HUBALLI: Many citizens had to face inconvenience due to candidates taking out huge rallies, shouting slogans, bursting crackers, distributing pamphlets and blocking roads while filing nomination papers for the assembly election. Many people were stuck in traffic for long durations out in the scorching sun due to the traffic diversions imposed due to the processions.
Many of the affected people were cursing the system among themselves and did not openly express their views. Some people however have used social media platforms to expressed their disappointment over candidates filing their nominations manually. They have also demanded that an online process for filing nomination.
Now, two youths from North
Karnataka have moved a step ahead by approaching the
Election Commission to begin the online nomination process from the 2019 Lok Sabha elections itself.
Environmentalist Lingaraj
Niduvani, a resident of Sherewad village of Hubballi taluk, told TOI that he observed increased air and sound pollution and traffic jams during the nomination filing process. "There are other issues such as bringing paid workers and providing them food and liquor, which are completely illegal. These practices have remained due to the offline nomination system. If the process goes online, such issues can automatically come to a halt," he added.
Manojkumar M S, a software engineer from Davanagere who along with Niduvani approached the Election Commission, said that online application process has been introduced for all job recruitments right from group D posts to civil services.
"Job aspirants are uploading all the required documents before the last date mentioned by the authorities. Why can't it be done for election nominations too? One should note that the government offices designated for nomination are being shut for the public and routine works are being hampered. Even officials who do not interact with the public are under tremendous pressure during nomination. If this offline nomination is scraped, commoners will be the major beneficiaries," he added.
The duo said that Karnataka chief election officer
Sanjiv Kumar was happy to receive their memorandum and suggested that the memorandum could have been submitted before the assembly elections. "He said he would forward it to the
Election Commission of India and try to ensure our recommendations are implemented by next year's Lok Sabha election," they said.
"If we get a positive response from the EC, we will join hands with likeminded organisations and help the commission. If we don't get any response, we will file an RTI application seeking documents pertaining to the action taken on our plea," they said.
Representative image