Practicing Success
These days, the method of recording voters' preferences has evolved from its initial form. In the early days, during the first general election, a different approach was adopted. Each polling booth had separate boxes for candidates, with the candidate's election symbol displayed. Voters were provided with blank ballot papers, which they had to drop into the box of their chosen candidate. The process involved the use of around 20 lakh steel boxes. |
According to the presiding officer from Punjab, what languages were used to display the candidate's name on the ballot boxes? |
Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi English, Bengali, and Telugu Gujarati, Marathi, and Tamil Malayalam, Kannada, and Oriya |
Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi |
A presiding officer from Punjab shared his experience of preparing the ballot boxes. He described how each box had to display the candidate's symbol and name in Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi, along with other relevant details such as the constituency, polling station, and booth. A paper seal, signed by the presiding officer, was inserted in the token frame, and its window was closed using a door fixed in place with a wire. Prior to this, the boxes had to be rubbed with sandpaper or brick. The entire process of preparing the boxes took several hours, with the assistance of six individuals, including the presiding officer's two daughters. This elaborate method was followed for the first two elections. |