SC Rejects YSRCP's Plea Challenging Postal Ballot Counting Rules

The apex court said it cannot interfere in the process since the counting of votes is tomorrow. It has asked the YSRCP to file a plea after the declaration of results.

Amaravati:In a setback to the YSRCP before the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections tomorrow, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain its plea challenging changes in the rules for counting of the postal ballots in Andhra Pradesh.

In Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Assembly elections were held along with the Lok Sabha elections. While results in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were declared yesterday, votes in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will be counted tomorrow.

In a recent notification, the Election Commission of India said that postal ballots will be accepted if the Form 13A, which is issued by the returning officer citing reason for casting postal ballot, is signed by the attesting officer. The YSRCP moved court saying the notification was in contradiction to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. It challenged the poll panel's decision that a gazetted officer's signature on the form is sufficient and there is no need to have a seal.

However, the Supreme Court has refused to entertain the plea saying it cannot interfere in the matters of postal ballot counting. The court has clarified that interference at this stage when results will be declared on June 4 will affect the counting process.

Earlier, YSRCP leaders had approached the high court on the same issue but the latter had declined to intervene. The party has been suggested to file a petition after the counting if there are any mistakes in the postal ballot process.

In its notification, the Election Commission had stated that the signature of the attestation officer on Form 13 A is sufficient and the vote is valid even if there is no seal or designation. The commission had directed the returning officers to consider such postal ballots as valid votes. The EC also clarified that Form 13A was signed by the attesting officer after the verification by the returning officer. The poll panel had written a letter to Andhra Pradesh CEO Mukesh Kumar Meena in this regard.

Raising objections at the notification, the YSRCP had first approached the high court and then moved the apex court.

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