Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor has said that the time to call for a re-count of votes in the elections is done before winners are declared.
Re-count of votes demand was made from Mairang, Mylliem and Amlarem constituencies to the CEO by supporters of candidates who lost in the election.
Kharkongor said that the district election officers of those districts, where complaints are made have been asked to call the complainants and give them all the documents related to their poll complaints and to check if the figures are in order.
He said that even after that they are not satisfied they can file their complaints with the Election Commission.
“The time to call for recounting of votes is done before the declaration of the winners and after that there is no scope for complaining except knocking at the doors of the ECI and the courts,” the CEO said.
Earlier today, the Uplifting War-Jaintia VO had sought for re-count of votes stating there is “mismatch” in the total number of votes polled. The organisation said UDP candidate Lahkmen Rymbui was declared a winner against NPP’s Stephanson Mukhim by just 57 votes whereas a staggering 219 number of polled votes is alleged to be missing or unaccounted.
While Mairang was in flames after the declaration as thousands of Congress supporters tried to storm the Deputy Commissioner’s office demanding for a recount of votes yesterday the Voice of the People Party too sought recounting of votes polled by its candidate Aibandaplin F Lyngdoh from Mylliem constituency.
This was after the Congress candidate Ronnie V Lyngdoh was declared as elected from the constituency.