Excess Votes Discovered in Tamil Nadu Bar Council Election Ballot Box
As the vote counting for the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry election proceeded, a significant controversy emerged over the presence of 47 excess votes found inside a sealed ballot box from Tirupur district. This discovery has sparked widespread concern and protests among legal professionals in the region.
Lawyers Stage Protest and Demand Inquiry
A group of lawyers staged a protest near the Madras High Court on Tuesday, vociferously demanding a thorough inquiry into the issue. The protestors, including advocates G Mohanakrishnan, Ashok, and D Saravanan, submitted a formal representation to the High-Power Election Committee. This committee, appointed by the Supreme Court and headed by former Chief Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, is responsible for overseeing the election process.
The lawyers insisted that the committee conduct a comprehensive probe and take strict action against those responsible for the irregularity. They called for a re-poll in Tirupur, stating emphatically, "Till then, the counting of votes in Tirupur must be stopped. The votes secured by the candidates there shall not be considered as valid until a final conclusion is arrived at on this issue."
Official Response and Explanation
In response to the allegations, returning officer and former judge of the Madras High Court, Justice K N Basha, ruled out any malpractice. He explained, "Clearly nothing wrong happened. It was a small error; duplicates of 47 ballot papers were added inadvertently. The error was noticed by the Tirupur district election observer and polling officer. They segregated the duplicate unused ballot papers and bundled them separately before sending them to Chennai for counting."
Justice Basha further clarified that the officers in Chennai were unaware of this segregation, leading to the discovery only during the counting process. "We informed the representatives of the candidates present and stopped counting. We offered an explanation for almost half a day, and the unused duplicate ballot papers were removed," he said. He assured that the counting process has since resumed, with the entire procedure being live-streamed to ensure transparency, adding, "There is no possibility of malpractice."
Implications and Ongoing Developments
This incident has raised questions about the integrity of the election process for the Bar Council, a key body representing lawyers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The controversy underscores the importance of meticulous oversight in electoral procedures, especially in legal professional elections where stakes are high. As the counting continues under live-streamed scrutiny, all parties await further developments and potential resolutions from the High-Power Election Committee.
