The Madras High Court on Monday ordered recounting of the 605 rejected postal votes that were polled in Krishnagiri Assembly constituency in 2021 in which AIADMK MLA K. Ashok Kumar had won with a slender margin of 794 votes, compared to his nearest rival candidate T. Senguttuvan of DMK.
Justice P.T. Asha allowed an application filed by the defeated candidate, through his counsel Richardson Wilson, this year for recounting of the rejected postal votes and directed the Registrar General of the High Court to depute any one of the Registrars of the High Court to supervise the recounting process.
The Registrar concerned was directed to complete the exercise in 20 days and file a report before the court listing out the reasons that had been recorded by the Returning Officer in Form 20 for rejection of the postal ballot votes and the reasons that had been recorded for such rejection on the postal covers.
The judge also wanted to know whether the number of rejected votes mentioned under various heads in Form 20 tally with the number of votes rejected under the specific heads as indicated in postal ballot cover. She said, either the contestants or their representatives could be present during the recounting.
The Election Commission of India was also directed to depute at least two officials to assist the Registrar of the High Court in recounting. The judge decided to hear the matter next on April 26 after the Registrar completes the recounting process and files a report before the court as directed.
Though the election petition filed by Mr. Senguttuvan challenging the election of Mr. Ashok Kumar had been pending in the court since 2021, the application to recount the rejected ballot votes was filed only this year on the ground that the Returning Officer had failed to apprise the counting agent of the reasons for rejection.
