DCs told to keep tabs on returning officers

Even as 375-odd petitions have already been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court over rejection of nomination papers for the panchayat poll, the State Election Commission today asked all Deputy Commissioners to keep a strict watch on the activities of the returning officers (ROs) “so as to obviate any deviation from the rules and procedures”.

Instructions were issued a day after the high court had stayed the election process in villages covered by 275 petitions “to give a message to the people that the elections are free, fair and transparent”.

Behbal Kalan to vote later

• The SEC has decided to hold poll for Behbal Kalan after October 15. No aspirant from the village was allegedly allowed to file papers at the behest of local MLA
• The SEC has marked probe into Gidderbaha case highlighted by the Congress, where nomination papers were rejected after allocation of symbols to the candidates

The DCs, who are the District Election Officers, have also been asked to keep a watch on all candidates in the fray, as the campaigning for the elections has started.

The instructions follow complaints by the opposition parties — Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal —expressing their lack of faith in the ROs (Block Development and Panchayat Officers, besides other senior government officers) after the nominations of aspirants owing allegiance to them were rejected “on frivolous grounds”.

“The Commission, too, has received several complaints from the aspirants and political parties. We are sending the complaints to the competent authorities for review and relief, if any,” said State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari.

The complaints received by the SEC are related to votes not being made, disputes over voter lists, complaints regarding rejection of nomination papers, and even regarding acceptance of papers of ineligible candidates. It is also for the first time that the Commission has ordered videography of the counting process, which is to be held immediately after the polling on October 15. The DCs have been asked to use their flying squads and dispatch videography teams to villages till the counting process is complete. “We are assessing the security ramifications for this move,” he said.

Chaudhari said he had also asked the DCs to identify hyper-sensitive and sensitive polling stations. He denied that there was an alarming law and order situation in the state, on account of elections. “The law and order situation is the same as was prevailing for the past several months,” he said.