The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the State Election Commission to install CCTV cameras at all polling booths and counting centres during civic body elections to be held in Gurdaspur, Dinanagar and Qadian on June 13.
The petitioners had moved the court because they had apprehensions that either they will not be allowed to file the nominations or their papers will not be accepted the authorities concerned.
The court has also directed that the CCTVs will be installed inside and outside the office of the returning officer (RO), inside and outside the polling booths and the counting centres.
The court has also said that no one who is not authorised to cast his or her vote will be allowed to be near the office of the RO, polling booths and the counting centres. The police will take appropriate action against anyone found violating this direction.
Further, the court has said that with regard to the apprehension to the security of the contesting candidate, the district police chief is directed that, in case, any representation is received, the same will be looked into. “Due security will have to be provided to the candidate for the smooth conduct of the elections and to avoid any untoward incident,” said the court.
The court has also directed that in case the ‘no-objection certificate’ (NOC) is not granted, the candidates can file a self-attested affidavit stating that they fulfil all the requisites to contest the elections. This affidavit, accompanied by the nomination and all relevant supporting documents will be treated as valid by the RO.
The NOC has become a contentious issue in civic body elections as rival parties claim their candidates are not being given this document by officials at the behest of the AAP.
In case any nomination paper is to be rejected, a detailed speaking order of such rejection should be passed by the authority concerned.
Meanwhile, the petitioners have sent a legal notice to the commission and the Chief Secretary seeking to file contempt proceedings against it for holding the elections on June 13 when the Punjab and Haryana High Court had told it to hold them in the first week of June.
