EVM vote recount in Haryana panchayat seat overturns original result: Report

The top court also ordered the videography of the whole process.

A recount of EVM votes, following an intervention by the Supreme Court, for a Haryana panchayat election led to the reversal of the original result in a first of its kind exercise, the Tribune reported.

The recounting was done in the presence of top court’s OSD Kaveri and with both the contenders and their lawyers present with the process being videographed, the report said.

The development took place after Mohit Kumar, a candidate for the post of Sarpanch in Buana Lakhu gram panchayat in Panipat district, filed an election petition on November 2, 2022 before the additional civil judge and the election tribunal of Panipat, challenging the result that declared Kuldeep Singh as the winner. Following the petition, a recount of votes was ordered, which was set aside by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the report said.

Kumar challenged the high court’s decision in the Supreme Court, which ordered the recount of votes from all the booths, the report said. The top court also ordered the videography of the whole process.

The votes were recounted and Kumar was declared as the winner with 1,051 votes, while Singh secured 1,000 votes, the report said. The Supreme Court, in its order said, prima facie there is no reason to doubt the report and Kumar deserves to be declared as the elected Sarpanch.