Desam opposes EC rule

By Shariff Ameeruddin Ishaqui
Hyderabad, May 26: Telugu Desam on Monday challenged, the restrictions imposed by the Election Commission of India,in the AP High Court with regard to appointment of polling agents in the ensuing bye polls.
Justice L Narasimha Reddy will hear the petition on Tuesday.
Mr MA Shareef, general secretary of the TD, filed the writ petition seeking suspension of clause (i) and 3 (ii) in the letters issued by the Election Commission of India and consequent direction issued by the chief electoral Officer of the state relating to women polling stations.
The petitioner told the court that the EC has issued directions that the polling agents who are appointed by the contesting candidates should be ordinarily residents and electors of the concerned polling areas and such agents must have elector identity cards.In addition to that the EC also directed that only women polling agentswill be permitted in the 797 women polling stationsin 18 Assembly and two Parliament constituencies where bye poll is scheduled to be held on May 29.
He submitted that it is the first time the EC imposed these conditionswhich restricted the candidate to appoint pollingagents in the by-elections. The petitioner said the conditions of the EC were not practicable.
The TD informed the court that the eligibility for polling agents that who are registered electors and have an elector identity card or any other document issued by the government or its agency. Till date the contesting candidates have been following the requirement, but the recent directions of the EC restricting the candidates to appoint the agents from the concerned polling stations only.The petitioner contended that the appointment of women polling against is unreasonable. In many of the polling stations women may not come forward to sit as agents.