The High Court of Telangana has issued stay orders on the decision of the State Election Commission to count even those ballots carrying a stamp of the respective polling stations in the present GHMC elections. As per the rules, only those ballot papers which carry the ‘Swastik’ stamp should be counted. Any other mark or stamp on the ballot paper will render it invalid. The SEC issued the latest order yesterday midnight.

Just as the counting began, the High Court issued its order staying the SEC decision. The court however allowed a separate counting of those ballot papers which carried the stamp of respective polling stations. However, the court ordered for announcing the final result in those divisions where the majority of winning candidates in regard to ballots bearing Swastik stamp would be higher than the ballots carrying stamp of polling stations. So, where the number of non-Swastik ballots is more than the majority of the winning candidates in Swastik ballots counting, the final result should be withheld till further orders.

BJP Telangana President Bandi Sanjay said the SEC was obviously in collusion with the ruling TRS to tamper with the counting process to get a winning edge. He said that polling irregularities took place between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the polling day. The officials of the municipal corporation and the TRS leaders have committed malpractices.

The Congress leaders accused the election officials of negligence for which the election process is now becoming suspicious.