SHILLONG: Around 500 home guards and police personnel could not cast their votes owing to confusion over postal ballot.
A home guard said they were sent to the election duty but the superiors did not inform them about filing a form for postal ballot.
“They told us that we just have to show our release order and we will be allowed for postal ballot but today when we went to cast our votes, they said we can’t go for postal ballot as they needed certain forms,” said a home guard. On the other hand, Director General, Civil Defence and Home Guards R Awasthi said all the personnel were briefed on several occasions about the entire process of postal ballot even as he said there may have been few cases where some personnel could not file their postal ballot.
When contacted, Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor said he was not aware of the matter as of now. However, he added that all the government employees who are on duty and cast their votes through postal ballot must submit the form 12 days before voting.
He also said no one has been denied the right to cast vote and the process was open for anyone to fill up the form and put their postal ballot.