The Capital News
Vijayawada: May 30: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has dealt an unexpected blow to the YSR Congress Party (YCP) regarding their objections on postal ballot votes. The YCP had approached both the High Court and the Election Commission with their concerns, arguing that postal ballots lacking a seal or designation, but bearing only a gazetted officer’s signature on the declaration, should be invalid.
Contrary to YCP’s stance, the ECI concluded that such postal ballots are valid if they have the gazetted officer’s signature, even without the seal or designation. This decision mandates that the returning officer should validate these postal ballots during the election counting process. The ECI’s clear directive was communicated by principal secretary Avinash Kumar to the Andhra Pradesh chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena.
In response, the YSRCP filed a lunch motion petition in the High Court against the memo issued by the State CEO, claiming that the ECI’s new rules contradict existing guidelines on postal ballot vote counting. The High Court has agreed to hear this petition urgently today. The YSRCP is anxious about the High Court’s forthcoming decision, especially after the ECI’s letter upheld the State CEO’s memo, affirming its correctness.
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