Dimapur, April 2 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) urges all genuine voters in the state to ensure that their votes are secure and that all proxy and bogus votes are contained. The NPCC issued a press release today educating citizens on their rights concerning the democratic franchise, that an incorrect detail in their electoral roll can be challenged in the court of law. “Photo Electoral Roll in the present form cannot be used as it is completely corrupted,” the NPCC stated in its press release.
“Photo electoral roll is in progress. It is the duty of all genuine voters to ensure that your vote is secured and that proxy and bogus votes are weeded out. Your vote is your power and your right that comes once in five years,” the NPCC said in its press release. “The objective of Photo Electoral Roll is to enable genuine voters to vote.”
The opposition said that the Photo Electoral Roll of the state in its present form cannot be used. “It is completely corrupted. In many polling stations, more than 30-40% of the entries are erroneous and defective. Under the Representation of People’s Act, 1950 clause 17 and 18, it is clearly denoted that no person is to be registered in more than one constituency and no person is to be registered more than once in any constituency,” the Congress said. “Any person trying to impersonate is committing an electoral offense and is liable to be imprisoned for a term of one year or with fine or with both under 171F of IPC.”
Further, framing an incorrect Photo electoral roll is with intent to cause ‘injury’ to the candidates, the party said. “Corrupt E/Roll is a display of dishonesty and cheating, chargeable under section 420 of the IPC. Pasting one’s photo repeatedly is framing incorrect E/Roll and is chargeable under section 167 IPC and liable to face imprisonment of a term of three years or with fine or with both.”
The Congress has demanded that photos be “pasted with chest number.” The party appreciated that the Election department “has the will to provide clean Photo E/Roll” and have “assured that the present Photo E/Roll shall be sent back to the respective Polling Booth Officers, Enumerators and Booth Level Agents for correction.”
The opposition is also happy that church and school records “will be used for verification of name and age besides documents from registrar of births and deaths in case of any dispute. “We therefore, appeal to the Nagaland churches, high and higher secondary schools to be a part of the process in producing authentic photo electoral roll by providing necessary records to verify names and dates of birth to the administration. We also appeal to booth level officers, enumerators and booth level agents of all political parties to display your honesty.”
Further, the Congress appealed to the magistrates to enforce the Peoples Representation Act of 1950 and Indian Panel Code (IPC) for Magistrates are the guardians of the law. “The objective of genuine photo electoral roll can be achieved provided the laws are applied according to its usage. Magistrates are questioning political will but it has nothing to do with political will,” the NPCC said. “Those who want to have proxy votes are against the law. The law is political will. It has been passed by Parliament and the Assembly has adopted.”
