HC says 'No' to colour photos in Delhi civic elections

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to issue directions on a plea for use of colour photographs of candidates on ballot papers and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in next month's Delhi municipal polls instead of black and white ones.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, however, agreed to hear the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by two undergraduate students -- Anil Kumar and Pratap Chandra -- seeking direction to the Election Commission (EC) and the Delhi State Election Commission to this effect.

The court said that it cannot issue any direction at this stage, turning down the petitioners' oral request to use coloured photographs for the MCD elections next month.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on May 8.

In March 2015, the EC had issued a direction that in polls held after May 2015 in addition to the election symbols of the party candidates, their photographs shall also be affixed on the ballot papers and on EVMs, the plea said.

It had also directed that the candidates shall present their latest colour or black and white photographs within three months of nomination, said the plea, adding that in all subsequent elections, only black and white photos were fixed on ballot papers.

According to the petitioners, since the Commission had also suggested using colour photographs, the candidates should switch to colour photographs.

--IANS

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