Assam Elections 2021: Anchalik Gana Morcha urges ECI to videograph counting

GUWAHATI: The Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) has moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) for videography of the entire counting process of Assam assembly elections, scheduled for May 2.

In a letter to the ECI, AGM president and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said videography can ensure transparency in the counting of votes.

Referring to alleged irregularities in Bihar assembly election counting last year, Bhuyan stated: “… to remove any apprehension in any quarter request the Hon’ble Commission to videograph the entire counting process without compromising the secrecy of voting.”

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“So far as the counting of votes is concerned a lot of controversy has been created during election to the Legislative Assembly Election to Bihar held in the year 2020, this has cast doubts on the impartiality in counting process. In the entire election process the Election Commission of India has to depend on state bureaucracy and there is apprehension that some section with bias towards the ruling party can do mischief in the process of counting.

“To make the counting process fair and transparent we urge the Hon’ble Forum to take all such possible steps as provided in the Conduct of Election Rule, 1961 as well as the Notifications issued by the Commission from time to time,” Bhuyan wrote, adding: “One such step towards transparency would be to do videography of the entire counting process.”

Presently, there are provisions for videography in case of reverification/recounting done if victory is decided only on account of postal ballot counting.

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“… the counting process has come under scanner during last few years due to attempt by ruling party to manipulate the result through mischief during counting process. Without commenting on the merit of the questions raised during Bihar Election, 2020 we urged the commission to ensure that no controversy like that of Bihar be created in Assam during counting.

“The videography of the counting will ensure transparency in counting process and there will be no scope for any party or individual candidates to raise any grievance regarding manipulation in counting process,” the AGM plea added.