Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Wednesday said that the postal ballot facility for disabled voters and voters older than 80 years —to be introduced in India during the Assembly elections in Jharkhand —was a well-meaning initiative that will ensure active participation of disabled and elderly voters in the electoral process.
Arora, who was in Ranchi on Wednesday to chair meetings with officials and meet representatives of political parties here, also released a video that covers the entire process of voting through postal ballot.
“Postal ballot facility will be provided for the first time to disabled voters and voters above the age of 80 years during the Jharkhand elections.
It is a sensible initiative that will increase the participation of disabled and elderly voters in the election process,” said Arora. The postal ballot facility for disabled and elderly voters will be introduced as a pilot project in seven assembly constituencies in Jharkhand –Rajmahal, Pakur, Jamtara, Deoghar, Godda, Bokaro and Dhanbad.
The postal ballot facility, only available for people working in the army and deployed in election duties, allows voters to cast their votes without having to be physically present at their polling station.
Arora on Wednesday also released a radio jingle designed for voters’ awareness and unveiled a logo for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. He flagged off a voters’ awareness chariot for which the green flag was handed over to Arora by a Person with Disability (PWD) icon for the elections. “The green flag handed over by our PWD friends has a special meaning. It tells us that we must cast our vote at any cost.
The flag further strengthens our commitment towards participating in the democratic process of voting,” said Arora. Earlier in the day, representatives of political parties shared their concerns related to the election with the ECI team.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) General Secretary Deepak Prakash requested the ECI to tighten the noose around Bangladeshi settlers in Jharkhand who may try to influence the elections. “We have also asked the ECI team to ensure proper lighting arrangements and toilet facility for women at polling stations,” said Prakash.In a memorandum handed over to the ECI, the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) raised concern over the alleged misuse of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) club for BJP’s campaigns and also asked the ECI to take actions against bureaucrats who openly endorsed the BJP on social media.
“Some Government officials have been openly campaigning for the BJP on social media. This is not only against the ethics of any IAS officer, but also a practice that the ECI should take cognizance of,” said Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo, JPCC Spokesperson.
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) asked the ECI team to provide relaxation on the rules that make it mandatory for a candidate to declare criminal cases against him through advertisements on media platforms.
The process, party said, is expensive and could be done away with.