Election-related Violence “Pretty Minimal”, Says CEC

Comparing incidents of violence during ongoing Lok Sabha elections to the huge polling exercise, Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla has downplayed them saying they have been “pretty minimal”.

“When you are talking about so many large states and over hundreds and thousands of booths, the violence is pretty minimal,” he told a TV news channel when asked if the EC was ineffective in checking election-related violence.

Referring to the firing incident in Dausa on Thursday, he said, “In a huge election, may be such a thing – a firing – may not be entirely unexpected.

“But in the totality of things as I speak in the fourth phase with three phases of polling behind us, I am extremely satisfied and also extremely grateful to the security forces and all our unknown and unsung polling personnel who made the polling possible,” he said.