GANGTOK, 19 May: The District Magistrate, East has clarified that the delay in delivering the election results on 16 May in the state was due to the exactness with which the various procedural norms set by the Election Commission of India were followed here and also due to errors on the part of some of the Presiding Officers.
The ‘clarification’ was posted on the DM East’s social media page [in response to comments complaining of delay posted online] where he listed the reasons behind the delay in counting of votes.
The DM, AK Singh has said that counting of votes had to be done one constituency at a time and “many of the Presiding Officers did not do their duty properly” leaving out important information like number of voters, seals, etc in the format given to them. This gave rise to objections from the candidates and resolving them through the procedure outlined by the ECI took time, he explains.
“There was space constraint to put more tables as the counting was to be done in the hall where the RO/ AROs sit, as per ECI instructions and only 7 tables were allowed for counting of EVMs in one hall; Elsewhere, counting is done in many halls simultaneously under AROs”, the DM states.
The number of postal ballots [approximately 16,000] was also high in Sikkim as compared to other parts of the country where people on election duty were allowed to cast their votes through Election Duty Certificate and the same was not allowed here due to simultaneous elections by the ECI, it is stated.
Despite of the above factors, the team delivered their best and their work could be adjudged by the fact that no objection/ doubt was raised by any of the candidates about the process of counting, the DM highlights.
The ‘clarification’ was posted on the DM East’s social media page [in response to comments complaining of delay posted online] where he listed the reasons behind the delay in counting of votes.
The DM, AK Singh has said that counting of votes had to be done one constituency at a time and “many of the Presiding Officers did not do their duty properly” leaving out important information like number of voters, seals, etc in the format given to them. This gave rise to objections from the candidates and resolving them through the procedure outlined by the ECI took time, he explains.
“There was space constraint to put more tables as the counting was to be done in the hall where the RO/ AROs sit, as per ECI instructions and only 7 tables were allowed for counting of EVMs in one hall; Elsewhere, counting is done in many halls simultaneously under AROs”, the DM states.
The number of postal ballots [approximately 16,000] was also high in Sikkim as compared to other parts of the country where people on election duty were allowed to cast their votes through Election Duty Certificate and the same was not allowed here due to simultaneous elections by the ECI, it is stated.
Despite of the above factors, the team delivered their best and their work could be adjudged by the fact that no objection/ doubt was raised by any of the candidates about the process of counting, the DM highlights.
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