Photos of candidates on ballot paper this time

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 10

In the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled to take place on February 4, the voters can witness the photographs of the candidates on the ballot paper for the first time, facilitating them to cast their vote without any confusion in case two or more candidates have the same name.

District election officer-cum Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishor Yadav said the Commission had noted that there were many cases where candidates with same or similar names contested from the same constituency although appropriate suffix is added to the names of candidates in the event of two or more candidates having the same name. He said now the commission considered that additional measures were required for removing confusion in the minds of electors at the time of voting. Further, the commission considered that photographs of candidates on ballot paper would facilitate the electors in casting their votes and also the candidates in their campaign. The photograph of the candidates would be printed in the panel for the name of the candidates and shall appear towards the right side of the name in between the name and symbol of the candidate or the column for marking votes/preference, as the case may be, he added.

Talking about the specifications for the photograph, he said the candidates were required to submit their recent photograph (taken during the preceding period of three months before the date of notification). The photograph should be stamp size 2 cm. X 2.5 cm (2 cm in breadth and 2.cm in height) in white/off white background, with full face view.