seats were conducted in five phases from November 30 to December 20 and the results were announced on December 23.  According to the Election Commission sources, this time, the polls are likely to take place in two to three phases. Currently, the state is governed by a coalition led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), with Congress and RJD as key partners.  In the 2019 elections, the JMM won 30 seats, the BJP secured 25, Congress got 16, and other parties shared the remaining 10 seats. The majority mark for the 81-seat assembly is 41 seats. The state polls this time are likely to revolve around the issue of tribal identity, allegation of corruption, law and order situation and Bangladeshi infiltration issue, which has been at the forefront of the political strife between the two main political parties of the state i.e. the JMM and the BJP.

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