03 Jun, 2024
SC Rejects YSR Congress Party's Plea Against New Postal Ballot Counting Rules in Andhra Pradesh
Today, the Supreme Court dismissed the YSR Congress Party's plea challenging the recently implemented rules for counting postal ballot votes in Andhra Pradesh, denying any relief sought by the party.
The bench, comprising Justices Arvind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta, expressed the view that there was no necessity to intervene in the decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had refused relief to the political party. They indicated that the matter could be addressed through an election petition.
"In the facts and circumstances of this case, we refuse to interfere," the Supreme Court said today.
The YSR Congress Party approached the Court to challenge the validity of the relaxed regulations governing the recognition of postal ballot counting in Andhra Pradesh. The party asserted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had eased these norms specifically in the state.
Following the relaxation, the requirement mandating the inclusion of the name and designation of the attesting officer in Form 13A, as per the rules, was waived. Instead, only the specimen signatures of all such officers are now necessary.
The political party asserted that this amendment was solely aimed at validating postal ballots that did not comply with the mandatory legal requirement. Initially, the party brought its grievance before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. However, on June 1, the High Court rejected the party's plea for relief and advised it to file an election petition instead of seeking a remedy through writ jurisdiction.
The party subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, contesting the decision of the High Court. However, during today's proceedings, the Supreme Court firmly stated its decision not to intervene in the matter. Senior Counsel Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the YSR Congress in the proceedings.
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