V-P election: Jailed MP Rashid likely to vote in Parliament

Jailed Independent MP from Baramulla, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, aka Engineer Rashid, who is lodged in the Tihar jail in connection with an alleged terror funding case, is likely to be brought to Parliament in police custody to cast his vote during the upcoming Vice-Presidential election, scheduled to take place on September 9.According to sources aware of the development, the EC had initially suggested seeking his vote through postal ballot, but since Rashid is in the Tihar jail in Delhi, he is likely to be brought to Parliament in person to cast his vote.

According to the rules, in the V-P election, an MP has to cast his or her vote in person. The EC was informed by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat about an instance of a jailed MP from Bihar, who was brought to Parliament House to vote during Hamid Ansari's election as Vice-President.

Meanwhile, in the case of another jailed Independent MP, Amritpal Singh, who represents Punjab's Khadoor Sahib constituency and is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, his vote is to be cast through postal ballot in the ensuing V-P election.

Earlier this week, the panel had issued the postal ballot to Singh for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election. The office of the Chief Election Officer (CEO), Punjab, had informed that the Election Commission had issued directions regarding the facilitation of voting by Amritpal.

As per the prescribed procedure, postal ballots for electors in preventive detention are to be delivered only on the day of polling, and the sealed cover containing the marked postal ballot must reach the returning officer before the commencement of counting.

The commission had instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, to ensure that the sealed cover containing Amritpal’s postal ballot is carried by a special messenger from Dibrugarh by air, so that it reaches the returning officer well before 6 pm on September 9, the day of polling and also counting for the Vice-Presidential election.

Meanwhile, sources further informed that the ballots for the upcoming election have been received and the numbering for casting votes has also been allotted to members.

The Rajya Sabha MPs, beginning from those belonging to Andhra Pradesh (as per alphabetic order) will first cast their votes, followed by Lok Sabha MPs.

Members of both the Houses form the electoral college for the Vice-Presidential election. The current strength of both Houses of Parliament is 782 MPs. Polling will be conducted in the Parliament House, while votes will be counted immediately after polling concludes, and the results will be declared on the same day by the Returning Officer under the supervision of the Election Commission.

The ruling BJP-led NDA has nominated CP Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra and a senior BJP leader, as its candidate, while the Opposition INDIA bloc has named former Supreme Court Judge B Sudarshan Reddy as its nominee.