EC directives on release of poll result

The EC has against declaration of results in those constituencies where the margin of votes between the winning candidate and his nearest rival was less than the total number of postal ballots.

Acting swiftly on Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala's complaints on postal ballots, the Election Commission on Friday decided against declaration of results in those constituencies where the margin of votes between the winning candidate and his nearest rival was less than the total number of postal ballots.

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In a directive to the Returning Officers of states where counting of votes would be taken up on February 23, the EC said the results of constituencies where the margin of votes was less than the total number of postal ballot papers issued but not received till 4 pm on that day shall not be declared without the prior permission of the Commission.

In such cases, the ROs shall refer the issue to the EC along with details of the total number of postal ballot papers dispatched and the total number of postal ballot papers received back from the voters by the time of counting to enable the Commission to process it, EC sources said.

It clarified that the "postal ballot papers received back from the electors by 4 pm on February 23 should be counted by the ROs for computing the result".