Lok Sabha passes proxy voting Bill

The Lok Sabha today passed a Bill providing proxy voting rights to armed force personnel amid resistance from the Opposition members who said it violated the secrecy of ballot.

However, the amendment to the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, was passed by a voice vote in a House marked with thin Opposition attendance late in the evening. Replying to the debate, Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the Bill had been brought in pursuant to the demand by a section of the defence forces. Nearly 90 per cent of the armed forces was disfranchised because of procedural difficulties in casting vote but now they will be able to do so through an authorised person. Till now they only had the system of postal ballot available to them.

The Government has decided to provide an option to the members of the armed forces ‘‘to vote either in person or through the system of postal ballot or through the system of proxy,’’ the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill said. The Opposition demanded an all-party meeting to evolve consensus on the Bill, saying that the exercise of franchise was a non-transferable right and violated the Constitution.