Congress Lok Sabha candidate for Central Bengaluru Mansoor Ali Khan registered a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging a party worker was seen accompanying the EC officials during the postal voting process.
The ECI announced postal voting for those above the age of 85 and physically disabled people. These citizens can cast their vote from home in the presence of two election officers, a videographer, and security personnel.
According to the complaint, a BJP worker named Kiran Naidu was seen accompanying the EC officials during the postal voting process. Naidu was seen entering seven houses, the complaint stated.
A resident of Rajajinagar Jayavardhan V M told Indian Express the ‘polling officer’ did not carry any identity card from ECI. When asked, the ‘officer’ claimed it was lost.
Images of Naidu accompanying the election officers have emerged on X. Congress Karnataka posted the same on its official X account.
Naidu’s Facebook profile picture features him with Union home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. The description says he is BJP’s youth president of Rajajinagar, Bengaluru. Below is a screenshot.
Postal ballots
In October 2019, the law ministry amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, lowering the age from 85 to 80 and allowing persons with disabilities (PwDs) to cast votes through postal ballots.
Apart from the above-mentioned, officers on election duty, members of the Indian Defence forces, those detained under preventive custody orders and media persons with authorisation letters from the EC are eligible for postal voting. The counting of postal votes will take place on July 4.
Similar incidents in NE
Incidents of election officers allegedly ‘advocating for the BJP’ have been reported in the North East. In Assam and Manipur, which the saffron party governs, complaints emerged against election officials asking elderly citizens to vote for the ‘Lotus’ symbol in return for money.
H Suresh Sharma, the election agent of A Bimol Akoijam, the opposition Congress candidate in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, wrote a letter to the election commission stating discrepancies in the voting process of a 93-year-old elderly woman named Wangkheirakpam Manu Devi belonging from Chingmeirong Maning Leikei area.
On April 19, India is all set to vote for its next Union government and prime minister in the 17th Lok Sabha elections covering 543 constituencies. The elections will be held in seven phases spread across two months, between April 19 and July 1. Counting and final results will be held on July 4.
Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats and will contest in the second and third phases to be held on April 26 and May 7.
