On the eve of the counting of votes, political parties on Monday had last-minute deliberations and training sessions to prepare their respective polling agents.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Delhi unit on Monday held extensive discussions on the deployment of agents for the counting of votes scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
BJP candidates conducted special workshops for the polling agents to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities. The agents have been asked to remain vigilant and given training on how to contest discrepancies.
Elections to the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi were held in a single phase on May 25.
The BJP, buoyed by the exit polls’ predictions, is hopeful of repeating its performance in the 2019 and 2014 elections, when it won all seven seats in Delhi.
Briefing the counting agents, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva advised candidates and workers to exercise caution in their victory celebrations. He also advised party workers to remain calm and not to get provoked by the workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, who, he said, could “resort to mischief after realising that the mandate was not in their favour”.
“Remain calm and carry out your duty with utmost sincerity,” Mr. Sachdeva said, adding that if any issue arises, the polling agents should inform their observer or election in-charge.
Special sessions
AAP and the Congress also held special training sessions for their agents. The Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc partners are hoping to combine their vote shares to dent the BJP’s prospects.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the party’s polling agents were fully prepared for the counting of votes and asserted that the Congress candidates will record thumping wins in the three parliamentary constituencies they are contesting and that the INDIA bloc will sweep all seven seats, “as the people of Delhi have totally rejected a non-performing BJP”.
AAP national general secretary (organisation) and Rajya Sabha member Sandeep Pathak said, “We have told all counting agents that they must not leave the counting centres until every single vote is counted. If the agents have any kind of doubt during the counting of votes, they must immediately register a 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 must keep a close eye on the counting of each vote,” he added.
Published - June 04, 2024 12:46 am IST
