Chennai, May 7:
Madras High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Election Commission of India and the Tamil Nadu government on a PIL alleging that inadequate transport arrangements and lapses in postal ballot facilities deprived lakhs of people of their voting rights during the Assembly elections.
A Division Bench comprising Justices S Sounthar and PB Balaji directed the respondents to file their replies and adjourned the matter to June for further hearing.
The PIL was filed by S Devadoss Gandhi Wilson, a 61-year-old resident of Valasaravakkam, who contended that government employees on election duty and workers in essential services, including transport staff, were unable to return to their hometowns to vote and also faced difficulties in utilising postal ballot facilities.
The petitioner pointed out that in Chennai district alone, only 32,447 out of 52,047 postal ballots were cast, leaving more than 17,000 votes unpolled.
He further alleged that the shortage of government buses during the April 23 Assembly elections caused widespread inconvenience across districts and prevented many voters from exercising their franchise. The plea also accused the State Transport Department and Southern Railway of failing to ensure adequate travel arrangements and sought the constitution of a commission to inquire into the lapses.