The High Court has directed the election grievance redressal cell at PNG Degree College, Ramnagar, to recount the ballots cast for the student union president’s . The process must be conducted in the presence of the candidates involved in the contest.
The court also ordered that the ballots and CCTV footage connected with the counting be kept safe. The directions followed a petition challenging the declaration of the election result.
Petition over rejected votes
Suraj Rawat, who contested the president’s as an NSUI candidate, approached the High Court after the counting held following polling on 29 September. He claimed that several votes cast in his favour were declared invalid.
According to the petition, Rawat raised the objection before the grievance redressal cell at the time, but alleged that the panel did not take up his complaint. Independent candidate Neeraj Kandari was subsequently declared elected by 5 votes.
The result gave Kandari 738 votes, while Rawat received 733. ABVP candidate Vishakha Chauhan received 383 votes.
Court’s recount directions
The matter was heard by a single bench of Senior Judge Manoj Kumar Tiwari. After hearing the case, the High Court ordered the recount for the president’s through the grievance redressal cell formed during the student union election.
The direction requires the candidates to be present during the recount. Preserving the ballots and CCTV footage will retain the material linked to the original counting while the disputed votes are reassessed.
The available information does not state the date fixed for the recount or indicate whether the earlier result has been changed. The next verified step is the recount ordered by the High Court.
Conclusion
The High Court has ordered a candidate-present recount of the Ramnagar college president’s election ballots after a challenge over votes declared invalid. The ballots and CCTV footage must remain preserved during the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What did the High Court order?
The court ordered a recount of the votes for the president’s in the PNG Degree College Ramnagar student union election.
Q. Who will conduct the recount?
The recount will be conducted by the grievance redressal cell formed during the student union election.
Q. Who must be present during the recount?
The candidates contesting the president’s must be present during the recount.
Q. Why was the recount ordered?
Suraj Rawat challenged the declaration of several votes in his favour as invalid and said his complaint was not considered by the grievance redressal cell.
Q. What was the earlier result?
Independent candidate Neeraj Kandari was declared the winner by 5 votes, with 738 votes against Suraj Rawat’s 733. Vishakha Chauhan received 383 votes.
Q. What records must be preserved?
The High Court directed that the ballots and CCTV footage be kept safe.
