Postal vote in Thanjavur deferred

Postal voting by government staff on election duty scheduled here for Sunday did not take place as the DMK preferred a complaint with the Returning Officer that there was scope for malpractice if local officials were allowed to conduct the Assembly elections scheduled for November 19.

When all preparations for the conduct of the postal voting had been completed and officers started arriving at the RDO Office here, which was the designated polling station, a team of DMK legal wing office-bearers submitted a complaint with Returning Officer C. Suresh stating that while they had no objection to local officials being deployed in case of general elections as shortage of hands would be there, it would be wrong to place them in charge of the deferred elections.

There was chance of the ruling party influencing officials involved in the conduct of the elections and casting postal votes, the DMK’s petition contended.

Opposition party objects to deploying local officials for elections that had been deferred