NEW DELHI: Ahead of the counting of votes for Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, a delegation of INDIA bloc functionaries met the Election Commission on Sunday and demanded that as part of measures to ensure a “level playing field” postal ballots that can play a decisive role in poll outcomes may be counted and their results declared before the completion of EVM vote counting.
They have cited the “statutory rules” to assert their demand. INDIA bloc leaders who had met on Saturday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had decided to approach EC to flag their concerns related to postal ballots, EVMs and counting related guidelines.
In their memorandum addressed to the full commission, the bloc members have also demanded that all guidelines related to counting be implemented.
Flanked by leaders of INDIA bloc parties, Abhishek Manu Singhvi from the Congress said, “Postal ballots can swing the entire election outcome. They can play a decisive role and so it is important that as per the statutory rules postal ballots must be counted before EVM counting. For a level playing field it is important that the old rule is followed.”
Singhvi said, “The delegation in its complaint expressed concern over how this statutory rule has been given the go by. The EC has now repealed this practice.” He highlighted that this is the third multi-party delegation meeting the ECI in this election to raise various poll related issues.
CPI (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury shared that the delegation has also asked the ECI to direct the counting officials to follow the existing guidelines which he said were “unfortunately not being followed by the counting officers”.
They have urged ECI that observers be told that the guidelines be implemented. He cited examples like ensuring safe movement of control units through a CCTV monitored corridor for transparency. Verification of the date and time of start and end of voting displayed on the control unit as critical to establish the authenticity of the control unit.