KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday rejected the plea of the Joint Council of State Service Organisation, Kerala NGO Union, and others seeking a directive to the Election Commission to allow election duty officers who have not yet received postal ballots to cast their votes before May 4, the counting day.
Justice K V Jayakumar held that “interference of the court at this advanced stage of the electoral process, by way of an interim order, is not warranted.
“The interim orders sought for are declined.” The petitioners argued that a total of 20,411 officers on election duty were deprived of their right to vote due to the non-availability of postal ballots at the designated vote facilitation centres.
Deepu Lal Mohan, counsel for the Election Commission, opposed the plea and submitted that postal ballots are currently stored in the strong room as per the prescribed procedure.
Those strong rooms will remain sealed until the commencement of counting at 8 am on May 4, and hence any attempt to reopen, access or alter the status of postal ballot prior to the counting would directly compromise the sanctity, secrecy and irrevocability of the electoral process.