Team Herald
PANJIM: Claiming that the free and fair election process is at the stake, the Congress party on Monday demanded scrapping of ongoing postal ballot voting by government servants deployed on poll duty, alleging that the ruling BJP candidates are threatening and influencing the voters to vote in their favour. The party will urge the Election Commission of India (ECI) to institute an inquiry into the faulty process adopted by the Chief Electoral Office (CEO).
Addressing media persons, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar charged the CEO of leaking the serial numbers of postal ballots to BJP, who in-turn are misusing it to threaten and influence government employees. “We would be writing to the Election Commission tomorrow (Tuesday) seeking scrapping of postal ballot process and demanding that the employees be allowed to vote through EVMs by organizing a special one day camp,” he said.
Chodankar said this is the first time that the employees have been granted such a long period to send in their postal ballots.
There were 15,590 postal ballots, of which the CEO has received 8470 ballots till Saturday, while the balance 7000-odd are yet to be received. The last date for casting a postal ballot is the morning of March 11 – the counting day.
“The free and fair election process is at stake. There is no more a level playing field. The BJP, by misusing its powers, has managed to get the marked electoral roll having names of voters for postal ballot and also the serial number of postal ballot, which should be secret,” Chodankar charged.
He said that as per the ECI guidelines, every candidate has to get a marked electoral roll that mentions PB (postal ballot). “But except BJP, no other party candidates have received it. Also the CEO has leaked the serial number of the postal ballot to BJP based on which the candidates, their election agent and family members are calling government employees and threatening,” AICC leader stated.
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CEO rules out scrapping of postal ballot
PANJIM: Just hours after the Congress party demanded scrapping of the postal ballot process, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) ruled out this possibility claiming that the same has been held as per law.“Postal ballots are issued under provisions of law and the process for its receipt has been defined under Representation of People’s Act 1951 and Conduct of Election Rules 1961,” CEO Kunal told media persons. Kunal clarified that the marked copy of electoral roll where PB (postal ballot) is marked for those who have been issued postal ballot and is used by the Presiding Officer is sealed after voting and is in the strong room.
“The counterfoil of postal ballots where serial numbers of PB is written is also sealed in the strong room. So no question of leaking of serial no of postal ballot arises,” he said.
He clarified that the CEO office does not maintain any record of who has been issued postal ballots. “Report from DEOs on total number of postal ballots issued and received is compiled in CEO office and is shared with ECI. Same has also been shared with representatives of political parties in the meeting held last week,” Kunal stated.
The CEO said that the election office had already issued a circular requesting that if anyone who has been issued a postal ballot is pressurised or bribed or there is any demand for bribe observed, then that should be brought to the notice of RO, DEO, CEO. “Strict penal action will be taken,” he stated.
