COVID patients to get special voting rights in MP bypolls

Ahead of Madhya Pradesh assembly by-polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in its new initiative has decided that the elderly over 80 years of age, differently-abled persons, and people suspected of having COVID-19 in Indore district will cast vote through the postal ballots in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A detailed action plan has been prepared by the Indore district officials to ensure that maximum eligible voters can cast vote through the postal ballot.

"The filling of the consent form for voting for the eligible voters through the postal ballot will be from October 9 till October 13," the release stated.

An event was organised on Thursday at the Ravindra Natya Griha under the chairmanship of Collector and District Election Officer Manish Singh in connection with the training programme.

Singh instructed all officers to follow guidelines given by the Election Commission, within the prescribed time-limit.

He directed that no eligible voter should be deprived of this facility. Voting on 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh by-polls will take place on November 3 and the results will be declared on November 10.

Indore's Sanwer seat will also go for polling. In March this year, 22 Congress MLAs resigned from the state Assembly paving the way for BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan to take over as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister for the fourth time.