Several poll personnel unable to vote

HYDERABAD: A visit to the LB Stadium distribution centre revealed a startling fact. Several polling personnel deployed on the election duty did not get a chance to exercise their franchise as the postal ballot facility was not provided to them by the district election authority.

“We have been appointed as other polling officers (OPOs) but we have not been given the option of postal ballots. Not only myself, several OPOs have not been given the option of postal ballot. After reaching the distribution centre here we thought postal ballot would be a routine option but there was no such arrangement,” said a polling personnel at the LB Stadium.
Another official demanded that they should be allowed to vote. “Election Commission of India (ECI) appeals to people to exercise their franchise, but staffers deployed on election duty are deprived of this important right. During the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, we were given the option of postal ballot, but now we don’t have such option,” the polling official said. “We should be allowed to cast our vote in the polling station in which we have been deployed as OPO,” he added.
According to officials all the arrangements have been made as per the guidelines and officials have also been trained. “All the officials have been trained, postal ballot facility to cast votes was also provided,” said Priyanka Ala, GHMC additional commissioner revenue wing, who has been appointed as returning officer for the MLC polls.