KALABURAGI: With the issuance of the notification for the election to the Legislative Council by district electoral officers, the focus now is on the conduct of polls and the candidates who would be fielded by different political parties.
Although the model conduct of poll that applied to the previous polls is also applicable to the present one, the ongoing poll is different from the previous ones in some respects. For the first time, the party symbols of candidates who would be contesting would be done away with and instead the photos of candidates with their names would be printed in the ballot papers.
“The candidates can give the photo they want to be carried in the ballot papers. Otherwise our cameraman will take the photos of candidates at the time of nomination. The Election Commission has introduced this change for the time being to help illiterate voters easily identify the candidates,” said Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal.
Another difference in this election is permitting the voters who are illiterate to take the help of a person known to him to cast his vote on the voting machine.
According to Mr Bansal, the district administration has already identified the voters in the district who are illiterate and who can take help to exercise their franchise. The list of such persons has been published in the electoral rolls. “In case anybody has objection to making this facility available to any particular voter, we will inquire against such voters and take necessary action”, Mr Bansal replied in response to a query.
With regard to the poll expenditure limit, Mr Bansal said although the Election Commission has specified no upper limit, broadly all norms which were applicable during the general elections are applicable now too. “Any effort to allure or influence voters would be a punishable offence”, Mr Bansal added.
Another point to be taken note of is that in this election, the elected representatives of local bodies can exercise their franchise only if the bodies are constituted.
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