The Punjab and Haryana High Court has raised concerns over the panchayat vote count issue in the Panje Ke Uttar gram panchayat election. The Bench flagged the possibility of deliberate mischief after noticing that most invalid ballots supported one symbol. This unusual pattern prompted the court to demand an affidavit identifying the official who held custody of the ballots.
The dispute began after the October election for the sarpanch’s post in Ferozepur district. Ramesh Kumar won initially with a margin of 72 votes. However, a recount changed the result and triggered a legal challenge. Kumar argued that the recount process lacked transparency and relied on vague claims, not evidence.
During the appeal hearing, Justice Pankaj Jain directed the staff to open the ballot box in court and sort the cancelled ballots booth wise. The court observed that 209 ballots were rejected—149 of them carried the bucket symbol assigned to Kumar. Many of these ballots showed double stamping, which raised concern.
Justice Jain noted that the pattern suggested possible interference with votes cast for the bucket symbol. He asked the state to submit an affidavit naming the official who handled the ballots before August 1. The panchayat vote count issue now stands at the center of further scrutiny.
