The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday submitted a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) objecting to the counting of postal ballots before the counting of EVMs, a demand that was earlier put forth by the DMK.
“There is absolutely no requirement in law or practice to move away from this accepted and practised regulation. Any deviation at this point of time would only cause confusion and unnecessary objections being raised from several quarters,” senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar in his representation to the CEO.
Referring to a representation by the DMK that sought for counting the votes polled through postal ballot before counting of votes from the EVMs, Mr. Jayakumar said: “Just because there is a representation, it does not mean that the same has to be heeded to when the available regulations are amply clear.”
As the Election Commission of India has been acting upon its guidelines so far, there was no need of changing the procedures, he said. “Similarly, even for declaration of the counting results, there is no requirement in law that the postal ballot votes have to be declared first and then the EVMs. The results can be declared simultaneously and the rule as provided for can be followed.”
The very purpose of EVMs were to expedite the process of counting and the new request to first count the postal ballot votes would run contrary, he argued. “In fact, the postal ballot votes are first taken up for counting only so that they can be segregated first within the half an hour and the EVM counting can commence so that the counting process is not delayed.”
