CHENNAI: After the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had said that senior and disabled citizens may exercise their franchise through postal ballots due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Opposition parties have expressed displeasure claiming that this method might be exploited. Political analysts and observers also endorse the view and say, any possible manipulation of postal ballots could influence outcome in at least a handful of Assembly constituencies.
According to the latest data provided by the ECI, some 13.75 lakh voters are eligible to vote through postal ballots in 2021 Assembly polls. This works out to an average of just 5,876 votes in each of the State’s 234 constituencies. However, in the 2016 Assembly elections, the margin of victory in 14 seats was less than 1,000 votes. Analysts say this may impel parties to target such voters and try to buy their votes.
Veteran political analyst ‘Tharasu’ Shyam blames both Dravidian majors for making the ‘cash-for-votes’ ploy common in the State, with the party in power usually having the upper hand. “Postal ballots will make it even more easier for parties to purchase votes,” he said.
M Appavu of the DMK, who is engaged in a legal battle over the 2016 election results in Radhapuram constituency, concurred with this assessment, adding that those controlling government machinery have an edge with regard to the deceptive tactics. However, pointing to his own experience, Appavu says that an equally important concern is that the returning officer (RO) may reject votes cast for opposition candidates. “In my case, the RO rejected over 400 postal votes claiming that there were no gazetted signatures on them. But, the State government had already nullified that requirement.
After admitting my argument, the Supreme Court ordered a recount of postal ballots and I won by 98 votes. But, the apex court stayed the case without disclosing the results,” he added. Veteran journalist T Kooda-larasan pointed out that this was the case in Bihar. “If lakhs of people are allowed to use postal ballots it will be a game-changer, mostly benefiting the party in power as most ROs obey their masters to protect jobs. The discretionary power of ROs would play a more crucial role than peoples’ power here. It would be a big threat to democracy,” he said.
On the other hand, Shyam admits that amid the pandemic, postal ballots are necessary for senior citizens, who face a greater risk of contagion. “So, instead of merely opposing postal ballots, Opposition parties should explore ways in which the method can be made more secure and less vulnerable to exploitation,” he said. While no officer from the ECI could be reached to explain how postal ballots will be protected from manipulation, the Commission had defended the method ahead of the Bihar polls.
According to reports, in a letter to CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar had said that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, allowed the ECI to decide on postal votes in consultation with the government. He mentioned that the Commission had piloted the facility in Jharkhand and Delhi polls.