PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 525
Dr. Ambedkar : It does not. I am only making a distinction between counting and announcing which is really the important thing.
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad (West Bengal) : The counting will be public and the result will be known and published in the papers.
Dr. Ambedkar : As regards counting it is there in the rules. Then there is this ticklish question of the use of conveyances. The Bill does not permit the candidate to employ cars or other means of transport for conveying his voters but it does permit the voter himself, if he has got a car, to use it for the purpose of going to the polling booth and registering his vote.
Seth Govind Das: Can a voter hire a cart ?
Dr. Ambedkar : He may if he wants to pay, but our friends are rather worried over this. They say that it is perfectly possible for a candidate to circumvent this provision by putting a few pieces of money into the hands of the voter and say “You hire the car and I pay for your conveyance. Come and vote for me.” Therefore they say this provision would be nugatory. I do not deny the possibility of such circumvention but the question we have to consider is whether this provision will be circumvented on such a large scale as altogether to nullify the provisions of this particular section. My reply is that it would not be so possible. That is my view. On the other hand, we have to take into consideration two other factors—I shall be very frank about it. We are making provision for our polling booths to be within two or three miles of each village. In that event perhaps it is not necessary to use a car at all. On the other hand, there is also the fact that there are many people who have got a right to vote, who are willing to vote, but who on account of their old age are not able to walk to the polling stations. There are many people who are lame or who have some kind of a physical disability which prevents them from going to the polling booths on their feet.
An hon. Member: Such as ladies.
Dr. Ambedkar: Well. I do not know. If you say ladies, yes,—women in India walk and therefore I am not concerned with them.