Chaos at Rishi Apartment Welfare Association poll counting, defeated panel demands re-election

Bisman Singh, the vice-president candidate from the opposing panel, alleged, “The election committee violated rules, mishandled NRI ballots and intentionally cancelled more than 15 votes. Senior citizens were not guided properly, and even minor unintentional marks caused by shaky hands were used as a pretext to reject valid ballots.”

He further alleged, “Our counting agents were pressured and removed from the room, after which the door was shut for nearly 15 minutes. We are not accepting even the three seats we won. The entire election must be scrapped.”

Election observer Patwari categorically rejected all allegations. “The entire election was conducted strictly as per rules, with complete transparency and video recording. Several NRI voters had mistakenly sent their ballots along with identity documents, due to which some votes had to be discarded. When they felt they were winning, everything was acceptable. The moment results didn’t favour them, they began creating a ruckus.”

With the defeated panel demanding re-election and a government-level inquiry, the dispute has now escalated. Patwari, however, said, “The protesting group is free to approach the court if they believe any irregularities occurred during the polling process.”