Female polling staff to verify ‘burqa’ wearing voters in Hyderabad

In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, women polling staff will be stationed at every polling station to verify the identity of female voters wearing veils.This measure is part of the standard operating procedure issued by the Election Commission of India for the elections, as highlighted by Hyderabad District Election Officer and Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), D. Ronald Rose,



during a media briefing on Tuesday.

Ronald Rose explained that if veiled women decline to reveal their faces to male officials at the polling station, a separate enclosure will be provided within the premises where their identity can be verified by female polling staff. This step addresses concerns raised about veiled women being used for electoral malpractice in previous elections.