Pune: People would not be able to report Model Code of Conduct violations via the cVIGIL app during the elections for 14 municipal councils and three nagar panchayats in the district, scheduled for Dec 2. Instead, complaints must be submitted in writing directly to the assistant returning officers, senior officials from the district election office told TOI on Wednesday.The officials clarified that the cVIGIL app, which was actively used during Lok Sabha and assembly polls to report violations in real time, would not be functional for these local body polls. “If people observe any poll code breaches, they must submit written complaints to the election officer responsible for their municipal council or nagar panchayat,” an election official said.To facilitate this, the email addresses of all assistant returning officers have been made available on the Pune district collector’s website, allowing people to directly raise concerns with the respective officials.The district administration has directed relevant officials to ensure that no new announcements or inaugurations were held in neighbouring areas that could potentially influence voters in regions heading to the polls.Similarly, the State Election Commission (SEC) has issued uniform instructions across all districts. To uphold the integrity of the electoral process, stringent preventive measures have been put in place to deter inducements and unlawful activities, such as the distribution of liquor or cash to voters.Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to step up surveillance of financial transactions, warehouses and vehicle movements in all election-bound areas. A senior district official confirmed that joint teams comprising police personnel, flying squads and excise department officials were deployed to maintain strict vigilance throughout the election period. “We are keeping a close watch on all sensitive zones to prevent any violations of the model code of conduct,” the official said.SEC has also appealed to people to stay vigilant and report any breaches of election rules via official email channels to ensure peaceful, transparent and fair elections.
