53-year-old custom: ‘Mr Ballot Box’ will journey by air once more for presidential polls

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The passenger manifests of some airways may have a ‘Mr Ballot Box’ on the rolls. It’s an precise poll field, not a unusual traveller with a bizarre identify!

The Election Commission has booked a ‘Mr Ballot Box’ in flights on Tuesday and Wednesday to ship the vote container to totally different states for the July 18 presidential polls.

According to the Election Commission, a separate air ticket is booked within the identify of ‘Mr Ballot Box’ because it travels on the entrance row of the plane. Seated beside ‘Mr Ballot Box’ are the assistant returning officers (ARO). The field travels below the private supervision of the officer.

“The presidential elections involve a fascinating journey of the ballot box to states/union territories and return after polling,” stated the ballot panel.

According to officers, the Commission had obtained a particular permission from the civil aviation division in 1969 to allow the poll bins and different election supplies to journey as passengers.

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After air journey, ‘Mr Ballot Box’ might be saved in beforehand sanitised and correctly sealed robust rooms below strict videography in every state and union territory.

Once the ballot is over, the sealed ‘Mr Ballot Box’ and different election materials might be transported again to the Office of Returning Officer Rajya Sabha Secretariat by the following obtainable flight.

The bins and different paperwork are carried personally within the plane cabins — by no means out of sight of accompanying officers — the Commission added.

When they attain Delhi, officers are additionally assisted on the helpdesk on the Delhi Airport, manned by the officers of the Election Commission of India, Civil Aviation, Delhi Police, and CISF.

The counting of votes will happen on July 21, forward of the tip of President Ram Nath Kovind’s time period on July 24. MPs will forged their ballots within the parliament home.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu is the frontrunner. She will tackle former BJP stalwart Yashwant Sinha, the joint opposition presidential candidate.

As the race to elect the sixteenth President of India picks up tempo, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Arun Chandra Pandey held a overview assembly on Tuesday with the Returning Officer PC Mody on poll-preparedness for the upcoming presidential elections. AROs and CEOs of all states and UTs have been additionally current nearly.

While supervising the distribution and dispatch of ‘Mr Ballot Box’ and different poll-related supplies, Kumar emphasised the necessity for info, polling and return of the fabric to be meticulously managed.

He additionally reiterated that ROs and AROs adhere to the best degree of compliance for all statutory processes and directions for a free and truthful election.