Hyderabad: High Court of AP and Telangana admitted a petition filed by BSP candidate for Ibrahimpatnam Assembly Constituency seeking clarification from Election Commission of India about the difference in the number of votes polled and counted.
Mr. Mallreddy Ranga Reddy in his petition pleaded the court that certain defects were noticed in EVMs.
Division Bench of Hyderabad High Court comprising Chief Justice PD Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhat admitted this petition.
It may be mentioned that Mr. Ranga Reddy was defeated by TRS candidate, Mr. M. Kishan Reddy.
In the petition, senior lawyer of Supreme Court, Rakesh Munjal produced evidence in the court.
Hyderabad High Court Bench sought clarification from Election Commission of India and asked it to submit the report before 26th December.
It may be noted that Mr. Ranga Reddy was defeated only by 376 votes. He stated that when the VVPAT was opened the difference was noticed but the Returning Officer did not permit to count the VVPAT slips. In the same manner, the difference was found at three polling stations.
The advocate of the petitioner stated that at polling station number 112 the difference was found. In this station, 832 votes were polled but in the voting machine, it was shown as 834. This fact was not informed to District Election Officer. In the same manner, at polling station number 199, votes polled in favour of TRS candidate were shown as 146 but VVPAT shows 139. In polling station 259, the number of voters who exercised their franchise was 782 but the machine shows only 283.
Citing these examples, the advocate of the complainant pleaded the court to pass orders for the recounting of VVPAT slips.
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