Congress writes to M.P. CEO over postal ballot 'malpractice' in Balaghat; officials deny charge

Congress submits memo to MP CEO seeking action against Balaghat Collector for allegedly taking postal ballots out of strong room; CEO denies allegations; local Congress leaders express satisfaction with process; divisional commissioner suspends nodal officer for negligence.

The Congress has submitted a memorandum to the Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer seeking action against the Balaghat collector for allegedly taking postal ballots out of the strong room and indulging in malpractice.

However, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan on Monday, November 27. 2023, denied the allegations and said local Congress leaders have expressed satisfaction at the procedure.

Assembly polls were held in Madhya Pradesh on November 17 and votes will be counted on December 3.

"The service votes (postal ballots) were being segregated assembly-wise by taking them out from the strong room in the presence of authorised Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party agents. These were kept in the boxes meant for them," Mr. Rajan said.

A total of 429 service votes of Baihar, 553 of Lanjhi, 452 of Paraswada, 1,308 of Balaghat, 391 of Waraseoni and 126 of Katangi were segregated in the presence of authorised agents, he said.

Congress vice president JP Dhanopia, who is the party's in-charge of election affairs, in a memorandum alleged that postal ballots were taken out from the treasury room and handed over to staffers who were handling them the way they wished.