Hyderabad: Do's & don'ts spelt for polling/election agents

Hyderabad: The GHMC, which sees polling elect its 150 corporators for its council on December 1, said on Friday that Union and State ministers and legislators with or without security will not be allowed to become polling/elections agents.

An official release said municipal mayors/deputy mayors, chairpersons/vice-chairpersons, corporators or council members are also not allowed to be agents. It listed other ineligible persons to become agents as: ZP chairmen, MPP presidents, sarpanches, members of MPP, ZPP, elected chairmen of national/State/district organisations. The list also includes chairpersons of Central/State government organisations, public prosecutors/assistant public prosecutors, besides government employees. According to the release, persons appointed as agents should possess voter cards (EPIC) and should be residents of the area falling under the polling station.

On the election day, polling booths should be 200 metres away from the polling station. The booth should have a table, two chairs and an umbrella/tarpaulin to cover two persons. It can arrange a 3x4 ½ ft banner with the name of the candidate/party/symbol.

The polling booths should have the written permission of local authorities. Those manning the booths should produce the permission letters to the police/officials on demand. There should be no polling campaign on the voting day within 100 metres of a booth.

The release said mobile phones/cordless phones/wireless sets should not be used inside as a polling booth and within 100 metres.

Only election observers, presiding officers/returning officers/security staff are permitted to possess mobile phones.

According to the release, each contestant would be allowed to move in only one vehicle within the ward area.

The candidates' agents, activists and political leaders would not be allowed to use vehicles. The vehicles allotted to a candidate should not be used by any other candidate. Movement of voters either directly/indirectly in vehicles from the polling stations would be treated as an offence.