Assam polls: EC urged to videograph counting process

Guwahati: The Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM), a constituent of the opposition Congress-led 'Mahajoot' in Assam, on Sunday urged the Election Commission to videograph the May 2 counting of the assembly elections in the state.

In a letter to the EC, AGM president and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said the Commission has to depend on the state bureaucracy in the entire process of the assembly elections, and claimed that there is an "apprehension" that some sections of the employees may favour the ruling BJP and "can do mischief in the counting".

"To make the counting process fair and transparent we urge the Hon'ble Forum (EC) to take all such possible steps as provided in the Conduct of Election Rule, 1961 as well as the notifications issued by the Commission from time to time. "One such step towards transparency would be to do videography of the entire counting process," the party chief said in the letter.

The AGM said the videography of the counting will ensure transparency in the counting process and there will be no scope for any party or individual to raise any grievance regarding manipulation in the counting process.

The three-phase assembly elections were held on March 27, April 1 and April 6.

The regional party claimed that a lot of controversy had erupted during the 2020 Bihar assembly elections and "this has cast doubts on the impartiality in the counting process".

The AGM said provision for videography is available in case of re-verification or re-counting if victory is decided only on account of postal ballot counting. The party urged the EC "to remove any apprehension in any quarter" and conduct videography of the entire counting process "without compromising the secrecy of voting".