Voters in Gorakhpur seek right to reject
In a unique case, some voters sought to exercise their right to reject during polling in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections Second Phase on Saturday. However, with no such provision in electoral laws, they were allowed to put on record their decision to abstain from voting as they did not consider any candidate deserving enough.
Polling officials were taken by surprise when some half a dozen voters came down to their polling booths and demanded endorsement of their right to reject all candidates in the fray in Gorakhpur.
The incident occurred in Janata Intermediate College in the Chargava area of this city in eastern Uttar Pradesh where 60–year–old Draupadi Mani Tripathi, her son Dhananjay Mani Tripathi and daughter-in-law Nutan Tripathi went up to the presiding officer seeking to exercise their right to reject under the provisions of Rule 49 (O) of the Representation of People Act. Even though such a right was not enshrined in the ballot system, the rule prescribes for a register to be kept at polling stations in which any voter is entitled to express his wish not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray. Close on their heels, three young men also followed course at the same polling centre.
