BJP's Suvendu Adhikari writes to West Bengal Election Commission on use of non-permanent staff for counting votes
May 30, 2024
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 30 : West Bengal Leader of Operation and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday wrote a letter to the CEO of the West Bengal Election Commission, expressing concerns about the use of non-permanent, contractual staff in the election process.
"Counting of votes is the last major step in the election process. The true choice of the electorate finds expression in the correct and proper counting of votes. Therefore, the importance of the process of counting of votes hardly needs to be emphasized," he said in the letter to the CEO of the West Bengal Election Commission.
"We draw your attention to the many representations both verbal and written we have given for the use of only permanent staff on the rolls of State or Central Government, yet during the poll process on many occasions non-permanent, contractual people were used under one pre-text or the other. Our apprehension that this may be repeated in counting too," he said.
"In the recently concluded Panchayat General Elections, many ADMs / BDOs were admonished / strictures passed by the Hon'ble High Court for the acts of favouring the party in power. Such officers should not be involved during the counting process, at all," he added.
Six phases of the Lok Sabha elections are over and the final phase will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies in eight states and Union Territories. The polling for 42 seats of West Bengal is being held across all seven phases.
Polling for nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be conducted during the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election on June 1. The Lok Sabha seats include Kolkata North, Basirhat, Barasat, Diamond Harbour, Dum Dum, Jaynagar, Jadavpur, Kolkata South, and Mathurapur. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.
