Imphal, Feb 11 NNN: Not content with the alleged fraudulent issue of about 1000 postal ballot papers regarding the Government employees, mostly personnel of security forces who are electorates of Wangkhem and Heirok constituencies of Thoubal district, Manipur People’s Party (MPP) today requested both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Manipur Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to cancel the postal ballot papers issued to them during the recent Manipur polls.
In a letter to ECI, MPP president Dr Nimaichand Luwang who was in fray from Wangkhem constituency seat said around 1000 postal ballot papers were issued to the Government employees, mostly police personnel who are electorates of 32-Wangkhem constituency and 33-Heirok constituency though they were not assigned any election duty on the polling day January 28.
He said the employees included VDF, SPO, Manipur Rifles and IRB personnel, Home Guards and Manipur police personnel, adding most of these employees did not apply for issue of postal ballot papers in Form-12 and that this means the applications were forwarded by the officials of the State police department by forging their signatures.
Many of them came to their respective polling stations to cast their votes on the polling day, but found that their postal ballot papers were issued against their names without their knowledge and information, the MPP president mentioned in the letter.
It has also been detected that more than 400 postal ballots which failed to mention names of the electorates were dispatched through the post that were addressed to Superintendant of Police (Thoubal), Commandant Chandel, Commandant Tamenglong, Commandant Imphal, Superintendent of Police (SP) Imphal, CO Home Guard, Deputy Superintendant of Police Thoubal, DTO Itanagar etc., the letter said.
Many postal ballot papers are now lying at the office of Thoubal SP and other offices since the identities of electorates are not known,
Luwang further mentioned in the letter and alleged it is apprehensive that there was a grave conspiracy and malpractices committed by some unscrupulous officials either in the State police department or the district election office.
He further requested the ECI to look into the matter and enquire in order to cancel all the postal ballot papers issued to the Government employees.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/postal-ballot-cancellation-demanded/
