THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Party workers are disappointed over the news that their dear comrade V S Achuthanandan, whose mere presence would further enhance the enthusiasm of party cadres, is not able to vote in this election due to strict direction of physicians to stay at home and not to travel. Earlier, the pioneer leader of CPM always used to vote in every election, after reaching at Alappuzha with his entire family. The responses made by him, after casting votes were enough to tilt the voter sentiments in a conducive way to the party and the front. Even his smile was adequate to make a regime change. But today he is resting at his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram.

The veteran CPM stalwart has filed an application before the commission for postal votes a week before the polls, but the poll panel rejected it citing that postal votes could be only allowed for covid 19 patients and for those serving quarantine. However, the commission has amended the poll laws in 1961 and has inserted the provision of postal voting for senior citizens above the age of 65 years. Now the relevant question that is being raised is whether the state election commission has not considered this amendment while taking up VS’s plea for postal voting? The central poll panel has told the Supreme Court on the applicability of the law when the court took up a similar petition.