IJU hails postal ballot for journos on duty

Basheerbagh: Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expressed happiness that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended postal ballot facility to journalists on election duty.

Addressing the long pending grievance of media persons the ECI has introduced a provision for postal ballot facility for the first time bringing journalists under the essential services voter category.

In a statement, IJU president K Sreenivas Reddy and Secretary General Balwinder Singh Jammu thanked the Commission for the gesture and urged journalists to utilize the postal ballot facility to exercise their franchise, a sacred duty of all in a democracy.

Ahead of assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, the ECI has allowed postal ballot facility for senior citizens above 80 years, people with disabilities, Covid-19 positive (also suspected and quarantined) individuals and persons employed in essential services to enable them to vote.

Media persons (authorised by ECI for the poll day) have also been brought under this category facilitating them to exercise their franchise. The IJU leaders called on the journalist fraternity to utilize this opportunity and participate in the essential process of democracy.