‘Mr Ballot Box’ takes front row plane seat

New Delhi:Ballot boxes meant for use in Presidential polls ‘travel’ to all states and Union territories having legislative assemblies on a separate air ticket, ‘seated’ in the front row of aircraft next to the official transporting the poll materials from the Election Commission of India’s headquarters here to the states/UTs. In fact, the seat —a premium ‘J’ class one to accomodate the sheer size of the box — is booked in the name of ‘Mr Ballot Box’.

- Bharti Jain

On Tuesday, the EC started the countdown to July 18 polling for the Presidential election, with the distribution and dispatch of ballot boxes, ballot papers, special pens, and other sealed election materials to the state legislative assembly secretariats, including in Delhi and Puducherry.