KOCHI: The High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission and the chief electoral officer (CEO) to ensure that no double voting takes place on the assembly polling day in the state.
“We are of the prima facie view that there are discrepancies in the final voters’ list published by the Election Commission. It should make sure that sufficient state and Central forces are posted at all voting places to ensure fair and democratic elections. To implement the order, steps should be taken on a war footing,” said a division bench comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly.
The bench held the court order should be implemented in letter and spirit, without any room for complaint.The court passed the interim order on a petition filed by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala seeking a directive to the poll panel and the CEO to take immediate steps to delete or freeze the fake and multiple entries of names in the final electoral rolls published for the assembly polls.
Chennithala’s counsel T Asaf Ali had submitted that there are about 3,24,441 double votes and 1,09,601 bogus voters, spreading over 131 assembly constituencies, and 4,34,042 double/fake voters in total in the final electoral rolls. Though complaints were lodged with the poll panel to correct the electoral rolls, no steps have been taken.
The poll panel’s counsel said that immediately after receipt of the complaint from the petitioner, the CEO had directed the district electoral officers to carry out a detailed inquiry to find out the factual position and report whether there had been any deliberate attempt to register the same voter more than once in electoral rolls. It pointed out that at times, when a voter shifts his residence and goes to some other place, there are possibilities of registering twice.