Only 15% service voters return postal ballots
Political parties are dissatisfied with the number of postal ballots Uttarakhand’s chief electoral officer received for the February 15 assembly poll as they think service voters play a crucial role in outcome of any election.
Only 15% service voters have cast their postal ballot, data released by the chief electoral officer revealed. Out of 97,566 service voters, postal ballots were sent to 95,801 of which 14, 492 ballots were received so far.
Service voters include those serving in armed forces, paramilitaries, armed police force serving in other states, and employed with the central government and posted in other parts the country or abroad.
“It’s a matter of grave concern that participation of service voters isn’t satisfactory. Certainly, low service voter turnout will change the equation,” said Ajay Bhatt, BJP state unit president.
The Congress has submitted a memorandum to the chief electoral officer seeking details of postal ballots. The extended time limit provided to service voters to exercise their powers (till March 11) did not go well with the party.
“The election commission plans every detail. Then why have they given more time to service voters. If the election is over for general voters on February 15, then it should have been for service voters as well,” said Kishore Upadhyay, Congress state unit chief.
“Homework needs to be done on why there is a lukewarm response of service voters in the festival of democracy.”
The poll panel, however, blamed the Indian Army for goof up. “We do not post ballots to individual service voters rather sends them to the commandant who in turn provide ballots to servicemen. It is their responsibility not ours to disseminate ballots and ensure participation of voters in the process,” Radha Raturi, the chief electoral officer, told Hindustan Times. And if that’s not all, the participation of nonservice voters comprising of personnel on duty from various departments-homeguards, police, irrigation, education, administration and others too was low. Of 52,983 non service voters, 47,570 were issued postal ballots of which 38,702 ballot have been received 81.35%.
The commission office is hopeful to report more votes till the counting day scheduled on March 11.
Overall voter turnout in the hill state this time was 65.64% while it was 67.22% in 2012.