In a first of its kind initiative, the district administration has set up a facilitation centre for police personnel from the Madurai parliamentary constituency, who will be on election duty, to cast their postal ballot votes at the Collectorate.
Police personnel, fire personnel, members of the youth brigade and Home Guards had applied for the postal ballot option. As many as 1,600 applications were received from the police personnel.More than 290 police personnel made use of this facility on the first day.
The process, however, was mired in confusion as officials were unaware of the procedure to be followed.
Representatives from various political parties which included the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Congress complained to Returning Officer L. Subramanian that the process of ‘secret ballot’ was not being implemented. “The officials are not ensuring a fair process and voters are standing with the ballot forms and discussing their choice of candidates in groups which should not be allowed,” a representative from the DMDK said.
Congress members claimed that they had not been informed in advance about this process so that they could have deputed a representative from the party to observe the proceedings. “Political parties are allowed to have booth-level agents in all polling stations on April 24 and we should have been able to do the same for this process,” said a functionary.
Reacting to the complaints, Mr. Subramanian said the officials had immediately ensured that the voters were not allowed to discuss their choice with their ballot papers in hand.
“Earlier, people on poll duty could fill up postal ballot forms and mail it by registered post. The new system was introduced so that the process will be easy and more people will vote,” he said .
