The ECI is taking these steps in light of allegations and scrutiny, particularly concerning the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The commission is responding to issues raised by opposition parties and suggestions for increased transparency. The context is drawn from the understanding that the margins in postal ballot results can be narrow, potentially inviting allegations. Questions have been raised about postal ballot counting, especially when the winning margin is small. The 2024 by-election in the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra serves as an example, where a close victory highlighted these concerns.

The ECI’s decision to complete EVM counting after postal ballots aims to address these issues. This policy will be implemented in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, where the final EVM/VVPAT count will begin only after postal ballot counting is complete. Previously, EVM counting could occur before postal ballot counting, sometimes leading to confusion due to time differences. The ECI believes that issuing new guidelines for postal ballot counting is a significant step towards streamlining the electoral process, reducing delays, and increasing clarity in the vote counting procedure. Postal ballot counting will start at 8 a.m., followed by EVM counting at 8:30 a.m. EVM/VVPAT counting will commence only after postal ballots have been counted. This is particularly important given the increase in postal ballots due to home voting for senior citizens and people with disabilities. To ensure a smooth counting process, the ECI has directed Returning Officers (ROs) to ensure sufficient tables and counting staff, especially in cases with a high number of postal ballots. This is the 30th initiative by the ECI in the last six months aimed at streamlining and improving the election process, following earlier measures like mobile deposit facilities for voters, webcasting of polling stations, and better use of technology.

Manjunath Gowda’s petition raised concerns about the vote counting process, alleging violations of election rules. He claimed that the Returning Officer (RO) and their team of election officials obtained signatures from the petitioner’s counting agents before opening the EVMs, contrary to Rule 66A of the Election Conduct Rules, 1961. He sought to present all election-related documents, videos, and other materials before the court, along with a demand for a recount.

The High Court noted that if the District Election Officer had presented a video recording of the counting process, these allegations could have been easily verified, as video recording of the counting process is mandatory according to the Election Commission’s guidelines. The court has stayed its order on Nanje Gowda’s petition for 30 days, allowing him to approach the Supreme Court.

Malur is one of the 224 assembly seats in the Karnataka Assembly, situated in the Kolar district. The constituency has a significant population of Scheduled Caste (SC) voters (46,451) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) voters (17,264). Elections have been held here four times. In 2008, the BJP won with Krishnaiya Shetty. In 2013, JD(S)’s Manjunath Gowda emerged victorious. In 2018, the Congress won with Nanje Gowda. He won again in 2023, but now, the court’s decision mandates a recount.

In the 2008 elections, the BJP’s vote share was 65.83%, while the JD(S) secured 21.77%. The Congress had the lowest vote share at 7.99%. In 2013, the Congress’s vote share was 14.09%, and the JD(S)’s was 40.28%. In 2018, the Congress got 46.9%, BJP 14.81%, and JD(S) 35.8%. In 2023, Congress had 29.4%, BJP 29.3%, and JD(S) 10.2%.

In the 2023 election, the Congress candidate received 50,955 votes. The BJP candidate received 50,707 votes. Independent candidate Vijaykumar Hudi came third with 49,362 votes.

Gandhi highlighted the compromised integrity of the election system and alleged the involvement of the Election Commission in the irregularities. He suggested that the judiciary should intervene in the matter.

Gandhi cited internal surveys that indicated the Congress party expected to win 16 seats in Karnataka, but only secured 9. He then focused on the Mahadevpura constituency, analyzing the 2024 election data obtained from the Election Commission. He pointed out that the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections with a margin of 32,707 votes, securing 658,915 votes. In contrast, the Congress received 115,586 votes in the Mahadevpura assembly segment, while the BJP garnered 229,632 votes. Gandhi emphasized that the BJP’s victory in the Lok Sabha elections was significantly influenced by the results in this constituency, which showed a considerable disparity. He alleged that approximately 12,050 votes were stolen from a total of 650,000 votes in the Mahadevpura assembly.