MP Polls: Indore sets up AI-equipped ‘smart’ polling station

Indore:  high-octane five-state Assembly Election entered its second leg as Mhya Presh went to polls for 230 seats and Chhattisgarh held last round of its two-phase elections for 70 seats on Friday (vember 17). With BJP aiming to retain turf for ar term, Congress is vying for power from saffron party.

As polling began Friday morning, voters in Mhya Presh experienced "smart" polling. With artificial intelligence entering every arena, electoral stations have been set up in Indore where people can vote without having to stand in queues and can take 'inked finger' selfies with help of an AI-equipped camera.

polling station has been set up at Maa Kankeshwari Devi Government College in Nanda Nagar in Assembly constituency number 2, an official said.

"To keep smart polling station queue-less, we have introduced an online token system. People arriving for voting will be given token numbers, and y can sit comfortably in polling station till ir turn comes," Rupal Chopra, assistant planner of state-run Indore Smart City Development Limited, told news ncy.

"A digital selfie point has also been developed at polling station, where an AI-equipped camera has been installed. After voting, if a person stands at this place and shows camera his or her finger that has indelible ink, a selfie will be ed immediately," she informed.

A bar code will appear on screen at selfie point, and scanning it will ensure photograph is transmitted to voter's mobile phone, which can n be shared on social media, official explained.

A total of 15.55 lakh people are eligible to cast ir votes in five Assembly constituencies in Indore (urban) on Friday. Assembly poll results will be declared on December 3.

With Shivraj Singh Chouhan being one of longest-serving Chief Ministers in state, electoral narrative has been dominated by both Congress and BJP, as high-octane campaigns pulled off by both parties were focal point in run-off to polls.

Mhya Presh has largely been in control of BJP for over 20 years, except for a two-year brief rule by Congress after 2018 polls.

(with ncy inputs)