Mail News Service
Imphal, Feb 29: Clearing the deck for re-poll, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday has directed the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Manipur to conduct fresh poll in 67 polling stations under nine constituencies in five hill districts of Manipur on March 4.
Re-poll will be held in 25 polling stations in Chandel constituency alone, the largest number of polling stations to go to re-poll, while one polling station each in Tengnoupal, Chingai and Singhat constituencies, two in Saikul constituency, 13 in Karong constituency, six in Mao constituency, 10 in Tadubi constituency, and eight in Tamei constituency will see to go to re-poll on March 4.
The concerned Returning Officers (ROs) have been directed to make the necessary arrangements for the re-poll/ fresh poll, Manipur CEO, PC Lawmkunga informed in a statement, adding that the police department will make appropriate security arrangements for the conduct of the re-poll.
He added, all members of public and political parties, candidates and their agents are requested to take note of the above and make necessary arrangements for participation in and timely satisfactory completion of the re-poll.
The crucial decision of the ECI comes three days after 10- delegated leaders of 10 non-Congress political parties in the State impressed upon the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), S.Y. Quraishi in New Delhi while pushing him to take a clear stand on the issue of widespread proxy voting in various polling booths, a controversy which dragged into several weeks after the January 28 Manipur polls.
The key demand of the non-Congress parties was to declare all the rigged-votes invalid and obliterate the same so as to exclude them in counting of votes.
The Commission’s notice has been drawn to certain Media reports creating doubts about the time limit of receiving back of the polled postal ballots by the Returning Officers. The doubt raised is that the polled ballot papers received after the date of poll are not to be counted.
In this regard it is clarified for the information of all concerned that as per the provisions of rules 51 & 54A of Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 read with sub-rules (1) & (2) of rule 27 of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, covers containing postal ballot papers received by the Returning Officers upto the time fixed for commencement of counting shall be taken into account for counting. There is no prohibition in Law that the votes on postal ballots cannot be recorded or received after the date and time fixed for taking poll at polling stations.
However, it is further clarified that no application for issue of postal ballot paper can be entertained after the preparation of marked copy of electoral roll for use in polling stations.
The Commission while announcing the schedule of general elections to the legislative assemblies of Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Goa had fixed the date and time for counting of votes in all the States at 8.00 AM on 4th March, 2012, which was subsequently modified and fixed for 8.00 AM on 6th March, 2012. The same date has been prescribed by the Returning Officers under rule 51 of Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 for commencement of counting of votes and the same date and time have been indicated in Form 13D appended to Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 containing instructions for guidance of electors sent alongwith the postal ballot papers to all eligible electors.
In this regard, attention is also invited to Supreme Court’s judgment in Ajit Singh vs. Bansi Singh {1995 (4) SCC 758} whereby the Hon’ble Court has held that if the date of counting is postponed, then the postal ballots received during this extended period also should be counted.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/re-poll-in-67-ps-on-march-4/
