Poll officer warns voters against malpractice

Mangalore, June 4: Mangalore;Chief Election Officer R Ramashehan has warned voters against any malpractice. In an order here on Friday, he said proxy voting or voting in the name of a deceased person was punishable under the Indian Penal Code. The same rule would be applicable to those instigating voters to resort to malpractice. In all such cases a jail term up to one year could be awarded with or without penalty, if proved guilty.
In another poll related issue, political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) have expressed apprehensions that some parties could resort to malpractices and possible rigging.
The Congress press release here on Friday said the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) were trying to use the official machinery to rig the polls in areas such as Someshwara, Kotekar and Thalapady. It has also given a list of workers and leaders of those parties who might incite malpractice.
The Janata Dal (S) and the BJP have pointed accusing fingers at the Congress for using "disruptive elements" to create confusion in the minds of voters.
They alleged that the Congress was trying to "import" people from Kerala and has asked the poll officials to direct the police to take steps to ensure free and fair elections and protect voters.
The Chunavana Kavalu Samiti which is claims to be an independent body in a press release has appealed to voters to intimate any poll related malpractice on the following numbers 9343351300 and 9448327467 and to also intimate their observations to Kolladi Balakrishna Rai.
The Deputy Commissioner and district election officer M. Maheshwara Rao has said in a press release that those people who do not have an Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) could still vote in the elections on Saturday in Ullal elections.
Their voting in the polling stations would be videotaped. He said there would be a video camera in sensitive and hyper-sensitive booth in Ullal.
He has appealed to political parties to direct their workers not to resort to any malpractices and help the election officials conduct the polls smoothly.
by:udayavan