Repoll peeves non-Congress political parties
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 01 2012:
Criticising the decision of the Election Commission of India to conduct a second repoll on March 4, 10 non-Congress political organisations have reportedly sent a joint memorandum to the Commission today.
Consequent to the ECI officially announcing repoll in 67 polling stations in nine hill district Assembly segments, leaders of Opposition political parties today deliberated on the ECI move at the Lamphelpat official quarter of MLA V Hangkhalian, where a lunch was also organised.
According to different sources, the joint meeting convened from around 10 am focused and seriously noted on the ECI deciding to conduct repoll at the 67 polling stations contrary to the returning officers concerned listing 523 polling stations as 'problematic' when election to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly was held on January 28 .
Political leaders present at the meeting were unanimous that repoll at the 67 polling stations contradicted the mutual agreement reached between a delegation of non-Congress political parties and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India.
One of the sources claimed that based on the report of the returning officers that classified 523 polling stations as 'problematic', the CEC accepted that there had been electoral mal-practices.
On being suggested that a mechanism be worked out to invalidate the votes at these problematic polling stations, the CEC reportedly conceded that there was no such mechanism eventually leading to leaders of the non-Congress political parties endorsing repoll in all the 'problematic' polling stations, informed the source.
While lamenting that only 67 polling stations have been picked out for repolling out of the huge number of 'problematic' polling stations, the source also expressed awe that out of the polling stations going to the repoll on March 4 many were free from any sort of problem during the January 28 franchise.
Confiding that a joint memorandum voicing opposition to the ECI stand has been sent to the Election Commission today, the source revealed that further discussions would be held on what recourse the political organisation would initiated against the ECI decision on repolling.