For the first time, three railway employees in Madurai Division cast their postal vote in Tirumangalam after the Election Commission of India extended the postal ballots to essential services employees.
Two loco pilots – K. Suresh and Akbhar Ali – and a travelling ticket examiner, Manoharan, used the postal ballots to cast their votes. After getting a certificate from the Nodal Officer of Madurai Railway Division that the employees would be on duty on the day of polling (April 6), they were given postal ballots by Returning Officer Soundarya (Tirumangalam Assembly constituency).
The railway employees thanked their colleague V. Ramkumar whose continuous follow-up with the Election Commission on extension of postal votes to employees of essential services got them the new facility.
Many railway running staff like loco pilots, guards and the TTE could not exercise their franchise in the past when they were away from headquarters on the polling day.
