BANGALORE: Advocating embracing of technology in the field of elections, Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj on Wednesday said that voters must in the future be able to vote from their homes or offices. “I have seen changes which have occurred over the years, people were reluctant to adopt EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) but now it is the norm,” said the Governor.
Addressing the inaugural session of National Voters Day which was celebrated in the city by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday, he also argued for more power to be given to the EC and for insulation of members with provision of a separate secretariat.
The Governor, however, warned against the increase in trends like Booth Capturing and Forced Voting which are on the rise in the country. He also cautioned against the open use of money power in elections and stated that it was a dangerous trend which should be averted.
Speaking out against the right to recall, he said that the architect of the Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, in the Constituent Assembly debates, had stated that it cannot work in India.
“The latest confusion about parliament not representing the people is a fallacious argument. Our preamble states that the people elect their own representatives,” he said and added that the latest trend of a parallel method of demanding legislations would just create a Mobocracy.
CS Suranjana, Chief Electoral Officer, said, “Today functions are being held at polling stations all across the state. We will be distributing photo id cards and prizes for sports competitions and booth level performances.” He added that in the past year the election commission in the state had managed to add 4 lakh new young voters and had distributed 5.4 lakh EPIC cards (Electoral Photo ID Cards).
The event also showcased 3 docudramas made by the commission in order to make people aware of the fact that election offices work throughout the year. “It is a year long process and any changes can be made all year long,” added Suranjana.