Patna November 12, 2024: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to guarantee the polling agents receive Form 17C at every polling station after the polling in the assembly by-election scheduled on Wednesday.
Chitranjan Gagan, the spokesperson of Rashtriya Janata Dal emphasized that, despite the clear provisions in the election process, the ECI has consistently fallen short in ensuring Form 17C is provided to polling agents, even though this demand has been repeatedly raised by several political parties including Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Rashtriya Janata Dal submitted a memorandum to ECI:
To address this, the party has formally submitted a memorandum to the election commission.
“The ECI should direct all election officers to ensure that presiding officers at each polling station provide Form 17C to polling agents, as required by the election process,” Gagan said.
He also recommended that action should be taken against any presiding officers who fail to comply with requirements.
Form 17C plays a crucial role in the electoral process:
Form 17C plays a significant role in the electoral process, as it provides a detailed account of the votes cast at each polling booth.
This form includes the identification number of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the total number of registered voters at the booth, the number of voters who signed the register but ultimately did not vote, voters who were prevented from voting and the total number of votes recorded by the EVM.
“Importantly, Form 17C can also serve as a reference in legal disputes related to election outcomes, helping to ensure transparency and accountability,” Gagan said.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal’s demand underscores the need for the Election Commission to ensure strict adherence to the distribution of Form 17C thereby promoting transparency and procedural integrity in the election process.
“In the conduct of Election Rules, 1961, two important forms are specified for use in the electoral process: Form 17A and Form 17C.
Form 17A is an essential attendance register, in which the polling officer records the details of each voter, ensuring a comprehensive record of all individuals who participated in the voting process.
Form 17C contains a detailed summary of voting statistics, including the voting percentage figures.
It includes the EVM identification number, the total number of voters assigned to the booth, the number of people who signed the register but chose not to vote, the count of voters disallowed from voting and the final vote tally per EVM.
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EOM.