Ludhiana: Opposition objects to serial numbers on ballots, seeks changes in voting papers

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress leaders say numbers could compromise vote secrecy; mayor agrees to remove them

Ahead of Saturday’s election to two seats on the municipal corporation’s Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC), opposition councillors on Friday objected to serial numbers printed on the reverse of ballot papers, saying these could compromise the secrecy of individual votes, and demanded that fresh papers without serial numbers be used for the poll.

Municipal corporation officials at the Guru Nanak Bhawan in Ludhiana on Friday. (Manish/ht)

The issue was raised at a meeting convened at the MC Zone A office near Mata Rani Chowk to brief councillors on the voting procedure for Saturday’s election at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan. Most Congress and BJP councillors attended the meeting, while councillors from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were absent.

According to opposition councillors, MC officials arrived nearly an hour late and briefed those present about the election procedure. The discussion centred on the ballot papers prepared for the secret-ballot election, with councillors questioning the need for serial numbers on their reverse.

BJP candidate Ruchi Gulati and Congress candidate Gaurav Bhatti argued that the numbered ballots could potentially be traced back to individual councillors, raising concerns over the confidentiality of their votes. They demanded that fresh ballot papers without serial numbers be prepared and warned that they would have no option but to seek legal recourse if the issue was not addressed.

Bhatti also questioned the number of ballot papers reportedly prepared for the election. He pointed out that the corporation has 95 councillors, while 102 ballot papers had allegedly been printed. He also sought clarity on whether MLAs would be allowed to participate in the voting.

Congress leader Shyam Sunder Malhotra raised another procedural issue, saying MC commissioner had clarified during a General House meeting that mayor Inderjit Kaur would preside over the election and demanded that the mayor’s role in the voting process be clearly defined under the applicable rules.

Following the objections, opposition councillors met the mayor at the Zone D office and apprised her of their concerns.

The councillors later claimed that Kaur agreed to remove the serial numbers from the reverse of the ballot papers ahead of Saturday’s election.

The election will be held on August 29 at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan to fill two seats on the F&CC.