As the “D” day for the candidates of the Lok Sabha polls is just a week away, the Election Commission has started issuing series of instructions for the May 16 counting process and the latest one is ban on the people with security cover from being appointed as counting agents of the candidates.
According to the EC’s order, sent to all the Chief Electoral Officers on Thursday, there is no prohibition on councillors, sarpanchs, ward members and other local body chief/head from being appointed as counting agents provided they do not have any security cover from the State/Central governments.
Permission to work as counting agents will not be given even if the person is ready to surrender his/her security cover. Their security could not be put to jeopardy by allowing them to enter the hall without any security cover.
Similarly a government servant also could not act as a counting agent (Section 134-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951). If he so acts, he is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine or with both.
The election body made it clear that the counting of votes in the EVMs should commence within 30 minutes of the beginning of counting of postal ballots. It is not applicable if there is no counting of postal ballots in a particular counting centre.
The Commission is firm that no one should carry mobile phones (except election observers) inside the counting centres.
However the Returning Officers and the Assistant Returning Officers can carry mobiles but they should be in silent mode in the counting hall.
It said the penultimate (one before the last) round of counting of votes in EVMs should not commence till the counting of postal ballot is completed in all respects.

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