The decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for extending the postal ballot facility for the first time bringing journalists under the essential services voter category in poll-bound Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, has been appreciated by various media rights bodies including the Indian Journalists Union (IJU).
Mentionable is that ahead of assembly elections in four states and one union territory, the autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India, has allowed postal ballot facility for senior citizens above 80 years, people with disabilities, Covid-19 positive (also suspected and quarantined) individuals and people employed in essential services to enable them to vote.
Media persons (authorized by ECI for the poll day) have been brought under the essential services category facilitating them to exercise their franchise. Addressing the long-pending grievance of media persons, the ECI has introduced the provision, said IJU president K Sreenivas Reddy and secretary-general Balwinder Singh Jammu, adding that the media fraternity should utilize the opportunity and perform a sacred duty in a democracy.
