Women's voting rights violated, says AAP

Gurgaon, April 4 (IANS) AAP leader Yogendra Yadav Friday complained to the Election Commission that votes of uneducated women were often cast by others in this region in violation of electoral laws.

This was rampant in Haryana's Mewat area, which includes the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency where Yadav is a candidate for the Lok Sabha election.

According to Yadav, the female voters verbally indicate their choice of candidates on the polling day and someone else presses the button on their behalf on the electronic voting machine.

This had become an accepted practice over the years and was done in full knowledge and approval of the government staff on duty in polling booths, he said.

"The practice is highly susceptible to abuse and violates the basic rights of women," Yadav said in his complaint.

"How can we even think of women empowerment when such undemocratic practices are adopted in certain parts of our constituency?"

Women volunteers of the AAP have visited hundreds of villages in Mewat region and interacted with women, an AAP leader said.