Voters get free conveyance

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 14

Free conveyance to voters — to and from the polling stations — was a common sight during the civic body elections today. In the last-minute effort to woo voters, candidates and their supporters were seen providing shuttle service at polling stations.

Cars, rickshaws and mini-pickup trucks arranged by candidates were available at polling stations in Rajpura. Voters were picked up from their respective houses and dropped back after they casted their votes.

Outside one of the polling stations at Government High Smart School, Rajpura, voters were ferried inside polling station in cars and two-wheelers to cast their votes. One of the drivers, who was standing outside the polling station, said: “A candidate has asked me to pick and drop voters no matter how far their house is. I have already dropped over 50 voters till 2 pm.”

At another polling station in Government Co-Ed School, NTC, supporters of a candidate had kept a two-wheeler on the polling station premises. They used this vehicle to drop voters on the doorstep of the polling station, thereby flouting the rule of ‘no canvassing’ within 100 metres.

One of the Congress supporters said: “We are only helping voters so that they can cast votes comfortably. There is nothing wrong with this. We were not asking them to vote for us.”

Meanwhile, voters, who were ferried by candidates, said as they didn’t have any vehicle at their home so they came in cars provided by candidates and their supporters.