By Arun Pratap Singh
Nainital, 22 Aug: In compliance with the Uttarakhand High Court’s directive concerning the Zila Panchayat President election in Nainital, video and CCTV footage of the vote counting process were shown to both the contestants and their supporters today at the District Collectorate here. The footage presentation lasted nearly three hours and this was conducted under heavy police presence within the premises of the District Magistrate’s office. The session was attended by newly elected Zila Panchayat President Deepa Darmwal of BJP and the Congress candidate Pushpa Negi, along with advocates Avtar Singh Rawat, Tribhuvan Fartyal, and DS Patni representing the Congress, accompanied by three government counsels.
Following the screening, Deepa Darmwal expressed satisfaction with the footage, while advocate Avtar Singh Rawat who represents Congress in the case maintained that the visuals did not conclusively establish that the counting process had been entirely fair and transparent. He stated that the Congress would now present its case before the court. Pushpa Negi had earlier alleged procedural lapses, claiming that cameras were switched off during the counting, ballot papers were tampered with, specifically, a ‘1’ altered to a ‘2’, and that she was informed of the counting venue at an unreasonably late hour. She asserted that a notice was pasted at her Haldwani residence after the stipulated time.
District Magistrate and Returning Officer Vandana Singh however refuted these claims and claimed that all the candidates and their agents had been duly informed in advance through phone calls and WhatsApp messages, which has been verified. She clarified that the primary reason for vote invalidation was the absence of a first-preference mark on the ballot papers, which is mandatory under the rules. Votes bearing only a second preference were rightfully deemed invalid, and one ballot paper was found entirely blank. She added that all the candidates were given two opportunities to inspect the ballot papers, but one candidate failed to attend either session. At that juncture, objections and requests for recount could have been raised, but no such action was taken. The entire counting process was recorded via CCTV and videography in the presence of an independent observer, and this record is now being submitted to the court.
It may be recalled that, in Nainital, the election for the post of President of District Panchayat, held on 14 August was marred by controversy when five Zila Panchayat members went missing near the polling venue, leading to mutual allegations of kidnapping between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress approached the High Court on the same day, prompting judicial intervention. The court issued directives to the Election Commission and sought affidavits from the Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police and the DM, questioning the prevailing law and order conditions. Consequently, the Election Commission withheld the declaration of results post-counting.
The final results were finally announced on 19 August, with Deepa Darmwal of the BJP securing the Zila Panchayat President post and Devki Bisht of the Congress winning the Vice President position. The matter remains under judicial scrutiny, with further proceedings expected based on the evidence presented.
