While the State and national level political parties are busy with the electioneering and announcing candidates, independent candidates feel like fish out of water. While the Election Commission has announced a single window system for the convenience of candidates at www.elections.tn.gov.in, some candidates say it has a cumbersome procedure or does not have options to meet their requirements.
“Establishing a helpdesk at the District Collectorate and at a nodal centre in every Assembly segment will be of help to independent candidates and motivate more independent candidates to contest the elections,” says independent candidate D. Venugopal contesting from Udhagamandalam Assembly segment.
According to him, a sizeable number of independent candidates are aged persons contesting for the first time.
“While leading political parties are just announcing their candidates, we already have started campaigning and are also the first to experience a host of difficulties,” he says.
Mr. Venugopal says that the online single window system has options for candidates to choose places for conducting processions, public meeting and vehicle campaigns, but a candidate could only choose one place a day.
Also, he adds that a place like Udhagamandalam has places deprived of even internet connectivity.
This forces candidates run from pillar to post to the police stations and office of the returning officer to get permission for their campaigns. The 63-year-old says that there are nine police stations in the Udhagamandalam Assembly segment.
There is handicap for candidates on knowing the jurisdiction of the police station under which a place he is going to campaign is located.
“We have to go twice or thrice to a police station and then to the revenue officials to get permission for campaigning,” he says. He adds that this is a tiresome process for the aged candidates who try to make use of optimum time for campaigning. Worst is lack of clarity on the procedures and norms with the police and revenue officials and lack of coordination among them, he says. Retired deputy superintendent of police S. Dharmaraj (64), who is contesting from Coonoor Assembly segment, says that he is yet to get clarity on need for permission to distribute pamphlets for campaigning.
“Establishing a helpdesk at the District Collectorate and at a nodal centre in every Assembly segment will be of help to independent candidates and motivate more independent candidates to contest the elections,” says independent candidate D. Venugopal contesting from Udhagamandalam Assembly segment.
According to him, a sizeable number of independent candidates are aged persons contesting for the first time.
“While leading political parties are just announcing their candidates, we already have started campaigning and are also the first to experience a host of difficulties,” he says.
Mr. Venugopal says that the online single window system has options for candidates to choose places for conducting processions, public meeting and vehicle campaigns, but a candidate could only choose one place a day.
Also, he adds that a place like Udhagamandalam has places deprived of even internet connectivity.
This forces candidates run from pillar to post to the police stations and office of the returning officer to get permission for their campaigns. The 63-year-old says that there are nine police stations in the Udhagamandalam Assembly segment.
There is handicap for candidates on knowing the jurisdiction of the police station under which a place he is going to campaign is located.
“We have to go twice or thrice to a police station and then to the revenue officials to get permission for campaigning,” he says. He adds that this is a tiresome process for the aged candidates who try to make use of optimum time for campaigning. Worst is lack of clarity on the procedures and norms with the police and revenue officials and lack of coordination among them, he says. Retired deputy superintendent of police S. Dharmaraj (64), who is contesting from Coonoor Assembly segment, says that he is yet to get clarity on need for permission to distribute pamphlets for campaigning.