 "Photo of candidates will be pasted on EVMs alongside names and party symbols")
In an attempt to check confusion created by namesakes contesting elections in the same constituency, the Election Commission has decided that photographs of candidates fighting the Bihar assembly polls will be on the EVMs alongside their names and party symbols.
According to an Election Commission order, in any election being held after May 1, the ballot papers will carry the picture of the candidate with his or her name and party symbol to avoid confusion among the electorate in constituencies where namesakes are contesting.
Besides the ballot paper, the photos will be placed on the electronic voting machines besides the name and symbol of the candidate.
While announcing the dates of the Bihar assembly elections here today, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said photographs of candidates will be displayed on ballot paper and it will also be pasted on the EVM along with symbol of respective candidate.
The June 27 bypolls to six seats in five states were the first elections where photographs of candidates were used on ballot papers.
A recent EC direction to all Chief Electoral Officers of states and Union Territories said that for elections to be held from May 1, 2015 onwards, the ballot papers, postal ballot papers and ballot papers to be displayed on EVMs will also carry the photographs of the candidates.
"The Commission has noted that there are many cases where candidates with same or similar names contest from the same constituency.
"Although appropriate suffixes are added to the names of candidates in the event or two or more candidates having same name, the Commission considers that additional measures are required for removing confusion in the minds of electors at the time of voting," the EC direction said.
To allow CEOs to add photographs to ballot papers, the EC has modified its existing directions issued under the Conduct of Election Rules.
The photograph will appear between the name of the candidate and his or her election symbol.
The Commission explained that if a candidate fails to provide the photograph, it "shall not be a ground for the rejection of the nomination of the candidate".
The candidates will now be required to submit their recent photograph, either black and white or coloured, to the election authorities at the time of filing nomination.
No uniforms would be allowed and caps and dark glasses have to be avoided, the EC said.
The poll watchdog had recently informed the Supreme Court that it is open to the idea of printing photographs of contesting candidates on the ballot papers.
