Citizens for Democracy (CfD) secretary N. Ramesh Kumar, on Saturday, welcomed the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s order to keep the ward and village volunteers away from voter solicitation and hoped that the government and the Chief Secretary would comply with the ECI’s directive with immediate effect.
The CfD has been forthright in its demand to keep the nearly three lakh volunteers away from the poll process, Mr. Kumar stated in a press release, while alleging that the volunteers are aligned with the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to further its vested political interests.
The volunteers’ involvement in voter profiling, which is violative of the fundamental Right to Privacy, direct solicitation of voters, and even inducements and threatening the voters to vote for YSRCP was duly brought to the ECI’s notice, he added.
Subsequently, the CfD filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking directions to keep the volunteers away from the distribution of benefits and to make alternate arrangements for it.
