On 9 January, the Opposition in AP lodged complaints with the Chief Election Commissioner about manipulation of voter lists by Sachivalayam employees and volunteers.
Published Feb 15, 2024 | 7:00 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 15, 2024 | 7:18 PM
These directives originated from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 1 February. (Wikimedia Commons)
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh, Mukesh Kumar Meena, issued a “no objection” order on 14 February for the deployment of Village/Ward Sachivalayam employees and volunteers for polling duties, albeit with certain conditions.
These directives, originating from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 1 February, prompted the CEO to issue specific instructions to all collectors and District Election Officers (DEOs) in the state, urging them to take necessary actions accordingly.
As per the Election Commission’s orders, volunteers are barred from participating in any election-related work. Village/Ward Sachivalayam workers, however, are limited to miscellaneous tasks.
This order follows a 9 January meeting in Vijayawada, where TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, lodged complaints with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar about the manipulation of voter lists by volunteers and Village/Ward Sachivalayam employees in favour of the ruling YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh.
The Election Commission’s order stipulates that Village/Ward Sachivalayam employees can only be assigned duties for miscellaneous work, such as applying indelible ink to voters and handling sundry jobs during elections. Each polling station can have a maximum of one eligible regular Village/Ward employee for such miscellaneous tasks.
Under specific conditions, Village/Ward Sachivalayam employees deployed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for electoral roll preparations shall not be assigned polling duties due to their other responsibilities on polling day.
In a noteworthy development, providing a boost for Opposition parties amid claims of volunteers favouring the ruling party in campaign activities related to welfare schemes, the fresh order restricts Village/Ward Volunteers from being deployed for any election-related work or acting as polling agents for any candidate, as directed earlier.
The orders have issued to all the District Collectors regarding the deployment modalities of Village/Ward Sachivalayam employees’ secretariat staff.
Read our earlier report on the concerns raised about voter-profiling by volunteers appointed by the ruling government.
Activists, including Citizens for Democracy (CFD), an NGO — initiated by former bureaucrats including former high court Justice Bhavani Prasad, former Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, and former Chief Secretary LV Subramanyam — along with Jana Chaitanya Vedika, have been expressing concerns about potential misuse of the local government machinery during YS Jagan’s tenure in preparing electoral rolls.
The CFD commends the ECI’s move, viewing it as a response to apprehensions regarding the deployment of tainted Village/Ward secretariat staff in electoral duties. This measure ensures that they are kept away from such duties, addressing the demand consistently made by CFD.
V Lakshman Reddy, President of Jana Chaitanya Vedika, tells South First that he believes this step guarantees transparency and fairness in the polling process, restoring confidence among voters, and citizens at large.
