HimVani
Shimla: Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Anand Sharma had to face some embarrassment when he was refused to cast his vote at a polling booth in Shimla this morning, as he was not carrying his voter identity card or any other proof of identity.
However, the matter was sorted out later as he was able to procure his I-card. The minister, alleged that his voter I-card was not as per the specification and said he would lodge a complaint with the election commission. His name was also found registered at two polling stations.
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The minister thought that he’ll be able to walk in royally and would be welcomed and garlanded. Well, good job and kudos to the officers who denied him voting without an identity proof and did not bow to his whims. Let him complaint to the EC.
And was it only on the Election day that he found discrepancies in his Voter I-Card? Could he not have got it rectified earlier? Hmmmm. Some food for thought.
Kudos , to the polling officer who sticked to the rules and did not bend it for an influential figure like Anand Sharma.
By the way I have seen Anand Sharma many times on TV, don’t really know what he has done for Himachal sitting in Delhi for decades. Editors, can we have some story on this ?
Keeping rules aside for a sec ! Does an MP at Parliament really need to show an Identity Proof while casting his vote?
Imean this I just write out of wonder. I think every system should have these little exceptions just not to make life complicated.
Oh yes! Why? Can’t there be impostors? If an MP has to show his I-Card while entering the Parliament, why should he not carry an I-Card while casting his vote. All may not recognise Anand Sharma. I haven’t met him face to face. Remember, last year, a Shatrughan Sinha look-alike walked into the Parliament without any security checks just because he looked alike. After that Parliament has made rules stringent and nobody can walk in without an identity card.
It’s not about making life complicated, rather easy. What if a look-alike of Anand Sharma casts his vopte on his behalf, and later the real Anand Sharma walks in and demands to vote. All the polling officers would be terminated immediately, for allowing an impostor to cast his vote.
Bogus voting happens at all places. People find at the polling station that somebody else has already voted in their place. But nobody cares about that. But if anybody had voted in Anand Sharma’s place, all the officers present there must have found their job in soup. So it’s good that these rules should be followed.
Keeping life simple for whom? Sir in this country rules are always bent for the influential and powerful people. It is good to see that the polling officer followed the rules inspite of a minister walking in.
My only point is that Anand Sharma is not a Chana Vendor at Mall Road, he is a Union Minister , Govt. of India. I think if people at polling booth in Shimla do not recognize Anand Sharma, they do not qualify working for EC. It shall be a recruitement scam
But I agree, all the points above are right. Rule is rule.
The official needs praise for standing against the Minister. Netaji had to cut a sorry figure as he had invited the Delhi TV media to film him while voting. Well, pictures of Central Ministers casting their vote is a good photo op.
My only worry, if the Congress returns to power the official is not placed under punishment posting. EC should have some safe guards for such incidents.
The polling officials did their duty and the minister got hold of his voter Identity card and cast his franchise under the glare of the media is all done for the gallery.
But the point is, being a union minister Anand Sharma, should be the first among equals to show the way for the people that voter identity card is a must for voting and not flaunting his personality that all in the country know him and he need not abide simple rules that have been made mandatory by the Election Commission.
It certainly required guts on the part of the official or the polling agents who opposed the minister from voting at the Longwood Polling booth to cast his vote without and identity proof, especially after there was goof up about his name figuring at two places.
It may be the high and the mighty, but rules and laws should be equal for everyone.
It is only hoped that the election commission will stand by its poll officers and not let the government employee become a victim of the minister wrath, should it surface in some other form.