Village not in Sonepat MC, exclude votes cast in five booths, orders EC

The State Election Commission has directed that the votes cast at five booths in Bayanpur village (from booth number 228 to 232) not be included in the counting of the mayoral byelection votes in Sonepat.

Polling for the byelection for the Sonepat Mayor’s post was held at 268 polling booths on March 2. As many as 28.8 per cent electors cast their vote. The counting of votes will take place on March 12.

The State Election Commission took this action after the Congress’ mayoral candidate, Kamal Diwan, filed a complaint with the Election Commission after polling.

Diwan filed a petition and raised questions over the polling held at five booths in Bayanpur village. He alleged that the village was in the panchayat and not in the MC limits. Five polling booths –- booth number 228, 229, 230, 231 and 232 — had been set up in the government school in Bayanpur village, which is not part of MC Sonepat.

Diwan demanded that the votes polled at these booths be cancelled. Diwan also filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding irregularities in the mayoral byelection.

Following Diwan’s complaint, the State Election Commission sought a detailed report from the returning officer and from the Deputy Commissioner.

“Keeping in view the objections and circumstances raised by you and reports of the returning officer for the mayoral byelection and the Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat, in this regard, it has been decided not to include votes cast in polling booths 228, 229, 230, 231 and 232 of Bayanpur village during counting of votes on March 12,” says the State Election Commission in a letter to the complainant Diwan.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, said that two colonies were set up on the outskirts of Bayanpur. The people residing in these colonies are on the MC voters’ list, but these votes have been mixed with village voters (who come under the panchayat).

No political parties or voters had raised objection in this regard at the appropriate time, he said. And so, booths were set up there and voters cast their votes accordingly.