MPs and MLAs voting for the next President will have to leave their personal pens outside and use a coded pen. The pens have a uniform colour code so that the identity of the voters is not revealed. The pens will also ensure secrecy of ballots.
To maintain ultimate secrecy of the ballot, MPs and MLAs who would be casting their ballots for the Presidential elections today will have to submit their personal pens before entering the voting chamber. Instead, they will be issued unique, serial-numbered special pens with violet ink.
In a letter sent by the Election Commission on July 15 to the Lok Sabha Secretary General and returning officer for the Presidential Polls as well as all assisting returning officers, it was said that the pens will help in maintaining the secrecy of the ballots. This will also hide the identity of the voting MPs/MLAs from getting identified at the time of counting. This will also ensure uniformity in marking of ballots.
Incidentally, a list of do's and dont's have also been put up for the voters to follow for the first time. These include mandates on maintaining secrecy of ballot and using ECI pens. Polling has started in 32 polling stations across the country, one of them being in Room no 62 of Parliament House and 31 in each state assembly. According to sources, the ballot paper will be in 2 colours- green has to be used by the MPs and the pink has to be used by the MLAs. In fact, the EC has allowed 14 Rajya Sabha MPs and 41 Lok Sabha MPs to vote from various state assemblies. These mostly include the Trinamool MPs who will be voting in the West Bengal assembly. While 5 of its MLAs will vote from the Parliament, 4 MLAs will be voting from other State Capitals.
