Pune municipal election: Presiding officer’s duty for men only

Taking a lesson from the previous elections, the election commission will appoint only men as presiding officers for the civic polls.

Additional election officer, Shivajirao Daundkar told DNA, “Women assigned duty as presiding officers have been complaining about the problems they face while discharging the election duty. In view of such complaints, we have decided to appoint men as presiding officers for these civic elections.”

Daundkar added, “Although the area going to polls during the civic elections is much less compared to the Lok Sabha or assembly elections, women employees have been showing unwillingness to stay overnight at the polling booths in general. Considering this, we have ensured that all the presiding officers will be men and if any woman has been appointed as presiding officer inadvertently, her duty will be reallocated.”