Ref:ARMY/HO/TN/107/2024 June 10, 2024
BY EMAIL / SPEED POST WITH AD
MANGLED DEMOCRACY IS ALIVE BUT STILL REMAINS MANGLED
To
1)Hon’ble Mr. Rajiv Kumar,
Chief Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India,
Nirvachan Sadan,
Ashoka Road,
NEW DELHI-110 001
Email: [email protected]
2)Hon’ble Mr. Gyanesh Kumar,
Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India,
Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road,
NEW DELHI-110 001
Email: [email protected]
3)Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu,
Election Commissioner,
Election Commission of India,
Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road,
NEW DELHI-110 001
Email: [email protected]
Honorable Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, Greetings and respects to you.
SUB: ELECTION COMMISSION’S DECISION TO PERMIT APPLICATION FOR RECOUNTING OF VOTES- TIME GRANTED AND FEES FIXED- UNJUST, UNFAIR & UNREASONABLE – REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF TIME AND REDCUTION OF FEES- OPPORTUNITY GIVEN SHOULD BE GENUINE AND NOT BE SEEN AS A MERE COMPLIANCE OF FORMALITY OR AN EYE-WASH- REGARDING.
| The decision of the ECI is akin to a Tamil Proverb which is roughly translated into English as follows:
“To lead the way to a place/ destination where one cannot go” |
The results of 18th Lok Sabha Elections, though announced on 4th June, 2024, were effectively complete in all shapes only on 5th June, 2024 and therefore the decision of the ECI to grant time to the defeated runner-candidates in 2nd / 3rd positions to file their applications for recounting latest by 10th June, 2024 has practically given time of just 5 days with an unreasonably burdensome fees of Rs.40000/- per EVM + plus GST thereon which is highly unacceptable under any stretch of imagination. The candidates have already suffered a lot by spending a huge amount in the election- process/ campaign and when the ECI has fixed a huge amount of fees of Rs. 40,000/- per EVM, it will run to an amount exceeding a crore, if a defeated candidate opts for recounting of all the EVMs in his Parliamentary Constituency. A candidate, who was declared to have lost by a margin of thousands (from Rs.500/-, 2000/-, 3000/- etc.) will already be in dejection and the decision of ECI with such a stringent conditions of short breathing-time with huge amount of fees are nothing but an act discouraging such candidates and as bad as an indirect rejection by the ECI.
Although it is true that a candidate would not seek recounting in all booths of the Constituency, still if a candidate wants to apply for recounting in an Assembly Constituency, say, Alandur Assembly Constituency in Sriperumbudur, he has to cough-up Rs.1,61,6000/- if he wants recounting in all booths (404 EVMs x Rs.40000/-).
Varanasi Parliamentary Constituency has got 5 Assembly Constituencies. Presuming that runner-candidates apply for recounting in 100 booths, they have to cough-up Rs.40,00,000/- and where they will go for such a huge amount and where the time is available for mobilizing such a huge amount. The ECI should have taken into consideration all these factors and decided the extension of time and fees payable per EVM. It has to be noted that EVM includes replaced EVM too on account of faulty/ defective EVM during the voting.
The decision of the ECI, which is expected to be transparent to uphold and save the crippled democracy, is totally unfair and it is a financial onslaught on those runner candidates. Even if some candidates are determined to arrange such a huge amount of fees, they need a reasonable time. Hence, it is requested that the ECI be considerate to
- Extend the time till 30th June, 2024 or at least up to 20th June, 2024 and
- Reduce the fees of Rs.40000/- per EVM to Rs.5000/- or Rs.10000/- (It has to be noted that GST has to be added to the amount of fee)
Purity, transparency, integrity, non-partisan attitude should be the hall marks of the Election system but the citizens are disappointed to witness a lot of election malpractices including rigging of booths, bogus voting, multiple-voting by a single voter, large-scale deletion of voters from the Voters’ List and so on and so forth and therefore Election Commission of India from the inception to till date could not at all claim complete perfection. It is hoped that the Honourable Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners will review their decisions and consider the request as suggested above and this will boost the credibility of the Election Commission.
With warm regards,
Yours faithfully,
A. JAISON, M.A., B.L.
(Writer, Ambedkarite & Social Activist)
General Secretary,
Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Rationalist Youth Movement (ARMY)
Chennai-600 011
Email: [email protected]
