Poll jamboree amid COVID-19; collector winds it up mid-way

Election to pick administrative panel of Vamanapuram Coop Bank sees over 4,000 voters queuing up; Collector stops polling 3 hours and 1,400 votes later

Published: 16th March 2020 01:28 AM | Last Updated: 16th March 2020 06:29 AM | A+A A-

People wear masks as preventive measure against coronavirus.

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the persuasive skills employed by the district administration to convince people in the district of the need to avoid public gatherings and confine themselves to home except when totally unavoidable, the seriousness of the situation was apparently lost on a section of officials.

This seemingly ‘deliberate’ ignorance meant that an election was held in Vamanapuram town here to pick the administrative panel of Vamanapuram Cooperative Bank which saw several hundred people queuing up to cast their ballots, thereby making a complete mockery of the standing order issued by the authorities.

The polls opened at 8 am and voting went on till 11 am before it was stopped by the district collector.

The bank has been run by an administrative committee after the Cooperative Election Committee had stalled the election proceedings about 16 months ago.

But the election was held on Sunday after the previous governing body moved the court and secured a favourable verdict.

The bank has around 6,400 members and more than 4,000 of them had turned up to cast their votes.

According to a source, 1,400 voters exercised their franchise before the collector put his foot down.

“Those votes will be sealed and kept away safely. The remaining voters will be given another chance. The date of the next round of the election will be announced later,” said an official.

With COVID casting its shadow, a section of the voters had some misgivings about coming to the polling booth set up at the Vamanapuram UP School.

However, political leaders compelled them to come to the polling booth overlooking their objection, said one of them.

The political parties passed the buck to the Cooperative Election Committee saying the onus was on the latter to reschedule the polling date in the wake of the COVID-19 threat.

“Earlier, the stakeholders had decided that those lining up to cast their ballots will stand apart at least a metre of one another. But as the crowd swelled, this could not be ensured,” said a police source.

The bank was under the rule of the Congress-led panel for the last 30 years and this time around the Left Front-led panel is expected to provide a stiff challenge.

The police source said apart from voters, party workers too had assembled in large numbers outside the polling booth to witness the proceedings.