Ranchi, Oct 16 (IANS): In a meeting held here on Wednesday in Ranchi, Jharkhand's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K. Ravi Kumar briefed representatives of recognized political parties on the Election Commission’s guidelines and rules ahead of the upcoming elections.

He emphasised strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), stating that violations would result in severe action.

Kumar highlighted the introduction of the 'Suvidha' app, which simplifies the nomination process by allowing candidates to fill out forms, schedule appointments with Returning Officers, and prepare affidavits. Additionally, the political parties were told to use the 'C-Vigil' app as a tool for lodging complaints about MCC violations swiftly.

The CEO also informed the parties of the election spending cap of Rs 40 lakh per candidate, urging them to submit detailed expenditure records to the District Election Officer, which will be made publicly available online.

Party representatives were reminded to educate their workers on election rules, while a directory of "do's and don’ts" issued by the Election Commission was made available to avoid confusion.

System Analyst S.N. Jameel provided technical insights on the online tools to be used during the election. Key officials, including Additional CEO Dr. Neha Arora and Assistant CEO Dev Das Dutta, were also present at the meeting.

Elections in Jharkhand are to be held in two phases – on November 13 and November 20. The Election Commission announced the dates for voting for all 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand on Tuesday. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 23. With the announcement of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the state.

Of the 81 seats in Jharkhand, nine are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 28 for Scheduled Tribes. In the first phase, elections will be held on 43 seats, while the remaining 38 will vote in the second phase.