Staff engaged in poll duty to be issued ballot papers

The Congress has asked Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue ballot papers to more than 5,000 government employees, who did not vote in the recently held byelections as they were engaged in election duty.

In a communique sent to the commission, RPCC general secretary Sushil Sharma said: “These employees were busy in conducting polls. Even though they are registered voters in the three bypoll seats, they were not issued ballot papers due to which they failed to cast vote. The party demands that ballots papers be issued to employees,” said Sharma in his statement, mentioning a memorandum shot to the ECI regarding the same.

Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karmchari Sangharsh Samiti has also raised this issue and alleged employees were denied to cast to votes and it was conspiracy hatched by the State government. Committee’s coordinator Aayu Dan Singh Kaviya and Gajendra Singh Rathore said that employees were deliberately stopped from using postal ballots in the bypolls which is a constitutional right of any voter. “We condemns it and the government will have to pray price in coming days,” they said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot has expressed confidence of winning Ajmer, Alwar and Mandalgarh seats where polling was held  on Monday. “During the election, the manner in which people supported  and showered love for the Congress, it has become clear that Congress will win all three seats (Ajmer, Alwar and Mandalgarh) with huge margin. With chief minister Vasundhara Raje and her ministers misusing  government machinery during campaigning and working to divide society, it is clearly visible that  BJP realised from the very beginning that its performance in elections will be disappointing. Even heads of corporations, boards and other BJP  leaders openly violated the code of conduct,” said Pilot.