In respect of the collaboration of village and ward secretariat personnel and volunteers in election duties for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission has circulated consequential instructions of late.
In turn, it is accentuated by the Election Commission that the white-collar workers who lent their services as Booth Level Officers in times past, should not take part in polling obligations and as a replacement, they should be allotted auxiliary chores during the election.
But as per regular activities, village and ward secretariat staff should only be entrusted with applying ink to voters’ fingers and shouldn’t be given any other major election tasks.
It is also said by the EC that volunteers should not have the right to take part in any aspect of the election procedure, as well as polling agents for candidates and they are not allowed for election election duties at all. Considering the pros and cons of these principles, it is said by the Chief Electoral Officer to local officials that village and ward secretariat workforce can be appointed for election duties but should not be assigned primary work at the time of election.
However, the opposition parties claim that the new postulates released by the Election Commission offer them a comfort zone and tyrannically, it is a big jolt to the ruling YSRC.