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Substitute to postal ballots
By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI, FEB. 24. Voters of the Capital, working mostly in the armed and para-military forces, who generally cast their vote through the postal ballots, can exercise their franchise at their respective polling booths if they are present here on the day of polling. Not only this, eligible voters under preventive detention can now cast their votes through postal ballots.

Said to be a path-breaking decision in the 54 years of Independence, the Joint Election Commissioner, D.M. Khaneta, claimed: ``No such provision had been in existence for any Parliamentary elections, or for that matter any Assembly or civic body polls, held in the country so far.''

The notification making necessary amendments in the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Election of Councillors) Rules, 1970, was issued recently by the Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, Mr. Khaneta said. ``Even the recently concluded Chandigarh civic polls did not have this facility,'' he said. The Commission has its jurisdiction over Chandigarh and Delhi.

Though the number of such electorate is almost negligible and are unlikely to have any significant impact on the final results -- except for some nail-biting contests -- the decision in this regard has been taken to provide all possible opportunities to eligible voters of the Capital.

After the recent amendments, Section 54 (1A) of Chapter VI of Delhi Municipal Corporation (Election of Councillors) Rules, 1970 dealing with postal ballot says that Service voters ``shall be entitled to vote'' at the MCD elections ``if they happen to be in the ward on the day of poll''. As of now, the number of such voters in the Capital is 850.

``No doubt the number does not matter much. We at the State Election Commission have a constitutional obligation to not only explore but also to facilitate every single eligible elector to exercise their right to vote in a democratic set up where it is the people who is the real ruler,'' Mr. Khaneta said.

For instance, if an armed forces personnel from the Capital serving in Assam is on a leave and is present in Delhi on the day of polling, he can walk down to the polling booth where his name is listed on the electoral rolls and vote after proving his identity, he said. ``This, even if he has been sent the postal ballot by the Commission. The Returning Officers and the Presiding Officers are being informed about these changes,'' he said.

As for those under preventive detention, under Section 29 A of Chapter VI of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Election of Councillors) Rules, the Lieutenant-Governor is mandated to prepare a list of such eligible voters along with their addresses and electoral roll numbers and the particulars about their places of detention to the State Election Commission. Such a list has to be submitted within 15 days of the issue of notification.

Further, any eligible voter under preventive detention can send in a request to the Commission, within 15 days of the poll notification, about his desire to cast his vote through the postal ballot by giving particulars of his electoral roll, address and place of detention.

``The Election Commission shall, through the Returning Officer of the ward concerned, get a postal ballot paper issued to every voter subjected to preventive detention whose name and applications have been sent to the Commission,'' the amended rules say.

On its part, so as to avoid duplication, the Returning Officer is desired to delete the name of such voters from the roll being supplied for the polling station, to the Presiding Officer with a brief remark, ``PBP ISSUED'' to prevent double voting. ``Such remarks shall also be made on the counter-foil of each ballot paper,'' it says.

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