Uttarakhand : Congress vocal on ballot papers, fear of disturbances

Before the results of the elections, the Congress is afraid of disturbances in the counting of postal votes along with EVMs. On this issue, the Congress delegation met the Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a memorandum. The Congress alleges that there has been a mistake in the postal ballot papers. Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal has alleged that in the current assembly elections, the Election Commission had ensured the arrangement of voting at the homes of such voters by printing ballot papers for the convenience of persons with disabilities, above 80 years of age and handicapped. Along with this, the government officers and employees who were posted on election duty have also been given the facility to vote through postal ballot papers. But information has come from many other districts including Pauri Garhwal that the ballot papers printed for differently-abled, above 80 years of age group and disabled have not reached those voters but these ballot papers have been misused in favor of BJP. He said that even after several talks with District Magistrate Pauri Garhwal, he himself could not get any solution.

Let us tell you that in Uttarakhand, the Election Commission had provided postal facility to voters above 80 years of age and Divyangjan, according to the electoral roll of the Election Commission, there are 1,58,742 voters above 80 years of age and 68,478 Divyang voters. 43,048 voters had already exercised their franchise in the state before the elections. This included service voters, election workers and voters who voted from home. The Election Commission had issued a total of 1,57,216 ballot papers in this category. The commission had clarified that if the voters who were issued postal ballots, if they did not vote by postal ballot, then now they will not be able to vote at the booth.

Rejecting the Congress’s allegation of rigging in postal votes, BJP has termed it as Congress’s fury. The BJP says that the Congress is uncomfortable and nervous ahead of the election results. That is why in view of its poor condition, it is now making such allegations and counter-allegations. He said that sometimes allegations like EVMs, sometimes postal votes and sometimes misuse of machinery show the desperation of the Congress, they must have done this during their tenure, so this fear has been troubling the Congress. While the Congress is vocal about the postal ballot papers, the Aam Aadmi Party also says that the allegations made by the Congress are absolutely correct and not baseless. The Aam Aadmi Party also says that BJP can go to any extent to win the elections, so security should be increased under the surveillance of EVM machines.