EC: More than 79,000 complaints on violations of poll code so far

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said it received over 79,000 complaints through its cVigil app regarding violations of the Model Code of Conduct since the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

More than 99% of the complaints have been resolved and close to 89% of those were resolved within 100 minutes, the commission said. It said more than 58,500 complaints (73% of total) were against illegal hoardings and banners, 1,400 pertained to the distribution of money, gifts and liquor, while 2,454 were regarding the defacement of property.

According to the commission, 535 complaints regarding the display of firearms and intimidation were received, of which 529 were resolved. Nearly 1,000 complaints reported were for campaigning beyond the prohibited period, including the use of speakers beyond the permitted time.

cVIGIL is a mobile application that allows citizens to report incidents of political misconduct. The poll panel said that cVIGIL has become an effective tool and marks a significant leap forward in electoral oversight and reducing campaign clutter.

According to the EC, it is “user-friendly and easy to operate”, connecting citizens with the district control rooms, returning officers and flying squad teams.

After lodging their complaints, the complainants, who can choose to report violations anonymously, will receive a unique ID through which they will be able to track the complaint on their mobile device.

The EC said that three factors make the app successful: First, users capture audio, photos or videos in real time. Second, a “100-minute” countdown for time-bound responses to complaints is ensured, and finally, cVigil automatically enables a geo-tagging feature when the user switches on their camera in the app to report a violation, meaning that flying squads will know the precise location of a reported violation.

Geo-tagging also allows the images captured by citizens to be used as evidence in a court of law. The app does not, however, allow photos or videos more than five minutes old to be uploaded, reportedly to prevent misuse.

“The app is one amongst the armoury of apps built by the commission to leverage technology and facilitate voters and political parties,” the EC said.

The EC announced the 2024 general election schedule on March 16. The seven-phase voting will begin on April 19, and the counting will take place on June 4.