The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Election Commission on a plea seeking stopping of ward-wise counting of votes. This comes on the ground that the declaration of result at every polling booth strikes at the root of right to privacy attached to voting.
A Bench comprising Justices Dipak Mishra and N V Ramana sought response from the Election Commission by May 21 on a proposal that the result of every parliamentary constituency be declared as a whole, and not through ward-wise counting of votes of every Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
The Bench was hearing a Public-Interest Litigation filed by Punjab-based advocate Yogesh Gupta, submitting that, “The uniform way of declaration of result for the entire constituency as a whole would bring balanced growth, and balanced funding, and it would also reduce cases fuelled by political vendetta, ill will, and hatred”.
The petition, which came four days ahead of the counting of votes for ongoing Lok Sabha election, said the result is again going to be declared by announcing the outcome of every Electronic Voting Machine .
This would lead to adverse impact on the voters, as the political parties would harass the electorate in areas where it has not received the votes.
The Public-Interest Litigation cited an incident, wherein, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had issued a threat to residents of Baramati village on the eve of polling, that he would cut off water supply, if they did not cast their ballot in favour of his cousin and sitting Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule.
“In the present form of declaration of result, the political parties would become aware of the wards where they have not been voted, and where they have got maximum votes,” the petition said, adding, “The present form of declaration of results also acts as a catalyst for the registration of false cases based on political vendetta against the persons who have not voted for the victorious parties.”