Chennai, Oct 4: The recounting of postal ballots and votes polled in 36 EVMs at the Radhapuram constituency in the 2016 Assembly elections were taken up for recounting today. According to reports, 26 officials were involved in the counting process following a court order and the results will be submitted to the Judge in sealed cover around 4.30 pm.
The recounting was ordered by Justice G Jayachandran on a petition by M Appavu of the DMK challenging the election of AIADMK candidate IS Inbadurai from the constituency in Tirunelveli district. Inbadurai had got 69,590 votes and Appavu got 69,541 votes.
According to Appavu, who sought to declare the election of Inbadurai as void, a total of 203 postal ballots were declared invalid for being attested by the headmaster of a middle school. He sought recounting of all postal ballots after reverification and recounting of the regular votes recorded in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) covered under 19,20, and 21 rounds of counting.
The judge in his interim order held as ‘improper’ the rejection of the 203 postal ballots, saying no law prohibited en masse attestation if it is otherwise valid.
He directed the EC to produce the control units of EVMs pertaining to the rounds of 19,20 and 21 of the constituency, and produce all the postal ballots before the Registrar General of the High Court today. The judge then directed the Registrar General to depute any of his Registrars to supervise the recounting and submit a report to the court immediately on completion.