Karnataka - Bangalore   

Poll panel’s opinion on Janata Darshan sought

BANGALORE: The office of the State Chief Electoral Officer has sought the opinion of the Election Commission on holding of Janata Darshan by Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Saturdays.

Mr. Thakur had not held the Janata Darshan since the announcement of the schedule for the Legislative Assembly lections in the State on April 2.

Sources said the model code of conduct was not clear on the issue of holding of Janata Darshan by the Governor. “We have written to the Election Commission and waiting for the reply,” an official said.

Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao and officials of the Social Welfare Department have been instructed not to deliver speeches on Ambedkar Jayanti on Monday in view of the enforcement of model of code of conduct.

The officials have been instructed to only garland the statue of Dr. Ambedkar on that day.

Similarly, Union Ministers have been instructed against participating in official functions of the Government in the State.

Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan and Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal did not participate in two functions organised in the city last week on account of model code of conduct.

Two officials of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation have been suspended for violating the model of code of conduct. The two officials participated at a programme to unveil a statue of Basaveshwara in Hubli recently. The matter has been referred to the Election Commission for action, the official said.

Asked about the model of code of conduct coming in the way of the inauguration of Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli, the official said the Bangalore International Airport Limited has not approached the Chief Electoral Officer on the issue. “We will take stock of the issue only after the BIAL approach us,” the official said.

There are 60,000 voters in the State serving in Defence forces.

The voters categorised as “service voters” have been given freedom to exercise their franchise from the place of their convenience in the country.

To ensure that every official on election duty casts vote, the Election Commission has decided to introduce a new system of postal ballot — Registered Post Acknowledgement Due — in the coming elections in the State.

According to the new system, persons deputed on election duty, including police personnel, would cast their voters through registered post, instead of the old certificate of posting. The new system would be effective and each and every person on election duty will get an opportunity to vote, the official said.

Officials on election duty would have to fill-up Form 12 in which they would furnish details of the constituency they belong to and their respective departments.

They would also have to provide a copy of their appointment letter and electoral photo identity card, if any.

A postal ballot will then be given to the personnel, who will mark their preferences. The respective Deputy Commissioners will collect the ballot papers; sort them out based on the constituency they belong to and despatch them to those constituencies through registered post, the official said.

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