KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the plea of the Joint Council of State Service Organisation, Kerala NGO Union and others seeking a directive to the Election Commission to allow election duty officers who have not yet received their postal ballots to cast their votes before May 4, the day of counting.
Justice KV Jayakumar stated that “the intervention of the court at this advanced stage of the election process, by means of a temporary order, is not justified.
“Interim orders sought are denied.” The petitioners argued that a total of 20,411 officers on electoral duty were deprived of their right to vote due to the non-availability of postal ballots at designated polling centers.
Deepu Lal Mohan, counsel for the Election Commission, opposed the plea and submitted that the postal ballots are currently kept in the strong room as per the prescribed procedure.
Those strong rooms will remain closed until counting begins at 8 a.m. on May 4, and therefore any attempt to reopen, access, or change the status of postal ballots prior to counting would directly jeopardize the sanctity, secrecy, and irrevocability of the election process.
