The call of duty has shattered the dreams of several National Cadet Corps (NCC) in exercising their franchise for the first time. The deployment of young cadets in booths, away from their place of residence, deprived them the opportunity to vote. The NCC cadets were deployed in polling centres having more than one booth to assist voters and poll officials.
S. Midhun, a first-year B.Sc. Polymer Chemistry student at Government College, Attingal, was cherishing the dream to vote for long, after becoming eligible to vote. Being deployed for poll duty at Government Upper Primary School, Annex, at Chirayinkeezhu, which is a few km away from the polling centre where he is registered, he could not cast his vote.
“I got enrolled in the electoral list after Lok Sabha polls and was keen on casting ballot in the local body polls. A few days ago, we were directed to be part of poll duty. I was not aware that postal ballot option was open for us. Till I came for duty I was under the impression that postal ballot was meant for government employees,” he said.
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Midhun said more than 20 cadets, some of them first time voters, from the college were on election duty in booths under the Attingal municipal limits.
“Many of my friends could not vote. I will exercise my franchise in the coming Assembly polls even if on duty,” he said.
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A poll official said around 100 cadets were deployed in the district along with Student Police Cadets. “We thought the students were aware of postal vote. We will certainly educate the cadets before enrolling them for election duty,” the official said.
The students would be given an amount of Rs.2,000 as duty allowance, the official said.