Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland has directed all presiding officers, polling officials and district election machinery to ensure free and fair poll and that no proxy voting is done in any polling stations.
In a communiqué the office of CEO Nagaland however mentioned that exception will be made only for those “authorized to vote as proxy for an elector under any law for the time being in force” to vote as a proxy for such elector.
CEO also reminded that as per Article 326 of the Indian Constitution only those Indian citizens who are not less than 18 years of age are granted adult suffrage and registered as a voter at any such election, and who is not otherwise disqualified under the Constitution or law etc, is entitled to vote in that constituency as per Section 62 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
The communiqué also cited Sections 171C, 171D and 171F of the Indian Penal Code as offences against whoever voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral rights ; commits the offence of undue influence at an election; whoever at an election applies for a voting paper or votes in the name of any other person, whether living or dead, or in a fictitious name, or who having voted once at such election applies at the same election for a voting paper in his own name, and whoever abets, procures or attempts to procure the voting by any person in any such way, commits the offence of personation at an election.
The CEO cautioned that whoever commits offence of undue influence or personation at an election shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
