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Wednesday, Oct 18, 2006
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SEC to consider re-poll in more booths

Special Correspondent

Informs High Court that counting will not start on Wednesday

CHENNAI: Facing a barrage of questions from judges about poll-related violence and rigging in Chennai, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday told the Madras High Court that it would consider re-poll in more booths/wards and that counting for 155 wards would not start on Wednesday morning as scheduled.

A Division Bench, hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by the AIADMK and others, expressed its displeasure at the manner in which election officials and police personnel discharged their duties on October 13. It told Advocate-General R. Viduthalai that even at this stage the Commission was free to reconsider its position and decide on conducting re-poll in more booths/wards. "We may order re-poll to the extent we are satisfied. It may be 55 wards or 100 wards," the Bench, comprising Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, remarked. It had earlier summoned the Greater Chennai City Commissioner of Police and the State Election Commissioner. Mr. Viduthalai told the court that the SEC had decided to take a re-look at the entire situation and hold re-poll in more booths, if necessary. "The Advocate-General, in consultation with the SEC, informed that already most of the allegations have been looked into. He assures (the court) that the SEC will again look into all the allegations made by different persons to come to a definite conclusion as to whether any re-poll has to be conducted for any polling booth or ward, and will inform it to the court by tomorrow (Wednesday). He further undertakes that no counting will start till the court raises tomorrow," the order read.

Official "threatened"

It referred to a Communist Party of India (Marxist) averment that a presiding officer had submitted a report that polling in his booth was "100 per cent bogus." Refuting the allegation, Mr. Viduthalai said the official concerned had sent a report to the SEC, stating that it was peaceful. The official was threatened into giving such a letter, he added.

To this, the Bench said, "It means a presiding officer himself was threatened, and we are not going into the question as to who threatened him."

Citing another report by a polling official that 50 ballot papers were missing "due to stampede," the Bench wanted to know how could a melee take place inside a booth. Despite interruption of polling process in several booths, the presiding officers had not lodged complaint and submitted true reports, it said.

The matter will come up for further hearing at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

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