GUWAHATI, July 8 - The Communist Party of India (CPI) has opposed the concept of digital election campaign and grant of postal ballot rights to citizens above the age of 65 years.
�We are opposed to these two things. Digital propaganda during election campaign will be extremely expensive. It will deprive the political parties of a level playing field. Now the Ministry of Law and Justice, by amending the Election Code Rule, 1961, has extended the facility of voting through postal ballot to the electorate above 65 years of age as well as those affected by novel coronavirus. This will lead to malpractices and foul play by the parties which are in power and have resources. These two things, if allowed to go ahead, will definitely jeopardise the democratic process of free and fair elections,� CPI Assam State Council secretary Munin Mahanta said.
The Centre had recently notified amendments to the election rules to extend the facility of postal ballot to voters above 65 years of age and to those who are suffering from COVID-19.
The Ministry of Law and Justice notified the Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules 2020, which will make the extension of the postal ballot facility in the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The decision follows the Election Commission of India�s proposal made in June in which it had requested the ministry to enlarge the ambit of use of postal ballot facility to people aged 65 years, reducing it from 80 years, and those under quarantine or home isolation due to Covid-19.
The CPI also wants a return to the old system of using paper ballots in place of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
�Most of the political parties and people of India have raised questions about reliability of EVMs. Most of the developed countries across the world are nowadays again starting to use the old ballot system,� Mahanta said.
The CPI has also opposed holding of by-elections to the Rangapara and Sibsagar Assembly constituencies, which are currently lying vacant due to the demise of the respective legislators.
Mahanta said that the next Assembly elections in Assam are scheduled to be held by April-May next year and the State is now under the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. �So there is no reason to hold by-polls to the two vacant seats,� he added.