Acceding to the demand raised by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa, the Election Commission of India (EC) has issued instructions to the returning officers to make available photocopies of round-wise details of votes counted and bagged by each candidate to the candidate or the polling agent present on the spot.
As per the directive, these copies would be signed by the returning officer and the observer.
Bajwa had led a delegation to chief election commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath on May 9, demanding the implementation of certain steps, including the
supply of signed copies of counting details after each round, to make counting transparent and eliminate the chances of any irregularity.
Bajwa was accompanied by a team of lawyers, including Surjit Singh Swaich, RS Bath, Pradeep Virk and Dr Amar Singh. The delegation had also called upon the CEC to issue instructions to supply CDs of the videography recordings of the counting process and the declaration of results immediately after the completion of the counting process in a time-bound manner, say within half-an-hour or maximum by one hour.
According to Bajwa, Sampath had assured the delegation that the earlier instructions, issued on May 6, 2011 regarding the supply of CDs containing the record of complete videography of the counting process, would be provided by the returning officer to all candidates or their election agents after the counting was over. Further, the EC would keep constant vigil and monitor the counting process and results would be declared forthwith.
{{/usCountry}}According to Bajwa, Sampath had assured the delegation that the earlier instructions, issued on May 6, 2011 regarding the supply of CDs containing the record of complete videography of the counting process, would be provided by the returning officer to all candidates or their election agents after the counting was over. Further, the EC would keep constant vigil and monitor the counting process and results would be declared forthwith.
{{/usCountry}}When contacted, additional chief electoral officer Raminder Singh said instructions had been sent by the EC across the country after the matter was raised by Bajwa.