Chandigarh: Learning from the “pen controversy” that rocked the voting during the Haryana Rajya sabha elections last year, the Election Commission of India has provided a special pen to be used for voting to elect the President of India tomorrow.
While only still photography would be allowed at the polling booth, sources said the election staff had been doubly alerted to check legislators from taking their pens or phones inside the booth located inside the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.
“We are not allowed to frisk the MLAs but will try and ensure they leave pens and mobiles before they go in to vote. Voting will take place from 10 am to 5 pm after which the ballot boxes will be sealed and placed inside the strong room,” said Pankaj Aggarwal, Assistant returning officer (ARO) for the Presidential election. An IAS officer of the 2000 batch, he was asked to conduct the elections in place of Haryana Vidhan Sabha secretary Rajender Kumar Nandal, who had conducted the controversial Rajya Sabha poll .
While the Election Commission has sent Anil Sant as the election observer to Haryana, Anuj Jaipuriar has been sent by the EC to watch the poll process. Once the election is complete, the ballot boxes will be taken to the Lok Sabha on July 18 for counting.
Sources maintained that in view of the “bomb scare” in the UP Assembly, the Police Department had been asked to make fool-proof security arrangements for tomorrow’s polling.