TMC opposes postal ballots for voters above 65 years of age

Shubhadeep Choudhury

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Tribune News Service

Kolkata, July 7

Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has opposed the step making it mandatory for people above the age of 65 years to vote only through postal ballots and not by going to booths like others below that age group.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, TMC General Secretary Subrata Bakshi, MP, said that while the amendments in the Conduct of Election Rules (made public on July 2) had been carried out saying these safeguard elderly voters from the threat of contracting COVID-19, in reality, the change would enhance that risk.

An elderly voter would expose herself multiple times to cast vote through postal ballot. The voter would have to appear before a magistrate at the time of recording the vote and then subject herself to exposure again at the time of notarisation and affirmation and then go out once again to post the ballot.

The TMC leader stated that the amendment would also enhance the possibility of a voter’s electoral preference getting revealed to others. This will make the voter nervous. Bakshi wrote that the postal ballot system could become highly susceptible to the coercive influence of nefarious elements, ruling party agents, government officials and could degenerate into large-scale rigging.

“The amendment directly interferes with the conduct of free and fair elections, which is the bedrock of our democracy and has been enshrined as a basic feature of our constitution”, the letter stated.

The TMC MP added that the amendment stipulated that officers must be physically present and attend each of the electors above 65 years while they cast their votes. This would increase expenses incurred by the public exchequer. According to Bakshi, the system of voting through postal ballots would also impose an extra cost on individual voters and discourage them from exercising the right to vote.

The TMC leader wrote that about six per cent of the population of our country were aged above 65 years and their effective exclusion from the electorate would have a huge impact. The letter also noted that the amendment was permanent in nature rather than a temporary arrangement made to deal with the situation arising out of the pandemic.

Bakshi also pointed out that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was above 65 years of age, Chief Ministers of at least 13 states were more than 65-year-old. It would be quite ridiculous to suggest that a person above 65 years could contest in elections, carry out campaigning but cast the vote through postal ballot, stated the letter by the TMC leader.

While urging the EC to revoke the amendment, TMC said that in future EC should intervene and bar the Centre from usurping the ECI’s powers. “As public representatives, we are afraid that such amendments will pose a distinct threat to our democratic way of life,” the letter stated.