BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Friday, August 20, 2021, issued a draft notification to change the election rules for gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads. As per the proposed amendment, counting will be held at block offices after completion of all phases of election. Earlier, counting was held after the completion of the election for each phase at the booth itself.
All ballot boxes will be transported to the office of the Election Officer and the counting of votes will take place on a later scheduled date after completion of all phases of the poll. The new notification issued on Friday said, “The presiding officer shall, after close of the poll, seal the ballot box and voting machine in presence of candidates or their polling agents, prepare separate bundles of all papers and reports and forward the same to the Election Officer on the same day after which the latter shall proceed to take up counting of votes. The counting will be done in presence of candidates or their agents, if any, at the counting centre.”
The government has sought objections or suggestions from political parties, public and all stakeholders on the issue. However, the BJP and Congress came down heavily on the move to amend the rules. Describing the move as arbitrary, the political parties alleged that it will encourage rigging.
Stating that the election should be conducted as per the original rules, general secretary of the State BJP, Prithviraj Harichandan accused the BJD of hatching a conspiracy to manipulate the results. Congress whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati, alleged that the rules have been amended because the ruling BJD fears losing the elections. “It has been done to tamper with the results,” he said and demanded that counting should be held at the booths as earlier after the completion of election.