Anganwadi workers to help verify identity of burqa-clad voters at booths: CEC on Bihar polls

Gyanesh Kumar said there are clear guidelines of the EC about the verification of identity inside polling booths and they will be strictly followed.

New Delhi: Aanganwadi workers will be present at all polling booths in Bihar during the upcoming Assembly polls to help verify the identity of burqa-clad voters, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday.

The elections for 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar will be held in two phases. (HT Archive)(HT_PRINT)

Responding to a question about ghungat and burqa clad women during a press conference for the announcement of the Bihar election schedule, Kumar said there are clear guidelines of the Election Commission about the verification of identity inside polling booths and they will be strictly followed.

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"Our anganwadi workers will be deployed at all polling booths for verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The guidelines of the commission are very clear about this -- that how identity is verified inside a polling station and they will be strictly followed," he said.

Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had on Saturday urged the Election Commission to ensure that faces of women turning up at booths in burqas were tallied with voter cards.

The elections for 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar will be held in two phases -- November 6 and 11 -- while the counting of votes will be on November 14.