Prez Poll: Ballot boxes from states fly to Delhi as passengers!

Mr Ballot Box from Mumbai!

Absurd it may sound but it is actually a fact. The Ballot Boxes for the Presidential elections - when they are transported from state capitals to New Delhi are actually booked as passengers.

The Ballot Box is placed on a seat in the aircraft and does not go in the cargo hold - for reasons of safety and security and prevent any kind of tampering.

"The Ballot Box is booked as a passenger," officials in the Maharashtra Legislature told Deccan Herald on Monday.

As far as Maharashtra is concerned, the Ballot Box will be carried by Dr Anant Kalse, Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Legislature and Assistant Returning Officer, R J Kudtarkar, Deputy Secretary and Assistant Returning Officer and MM Kaj, Joint Secretary (II).

In an intimation letter to Anoop Mishra, Returning Officer for election to the office of the President of India-2017 and Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Parliament House, the Maharashtra Government had intimated that: ".....The tickets of J-Class of the above-mentioned officers and of the Ballot Box from Mumbai to New Delhi have been purchased for the onward journey."

The ticket is generally booked as Mr Ballot Box as far as Maharashtra is concerned.

In fact, the Ballot Box right from its journey from New Delhi to Mumbai or other state capitals and back involves extreme security and care.

Four to five days before the polls, officials from Maharashtra Legislature visit New Delhi to collect the box and bring back. After reaching Mumbai, the box is escorted to the specially constructed strong room' of Vidhan Bhavan under tight security.

The Vidhan Bhavan strong room is guarded 24x7 by in-house security and Mumbai Police and kept under the stringent vigil of CCTV cameras as well. On the day of the polls, the box is taken out from the strong room and placed in the polling room. After the polls are over, the mouth of the box is sealed - locked and once again is kept in the strong room - before it is taken out for onward journey to the national capital.