Odisha govt amends ZP election rules

Highlights

• Rules amended ahead of Zila Parishad chairman election
• An authorized agent of each political party will be allowed to verify the ballot papers

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Zila Parishad chairman election, the Odisha Government has made changes in Odisha Zilla Parishad Election Rules-1994.

The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government has amended the rules apprehending that their Zila Parishad members may indulge in cross voting ensuring defeat their candidate in the poll.

As per the amended rules, an authorized agent of each political party will be allowed to verify the ballot papers of his/her party members before they cast their votes.

A notification issued in this regard by the Panchayati Raj Department on March 8, 2017. The new rules will come into force on the date of its publication in the Odisha Gazette.

Every political party, whose members will cast vote for the election of the president or vice-president post, may appoint an authorized agent. The president and the general secretary of the State party/State unit of national political party will inform the Election Officer about the agent prior to the election day.

– Panchayati Raj Department

The new clauses, which have been incorporated after Rule 51 of the Odisha Zilla Parishad Election Rules, 1994, stated that the Election Officer will allow the authorized agents to verify as to whom elected members of their party have cast their votes.