Jamnagar:
Police personnel deployed for election duty in Gujarat began casting their votes through postal ballot as part of the special arrangement made by the Election Commission, a senior officer said.
"Over 2,000 police personnel and home guards who shall be going on duty in upcoming elections have begun exercising their franchise, as part of a special arrangement made here," Jamnagar District Election Officer N B Upadhayay told PTI.
Elections will be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 13 and 17 and counting of votes on December 20.
The election commission has made special arrangement for voluntary voting by the police personnel in two camps at Jamnagar and Jam Khambaliya, around 60 km from Jamnagar, he said.
While the camp at Jamnagar was held today the one at Jam Khambaliya is slated for tomorrow.
According to Upadhyay, there are around 2,373 police personnel enrolled themselves for exercising their constitutional right.
The Election Commission has directed that all police personnel in the state who are covered under the notification issued by the state government in terms of Section 28A of the RP Act 1951, at every election, would be treated as personnel on election duty and hence would be entitled to vote through postal ballot.
Seven Assembly constituencies Kalavad, Jamnagar rural, Jamnagar North, Jamnagar South, Jamjodhpur, Khambaliya and Dwarka in Jamnagar will go to polls in the first phase on December 13.
State unit BJP president R C Faldu is among the prominent leaders to test political waters from Jamnagar Rural. Congress has fielded Raghavji Patel against Faldu.