148 home-guards on election duty unable to cast vote

MALDA, May 8: Reportedly, 148 voters who had been deployed on election duty were not able to cast their votes through postal ballot in Malda district, as the district headquarters did not receive the list of those requiring postal ballots in time.

Party leaders have lodged complaints with the district election officials, alleging ‘negligence’ on the part of a section of officials.

Yesterday, at an all party political meeting, the Congress leader, Mr Masudur Rahman, who is also chief election agent for Miss Mausam Noor, North Malda parliamentary seat candidate, lodged a complaint with the district magistrate and the superintendent of police on this matter.

Mr Rahman alleged that a total of 148 people in Harishchandrapur who had been assigned to election duty as home-guards by the police department, were not given their democratic right to postal vote.

It may be noted that the district election officials had set a deadline of 28 April for receiving postal ballots for those persons engaged in election duty. The date was then extended to 29 April.

“But the inspector-in-charge of Harishchandrapur police station had sent the list of home-guards to the district headquarters on the late date of 3 May,” said Mr Rahman, adding that "the IC should be punished for negligence of duty”.

“What can I do if the responsible persons delay in sending the list for issuing postal ballots. The elections ended on 30 April, how can I issue postal ballots on 3 May?", said Ms Indrani Saha, the additional district magistrate (development).

It may be noted that Ms Saha did not issue the postal ballots for a period after the due time was over, despite several requests from various quarters. Finally she has sent the list of issued postal ballots to the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, the district magistrate held a meeting with the political parties to inform them about the system of counting and sought the list of counting agents, along with photographs for issuing identity cards as entry passes into the counting halls.

The district election officials have set a deadline of 11 May for submission of the list of counting agents, along with the required papers from all political parties.n SNS