Identity card compulsory for voters

Bhopal, Apr 12 (UNI) The Election Commission has issued directives that the voters will have to compulsorily produce their identity cards at polling stations during the crucial Assembly Budhni byelection which state Chief Minister shivrak Singh Chouhan is contesting.

Chouhan faces former state minister Rajkumar Patel(Cong), Gondwana Gantantra Party's state unit, President Gulzar Singh Markam and 13 other candidates for the seat which is lying vacant following resignation by BJP's Rajendra Singh to facilitate Mr Chouhan's entry into the Assembly. Mr Chouhan is at present a Lok Sabha member from Vidisha.

State election office sources said the voters had to submit electorate photo identity card(EPIC) or other identity proof like ration card, passport, driving licence, PAN card and Kisan Credit Card.

The presiding officers have been told to ignore minor errors in EPIC. Since all voters in the state have not yet been issued EPIC, they have to produce alternate documents to prove their identity, the sources said.

UNI SP SY DS1401