Chhattisgarh Congress coordinator and candidate from Patan Assembly constituency Bhupesh Baghel has given written complaint to the Election Commission that the Kotwars of his area were deprived of casting their votes.
He demanded to ensure that the Kotwars be allowed to cast their votes by issuing them postal ballots and to find out the officers who deprived them from their right to vote and to take action against them. The election commission assured him action on his complaints.
Baghel complained that during the election 54 Kotwars of his areas had been deployed at other places due to which they could not cast votes at their village. They have not been given the right to cast their votes through postal ballot.
According to the directory of the commission their names have not been added in the data base for postal voting. The officers are responsible for depriving the kotwars from their right to vote, he added.
Baghel said that there were possibility that like Patan, kotwars of other constituencies could also be deprived of their voting right. If the kotwars of all other places of the State were also disallowed to vote, they should be given the right to vote, he said.
He said that this time the Election Commission had taken steps for maximum voting and its positive result has also been come to the fore. But it was due to the negligent attitude of the officers kotwars posted in election duty were stripped of their right to vote.
Baghel demanded to issue postal ballot to all those kotwars who have been deprived of their right to vote and to ensure their voting. Chief electoral officer Sunil Kujur has taken his demand seriously and assured action on it.