Women polling staff to verify the identities of veiled women

Women polling staff to verify identities of veiled women in upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Hyderabad.

Women polling staff will be deployed in all the polling stations in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for verifying the identity of women electors wearing veils.

The provision is part of the standard operating procedure issued by the Election Commission of India for these elections, Hyderabad District Election Officer and Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) D. Ronald Rose informed at a media conference on Tuesday.

“In case the pardanashin (veil-clad) women refuse to show their faces in front of other men in the polling station, a small enclosure will be provided within the polling station where their identity can be verified by a woman polling staff,” Mr. Rose informed. Objections about male polling officers holding the index finger to mark with indelible ink too will be addressed through women polling staff, he said. Several allegations had been levelled in earlier elections about women clad in burqas being used by political parties for rigging the polls, responding to which the ECI has added the provision.

Mr. Rose said the district election machinery is fully prepared with all arrangements in place for the Parliament elections and the byelection for the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly constituency. A total 30 candidates are in the fray for Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency, while 45 are contesting for Secunderabad, and 15 for the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency.

A total 45,91,201 voters are to cast their votes on May 13 across 3,986 polling stations, with the help of 12,521 ballot units. Of the total 16,776 voters with postal ballot, 9,266 have already cast their vote.

Distribution of voter information slips has been completed 81%, and expected to cross 95%. Sticker campaign is being taken up along with the distribution, Mr. Rose informed.

Free pick-up and drop to and from the polling stations is being arranged for senior citizens and physically challenged voters through Saksham app. A total 571 applications have been received from both categories for home voting, and 481 of these have already been fulfilled. The remaining too will be mopped on May 8, Mr. Rose informed. A total 1,250 Central government employees have been deployed as micro observers who will report to the general observer, he said. Polling staff will be provided free transport to the polling stations, and back from DRC centres too after depositing the EVMs, Mr. Rose informed. For emergency situations, medical help is being kept at all the locations.