An employee of Attorney General’s Office has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding voting rights to civil servants and security forces in the upcoming federal and provincial polls.

The Election Commission’s decision not to allow civil servants and security forces deployed in the elections to vote have raised serious concerns from various organisations of the civil servants have raised serious over their constitutional rights.

In his writ, civil servant Bharat Kumar Mainali has demanded a mandamus order with certiorari from the apex court to ensure the voting rights of the civil servants regardless of their deployment for the proportional representation election system.

Mainali has demanded that the SC annul any provision that bars the civil servants from voting and issue a mandamus order to ensure the voting rights by including their names in the temporary voting list of the Election Commission.

Citing the examples of two previous Constituent Assembly polls, he has urged the court to ensure the same provision is followed in the upcoming polls. The hearing on the case will begin on Tuesday. 

Citing the existing legal provisions, EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said that some legal and administrative hurdles could pose challenges in allowing poll officers and security personnel deployed for polls to cast their ballots. 

He, however, said the EC would explore discuss ways to manage their voting rights like in the previous polls. “We will discuss on the matter,” Dhakal said.

Meanwhile, the four civil servants’ organisations have also urged the Election Commission to ensure their voting rights.

Chairperson of the Nepal Rastriya Karmachari Sangathan Hari Bahadur Rawal said the leaders of the four organisations had reached the EC on Sunday and urged the commissioners to ensure the voting rights for the civil servants.

Rawal said the commissioners were positive towards their demand for ensuring the rights as in the previous polls.