Jharkhand on Saturday received the “best-performing state” award for its “excellent performance” in conducting the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls held last year.

A statement issued by the office of Jharkhand’s chief electoral officer (CEO) claimed that the state had for the first time received the national award for the smooth conduct of the polls.

President Droupadi Murmu gave away the award to Jharkhand CEO K. Ravikumar during the National Voter’s Day programme held in Zorawar Auditorium, Manekshaw Centre, in Delhi on Saturday.

Ravikumar thanked all the voters of the state, the booth-level officers (BLOs) engaged in election work, the polling personnel, police officers, security personnel, political parties and the media for discharging their duties during the election.

“The credit for the free, fair and peaceful conduct of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections 2024 goes to all the stakeholders of the election work. Today, the state has achieved this because of the combined efforts of all of us,” said Ravikumar.

The media statement from the Jharkhand CEO office claimed that many innovations were made during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls held last year.

“An attempt was made to make the voter list integrated, inclusive and error-free under Jharkhand in the voter list revision. Under this, the BLO verified the voters of each house several times and pasted stickers on their houses,” the statement claimed.

It added: “Special campaigns were run for the PVTG (particularly vulnerable tribal group) electors to add them to the voter list. At the same time, arrangements were made for assured minimum facilities at the polling stations for the voters such as electricity, water, toilets, wheelchairs and ramps for divyang (disabled) and senior voters.”

The statement also claimed that polling stations were constructed in villages for the voters of remote areas and the arrangement of vehicles was done for electorates of remote villages for polling stations more than 2km away.

It claimed that there were many Maoist-affected areas where voters exercised their rights peacefully for the first time.