'Postal ballots go missing in Shillai', Congress writes to CEC

Shimla, November 29

The Congress has raised concerns over complaints pertaining to postal ballot papers and their slow return to returning officers.

“Some shortcomings are being noticed in the postal ballot papers sent to the employees deputed on election duty,” alleged HPCC general secretary Devendra Bushahri. “In Shillai of Sirmaur district, postal ballots of more than 40 police personnel had gone missing. The incident raises possibility of such incidents elsewhere as well,” said Bushahri.

“According to the Chief Electoral Officer, of the 59,728 postal ballot papers issued to election officers, only 32,177 have been received by them,” he said. “And of the 67,559 postal ballot papers issued to serving military personnel, only 15,099 received even as just nine days are left for the counting of votes,” he said.

Bushahri said the Congress urged the state Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to take cognizance of such complaints so that every person could exercise his right to cast vote.