As many readers would be aware, the Supreme Court is
looking into the aspect of effective voting for armed forces personnel, including
voting at their places of posting.
The problem originates from the fact that the Election Commission
of India by way of an order has ordained that only personnel with more than 3
years of residence at their place of posting would be permitted to register as
general voters at the said place. Of course, this 3 year rule does not find
basis in any statute.
The case was listed today and it seems that the Apex
Court has directed in its interim directions that armed forces personnel would
be allowed to be registered as voters without insisting on the 3 year clause in
all those constituencies where the poll process has not yet commenced. The main
petition remains pending and may be decided by a larger bench.
Readers may like to view an opinion on the subject on StratPost.
More when the Supreme Court order is made available.
5 comments:
Congratulation all and salutes to Advocate Neela Gokhle. This is the big achievement, bigger than OROP/Rank Pay.
Dear Navdeep,
You have been time and again pointing out that it is the lower level Babudom and bureaucracy in MoD which harbors anti Army sentiments but the higher bureaucracy like secretaries etc have positive attitude.
Hovever, the committee of secretaries and the Cabinet Secretaries have given their negative recommendations in the case of Voting rights of the Services. It was the Committee of Secretaries who were responsible for putting the Services down in case of the VI Pay Commission. Has not it become very clear and obvious what these so called top people want. They can only talk well but act adversely.
Hope you carry a review of your impressions.
Dear Major Navdeep,
Highly benefitted from the articles written by you. Is it possible to meet you personally or via telephone.
Regards
CA Kanwaljit Singh Dhunna
98767-39911
Dear Navdeep,
There are too many defense bloggers and organisation as well wishers of Services fraternity.
I appeal to them including you to collect hard data and statics on number of possible Service Voters in each contonment as against the total strenght of the electorate and burst the bubble of " Services voters tipping equations". I am sure in the absence of hard data (electoral data is available on net) these silly arguments will weigh and persist.
Sir,
Way back in 99 I wrote in a leading english magazine (The week Sep 12, 1999), that, Soldiers to be permitted to cast their vote at the place of posting.
Thomas Manimala Parathara
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