A party that doesn't want your votes!

At a time when all political parties in Punjab are sweating it out to woo voters, a party is going to the people with a rather unusual appeal -- 'Go to polling booth but don't vote.'

The International Democratic Party has launched a campaign in the state, ahead of the February 13 assembly elections, to convince them not to vote if they do not like any of the candidates in the fray.

Talking to UNI, IDP state president Karnail Singh Jakhepal said under Section 49 (O) of the Election Rule-1961, a voter may refuse to vote after making an entry in the polling booth. He only has to sign a register kept with the presiding officer or put his thumb impression, he added.

He said the Section 49 (O) was basically aimed at preventing bogus voting in the elections but the IDP believed that the people could use it for 'rejecting' the candidates till the voter formally gets a 'right to reject' column on ballot paper or electronic in future.