A delegation of the INDIA bloc leaders met the Election Commission of India (ECI) here on Sunday urging it to issue clear and detailed guidelines for the counting of votes of the 18th Lok Sabha elections on 4th June, including postal be counted first before announcing the results of EVMs.

The multi-party delegation of Opposition comprising senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Salman Khurshid, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja and AAP leader Pankaj Gupta, among others.

Talking to reporters outside the ECI office, Singhvi said, “This is the third time that a multi-party delegation met the EC. We are very grateful that they gave us time at a very short notice on two to three major issues.”

“The most important issue is the counting of postal ballots first. This is very clearly stated in the statutory rule, Rule 54A, which specifically says that you should take up and deal with the postal ballots first. This has been understood by the EC over the years and in particular, it elaborated this is 2019 that even if you start the EVM counting while the postal ballot counting is on, even then you shall stop the EVM counting if it has reached the end and first declare the postal ballot counting result,” he said.

Singhvi claimed that this is reiterated in 2019 and other letters of EC which they apprised to the poll panel.

“Our complaint is that the statutory rule of 2019 has been given goodbye. The EC has repealed the 2019 practice. The statutory rule must be followed. There is no problem in stopping the EVM counting even if it reached the penultimate round and first declare the postal ballot result and then go on to the EVM,” he said.

The senior Congress leader said the other demand was to direct the counting officials to follow the existing guidelines. “We are not asking for new guidelines, but unfortunately what is already stated in the guidelines is not being followed by the counting officers,” Singhvi said.

He further said, “They gave us a patient hearing and we are awaiting a strong action.”

CPI (M) leader Yechury, in a post on X, wrote, “INDIA leaders met Chief Election Commissioner and other members of the ECI with following demands: Issue clear, detailed guidelines for the counting process on 4th June; clarify counting postal ballots first, per Conduct of Election Rules 1961; ensure CCTV-monitored safe movement of Control Units; verify date/time on Control Units and confirm voting start/end times; and specify slips, tags, and details for counting agents.”

Among others, he said they demanded to allow agents to record results before proceeding and strengthen transparency and faith in the electoral process.

It may be mentioned here that the INDIA has exuded confidence in winning more than 295 seats in the general elections.