On Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) conducted a training session for its counting agents at the party headquarters in preparation for the Lok Sabha election vote count. The session was led by AAP's National General Secretary (Organisation) and Rajya Sabha MP, Dr. Sandeep Pathak, with AAP's Lok Sabha candidate Shri Somnath Bharti in attendance. Dr. Sandeep Pathak emphasized the importance of the training in ensuring a smooth and accurate counting process.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sandeep Pathak said, “We have told all the counting agents that they have to reach their respective counting centres by 6 am. No agent should leave the counting centre until every single vote is counted. If the counting agent has any kind of doubt during the counting of votes, he has to immediately register his complaint with the Returning Officer. The counting agent should not remain silent under any circumstances. The counting agent must match the number of each EVM machine and the time of opening the machine. They have to keep a close eye on the counting of each vote.”
The AAP Rajya Sabha MP further said that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission, the postal ballots will be counted first. If there is an attempt to count the postal ballots later, then you have to immediately register your objection and insist on counting the postal ballots first. If there is any discrepancy in the postal ballot slip, then immediately register an objection and get it registered as invalid. Every EVM machine has to be checked properly. The agent also has to check whether the seal of the ballot unit box has been tampered with. It also has to be checked whether its number and data match the sheet or not. The date of voting and the date of counting have to be checked in the EVM machine and it has to be written in your sheet. The time from the start of voting to the end of voting has to be checked in the EVM machine.
INDIA Alliance Lok Sabha candidate Shri Somnath Bharti, who was present in the training, said that we all doubt that the exit polls are showing the opposite of the way the voting has taken place in the whole country and Delhi. That is why we have decided to prepare our counting agents for every situation. Agents have been made aware of the technical things that happen during counting. Counting agents have to ensure that the EVM boxes that are opened should be from the same booth. Counting agents also have to match the numbers of the control unit, ballot unit and VVPAT unit. All these things have to be checked like when the box was opened for the last time and when it was closed for the last time. The information given on the 17C form has to be matched. We have prepared our counting agents in every way for all these things.
Shri Somnath Bharti further said that we have asked our counting agents to ensure that there should not be any kind of mistake. The training agent should not accept any wrong thing in any way. If the number of your EVM does not match, then immediately register your objection. Has there been any tampering with the seal of the EVM machine that is being opened? When the machine is opened, its timing has to be matched. Is the time of the EVM that was sealed when you were at the polling booth and the EVM opened on the day of counting correct or not? It also has to be ensured whether the numbers of the control unit are matching or not.
“Today our National General Secretary (Organisation) Dr. Sandeep Pathak gave training to the counting agents and made them aware of the nuances of the EVM machine. We have told the counting agents that when the VVPAT counting takes place, we should not be negligent at all. The counting centre has to be left only after counting the last vote. Wherever a difference of even one vote is noticed, a complaint has to be immediately lodged with the Returning Officer,” he concluded.
