Introduce online voting for senior citizens, physically-challenged persons: Ex-CEC Krishnamurthy

Bengaluru: Former Chief Election Commissioner of India T S Krishnamurthy on Monday suggested that an online voting facility be provided to senior citizens, physically-challenged persons and members of the uniformed services, to start with.

He also urged political parties to seriously explore the possibility of cutting down the number of physical public meetings and increasingly opt for online campaigning, leveraging the power of digital media.

Speaking to PTI, Krishnamurthy said that during his tenure as the head of the Election Commission of India, the proposal to give online voting options to senior citizens and physically challenged persons was examined and informal consultations were also held with IIT Madras.

But he said political parties had expressed reservations, citing the possible violation of privacy during voting.

"Though there are countries where internet voting is permitted, we have to carry on with the consent of political parties (in India). There is no point in introducing something over which they have reservations. But my own feeling is that at least initially senior citizens and handicapped people and those in uniformed services could all be given internet voting," he said.

"We should seriously think about it," Krishnamurthy said.

He also said with the strides that India has made on the digital front, political parties need to examine whether they can reduce the number of physical meetings for election campaigning. Right now, he said, India sees "so many" public meetings in the run-up to elections.

Recalling his visit to Mexico during election time, Krishnamurthy said he saw very few physical public meetings there, and most of the campaigning was on TV and online.

"These are the things we need to examine," he said. "But being a country of such a large size, we (India) have to take steps carefully. At least we can reduce (physical) campaigns and all that, so many criss-crossing, people going around. We should seriously consider it (reducing the number of physical campaign rallies) because it's promoting unnecessary hatred, violence and things like that," he added.