AP High Court: Voters to exercise conscience, not follow volunteer advice

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has expressed its view that voters in the state are not in a position to follow the advice of village/ward volunteers when deciding which candidate to vote for. This opinion was shared by Justice Boppudi Krishna Mohan during a hearing on Tuesday.

The hearing was in response to a petition filed by Bharata Chaitanya Yuvajana party president Bode Ramachandra Yadav, who sought a direction from the state government to not accept the resignations of volunteers until the completion of the elections.

Justice Mohan stated that once a volunteer submits their resignation, the relationship with the beneficiary ends. He questioned why a voter should follow the volunteer's direction on casting their vote. The court opined that voters can be influenced until they reach the polling booth, but once they enter the polling booth, they will exercise their right to vote based on their own conscience.

The court has requested that the state election authorities provide details on the total number of volunteers employed and the number of resignations submitted.