Bid to snatch ballot boxes disrupts JNU Students' Union poll counting

NEW DELHI: The counting of votes for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union elections were suspended as a group of students forcibly entered the counting center, vandalised the spot and tried to snatch away the sealed ballot boxes, the JNU Election Committee asserted in a Press statement. It was alleged that the students who vandalised the counting centre belonged to the ABVP.

The counting process was finally restarted on Saturday evening after an all-party consensus was reached. "JNUSU EC 2018-19 hereby brings to the immediate notice of media friends that during the counting process, which had began on Friday (14th September 2018) at 10 pm has been suspended due to forcibly entering into the counting venue and attempt to snatch away the sealed ballot boxes as well as ballot papers from our counting centres," observed JNU Election Committee Chairperson Himanshu Kulshrestha,.

He added that as per established norms, no new counting agents can enter the counting venue once the seal of the boxes is opened. The Election Committee had to reject the request for new counting agents being allowed inside the counting venue. "A few students had forcefully entered the building and reached the counting venue. Thus, we had to suspend the counting process until the students without proper authorisation were cleared of the SIS-I building premises.