Count postal ballot votes before EVMs: Congress to EC

GUWAHATI:

Assam Congress

has moved the Election Commission (EC), urging it to count the postal ballot votes before the votes polled in the EVMs.


Congress said late night counting of postal ballots after

EVM

votes had stirred up a controversy during the Bihar election, which many candidates blamed for losing the polls and had cited discrepancies. The party said it should not be repeated in case of Assam election.

“That sir, in the last Bihar assembly election, the postal ballot votes were counted late at night after the EVM votes. For this many discrepancies and complaints were raised during the counting of ballots by many contesting candidates and it was viral in the social media. As a result, many candidates lost in a narrow margin of votes and pointed fingers against the Election Commission,” read the letter by Assam PCC president Ripun Bora to the EC.

While appealing to poll panel to take necessary steps to count the postal ballot votes before the EVM counting, Congress said lessons must be taken from the Bihar election to ensure “clean and clear” counting so that nobody is able to raise fingers against the EC.

Officials in the state election authorities, however, said there was no plan to count the postal ballots after the EVM results are out. “This is not an issue. The counting of the postal ballots will take place on the same day, when EVM votes are counted. Counting of postal ballots are expected to be over before the EVM votes are counted,” said an official of the office of the Assam chief electoral officer.

In order to ensure an inclusive election, the EC extended the option of postal ballot facility for the first time to the senior citizens above the age of 80 years, PwDs, Covid-19 suspect or affected persons, in addition to the persons employed in essential services.