Plea to record non-voting electors

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (UNI) A strong plea to record remarks about voters who decide against casting their vote after they have duly been entered in the register maintained at the polling booth was made today in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In a PIL, former Lok Sabha member Atinder Pal Singh prayed for implementing the rule 49-O of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 in this regard in the coming Punjab Vidhan Sabha polls scheduled for February 13, using electronic voting machines.

The presiding officer concerned should ensure this to minimise the prospects of criminals from making it to the legislatures, as such elements resort to inclusion of such voters for their candidature, the counsel for the petitioner said.

Elaborating, the counsel has submitted that if an elector, after his elector number has duly been entered in the register of votes in prescribed form 17-A and has put his signature or thumb impression, decides not to record his vote, a remark to this effect should be made against the said entry in Form 17-A by the presiding officer and the thumb impression or signature of the elector must be obtained.

After the hearing preliminary arguments ,the division bench of Chief Justice Vijendra Jain and Justice Rajive Bhalla issued notices for January 29 to the Election Commission and other respondents.

UNI