AIZAWL: Mizoram’s main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF)blamed the state government over the voting rights of over 1,000 police and held the government responsible for the inability of the police personnel to exercise their voting rights in the Lok Sabha polls held on April 19.
Speaking to reporters, MNF senior vice president and former health minister R Lalthangliana said there was ample chance for arranging postal ballot for the police personnel before they went on election duty to three states- Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
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He alleged that the policemen were deprived of their voting rights as no arrangement was made to enable them to exercise their franchise before they left for duty.
He blamed the government for its alleged failure in the arrangement of postal ballot facilities for the police personnel.
Had the government determined to enable the policemen to exercise their voting rights, a request could be sought from the Election Commission to defer the Mizoram Lok Sabha polls to be held in the third phase or later instead of sending out the police personnel to other states as per the instruction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Lalthangliana said.
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He alleged that the voting rights of 1,047 police personnel had been suppressed as the government did not take any concrete measure to enable them to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha polls.
While steps have been taken by the police department to enable the police personnel, who had gone on election duty to exercise their franchise, no steps have been taken on the part of the government, Lalthangliana further alleged.
About 1,047 police personnel who had gone to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have failed to exercise their voting rights in the Lok Sabha polls.
State election department said that it had requested the Election Commission two times to arrange voting facilities for the personnel but the Central poll panel had rejected the request.
It also said that no voting facilities could be arranged for the police personnel as they have to leave for their duty places immediately as per instruction from the MHA.
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It said that soon after it received a direction from the MHA, it had written to the Election Commission, which sent its reply very late.
By the time the police personnel were about to leave for duty as per instruction from the MHA, the withdrawal of candidature was not over and the final list of the candidates was yet to be finalised, the department also said.