From postal ballot to J&K polls: What EC said in 1st presser before results

This is the first time when the Election Commission of India held such a post-election, pre-result briefing

A day before the crucial results of the Lok Sabha Election 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday highlighted the efforts made by the poll panel to conduct free and fair elections. This is the first time when the poll body held such a post-election, pre-result briefing.

Here are the top quotes from Election Commission press briefing:

1. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addressed memes circulating on social media that described the Election Commission as ‘laapata gentlemen’. He stated that he and fellow commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were “never out” and “always here”.

“We were never out, we were always here. We chose to interact with you through our press notes. This was the first time we issued close to a 100 press notes and advisories all put together,” he said.

 

2. On postal ballots, Rajiv Kumar said the counting process for the postal ballots will start before the counting of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

“Section 54 A of RPA Act was introduced in 1954. At that time, there were not many people for postal ballots. In all centres, counting of postal ballots will start first. After only half an hour, EVM counting will start first. It happened in 2019, it happened in all 2022 Assembly elections, it happened yesterday also in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim,” CEC said.

#WATCH | Ahead of Lok Sabha elections counting, CEC Rajiv Kumar says, "Postal ballot counting will start first. After only half an hour, we will start EVM counting. There is no doubt about it." pic.twitter.com/oG3RHOIb4l

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2024

3. Rajiv Kumar further said the poll body has not seen violence in this Lok Sabha election.

“This is one of the general elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation,” he said.

4. Criticising the ‘fake narrative’ spread during the polling process, the CEC said, “We thought such an attack would come from the outside country and we prepared. But this happened from inside.”

5. Rajiv Kumar further said that the EC was enthused by the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir during the Lok Sabha elections, which showed the eagerness of the people to participate in the democratic process.

“We will very soon start the process of assembly elections in J&K. We are very enthused. It is one of the most satisfying moments,” the CEC said.