Election Commission to inspect five Indian states ahead of elections

Senior officials from the Election Commission of India, led by Deputy Election Commissioners, are set to begin inspections of election preparations across five states starting this week. The inspection tour will begin in Goa, followed by Uttarakhand next week, with visits to Punjab and Manipur scheduled for the coming weeks. A schedule for Uttar Pradesh has not yet been announced.

In preparation for upcoming elections, Uttar Pradesh and Goa have commenced First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. During this process, engineers from public sector companies Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) inspect the devices for technical flaws. Defective machines are returned to manufacturers for repair or replacement, and mock voting is conducted in the presence of political party representatives to ensure functionality.