UP Guv Ram Naik reiterates postal ballot demand in fresh letter to EC

Reiterating his demand of letting voters away from their legislative council constituencies to cast votes through postal ballot, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today shot off a fresh letter to the Election Commission.

In the letter, Naik asked the EC to issue standing instructions to ensure voters outside their constituencies can use postal ballot like in Parliament and Assembly elections, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.

A registered voter in Mumbai, Naik will visit the city on June 25 to vote in the election of the legislative council of the Graduates' constituency after the Maharashtra election commission refused to let him vote through postal ballot.

''Now I will have to go to Mumbai by air along with my ADC for voting which would cost Rs 53,000 in addition to the cost of the Z-plus security provided to me. I will do it to discharge my civil duty of casting the vote, Naik said in the letter.

I will also lose one day which I would have better utilised in doing my work as Governor of UP, he added.

"Under the existing rules, certain class of voters like citizens of India residing in foreign countries and members of Armed Forces exercise their right of vote by postal ballot or by proxy from places of their posting, duty or occupation.

Like the election of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies of states, the Election Commission should issue standing instructions to enable voters away from their Legislative Council Constituencies to cast their votes by postal ballot from their places of posting, duty or occupation etc. in the elections from Graduates' Council Constituencies in future," suggested Naik.

Elections are not only the most essential part of any democratic process but also one of the basic features of our Constitution, he said.

To strengthen the democracy, maximum possible participation of the voters in all types of elections is desirable, Naik said.

The present practice of the EC should be done away with, as it unnecessarily becomes a hurdle in the voting process, he said adding, that he will personally meet the EC officials to streamline the procedure, the spokesman said.

Earlier, the Governor had written a similar letter to the EC asking it to allow voting by postal ballot but the request was turned down by the CEC citing rules.