Virendra Gahwai, Bilaspur. The High Court has given instructions to the Election Commission to make arrangements for the 78-year-old elderly woman to cast her vote through postal ballot. An elderly woman had filed a petition in the High Court for voting through postal ballot, after which the Bilaspur High Court gave this decision.
The High Court has said in an important decision that voting is the constitutional and fundamental right of the people of India. No one can be deprived of this. A single bench of Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey has directed the Election Commission to make arrangements for the 78-year-old woman resident of Bilaspur to cast her vote through postal ballot. The court has also said that local disability certificate cannot be asked every time from anyone who is unable to walk due to any reason. If the Election Commission or the District Administration wishes, it can also investigate the applications for voting through postal ballot in such cases, but arrangements for voting will have to be made.
In fact, 78-year-old Sarla Srivastava, resident of Mungeli Road, Bilaspur, had filed a petition in the High Court, in which it was told that besides being elderly, she is also an arthritis patient. Not able to walk. Therefore, they should be allowed to vote through postal ballot. He had also applied to Bilaspur District Election Officer for permission to vote through postal ballot, but it was rejected citing rules.
It was told in the petition that the District Election Officer rejected the application for postal ballot saying that the government has changed the electoral rules for elderly voters to vote through postal ballot. Now only elderly voters above 85 years of age will be able to vote through postal ballot. Earlier, people above 80 years of age were eligible for this facility. For this, the Election Conducting Rules 1961 were amended. The petitioner said in his petition that voting is a constitutional right for Indians. No one can be deprived of this. The Health Department has also issued a medical certificate for the petitioner, in which it is clear that Sarla Srivastava is not able to walk.