No re-poll in any polling station: CEO
Photo comparison based on executive order, no law for re-poll: CEC
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 25 2012: "Reports on comparing the photographs of the electorates have already been submitted to the ECI.

However, ECI has not yet communicated on the measures to be taken up in this regard" - CEO .

Putting an end to any further speculation, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Manipur PC Lawmkunga has announced that there would be no re-poll in any polling station.

Talking to a select mediapersons, the CEO said that no-poll would be conducted in any of the Assembly Constituencies and the decision of Election Commission of India (ECI) on what measures should be taken up with regard to the discrepancies detected during the photo comparison process is awaited.

The CEO informed that the reports on comparing the photographs of the electorates taken at the time of casting their votes with those in the Electoral Rolls have already been submitted to the ECI.

However, ECI has not yet communicated on the measures to be taken up in this regard.

The CEO contended that blackening of the photographs of the electorates taken during the electoral process, which were detected during photo comparison, was due to low light inside the polling stations and there was also no possibility of illuminating the room.

So, all the cases related to failure of capturing the photographs clearly should not be regarded as proxy voting.

On the controversy over alleged misuse of postal ballot papers by the state government employees, Lawmkunga informed that complaints were received from some candidates in this regard and these complaints are being looked into.

If any of the government officials were found guilty, stringent action would be initiated against them, the CEO assured.

Meanwhile, a delegation of top leaders of BJP led by its Election Cell Convenor Ram Krishna reportedly met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi yesterday.

According to highly placed party source, during the meeting, Quraishi also made it clear that no arrangement have been taken in connection with conducting re-poll in any of the polling stations.

Quraishi further pointed out that detection of proxy voting from the records of the electorates maintained in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is a difficult task and there is no possibility for detecting bogus votes and then discarding them at the time of counting votes, the source recalled.

Quraishi also explained to the BJP delegates that the photographs of the electorates have been taken at the time of casting their votes following an executive order.

But there is no law which says that re-poll should be necessarily conducted when discrepancies were detected at the time of photo comparison.

So, there is no other option but to go ahead with counting of the votes including the bogus votes, the source informed.

The source observed that since the Election Commission has no plan for rectification of the discrepancies detected during photo comparison, the only means to resolve the matter is through law court.

Just as one has to knock at the door of Supreme Court for redressal of grievances in connection with election to Parliament, one has to file complaint with the High Court over the discrepancies in election to the state Assemblies.

Comment