Amritpal Singh to Vote in Vice Presidential Polls from Jail

Amritpal Singh, the imprisoned MP from Khadoor Sahib, is set to participate in the vice presidential election scheduled for September 9 by casting his vote through a postal ballot issued at Assam's Dibrugarh prison, as per an official statement on Monday.

The Election Commission has laid out specific instructions for facilitating Singh's participation, given his status as a member of the electoral college for the vice presidential election, the Punjab chief electoral officer's office confirmed.

Following the procedural norms established under the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, Singh, who is currently under preventive detention, will have his sealed postal ballot delivered on polling day. A special messenger will carry it by air to ensure delivery to the returning officer before the counting begins.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Assam chief secretary have been instructed to coordinate this effort and report back to the commission, ensuring the postal ballot's timely delivery. This election was triggered by the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21.

Amritpal Singh, who once led the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit and shaped his public persona after the late Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was apprehended in Punjab's Moga in April after a month-long pursuit. This followed a February incident where Singh and his supporters violently clashed with police in Amritsar.

(With inputs from agencies.)