Repolling in Indora today

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, January 22

Rakesh Prajapati, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, today ordered repolling in Basantpur gram panchayat in Indora subdivision tomorrow after receiving a fact-finding report from the Returning Officer (RO)-cum-Block Development Officer, Indora.

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Prajapati said that the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) deputed at the polling station had issued result sheets in favour of two candidates. Polling was held there on January 19 and the results were declared late same evening.

He said that the election observer appointed by the State Election Commission had said that the ARO for the election to the post of the gram panchayat pradhan counted votes several times. He also reported that the provisions enshrined under the HP Panchayati Raj Act Rules-1994 were also not adhered to. “The observer pointed out in the report that the ARO was carrying a ballot paper with serial number 1470532 that he had allegedly first rejected but later accepted.

The Assistant Returning Officer also travelled to his friend’s home without handing over the polled ballot papers and other election material to the RO-cum-BDO, Indora. Thereafter he returned and after sometime handed over all record to the panchayat inspector,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission, while exercising power vested in it under Section 160 of the HP Panchayati Raj Act, annulled the polling process undertaken for the post of the pradhan of Basantpur gram panchayat. Four candidates are contesting the elections for this post but controversy arose when the ARO issued the winner certificate to candidates Kuldeep Singh and Sidhant Manhas.