2024 LS polls: Kerala LoP seeks transparency in 'Vote from Home' facility

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala opposition leader V D Satheesan on Wednesday approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding measures to check the possible misuse of the 'Vote from Home' facility announced for senior citizens and differently-abled persons during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In a letter sent to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul, the senior Congress leader requested him to address the complaints and concerns regarding the VfH facility intended for senior citizens who are aged 85 years and above as well as those belonging to the differently-abled category, which he claimed was widely misused during the 2021 assembly polls.

To avoid any discrepancies, other identification documents including Aadhar should be made mandatory instead of considering the Election ID card as the sole authentic document to verify the age of those who cast their vote from home, he suggested.

Seeking to ensure transparency and honesty in the voting process, Satheesan further said that steps should be taken to inform the polling agents of the candidates in advance about the VfH schedule and to ensure that voting is conducted in the presence of booth level agents of respective political parties.

In the letter, the LoP also demanded that strict instructions should be given to keep the postal votes in ballot boxes instead of sealed envelopes.

The Election Commission has announced April 26 as the polling date for Kerala's 20 Lok Sabha constituencies.