Manual of Election Law_Volume II - Home: Chief Electoral Officer ...

(a) the name of the constituency,
117
(b) the particulars of the polling station where the ballot papers have been used,
(c) the name of the candidate to whom the ballot box was allotted, and
(d) the date of counting.
(2) The returning officer shall then place together all the packets made up under sub-rule (1) in respect
of each candidate in a separate container which shall be sealed with the seals of the returning officer and of
such of the candidates, their election agents or their counting agents as may desire to affix their seals thereon
and on the container so sealed shall be recorded the following particulars, namely:—
(a) the name of the constituency,
(b) the names of the candidates, and
(c) the date of counting.]”.
1 [59A.
2 [Counting of votes in specified constituencies.—Where the Election Commission
apprehends intimidation and victimisation of electors in any constituency and it is of the opinion that it is
absolutely necessary that the ballot papers taken out of all boxes used in that constituency should be mixed
before counting, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify such constituency and for counting of
such ballot papers, in lieu of rules 55, 56, 57 and 59, the following rules shall apply], namely:—
‘55B. Scrutiny and opening of ballot boxes.—(1) The returning officer shall open, or cause to be
opened, simultaneously the ballot box or boxes used at more than one polling station and shall have the
total number of ballot papers found in such box or boxes counted and recorded in Part II of From
16:
Provided that discrepancy, if any, between the total number of such ballot papers recorded as
aforesaid and the total number of ballot papers shown against item No. 5 of Part I shall also be
recorded in Part II of Form 16.
(2) Before any ballot box is opened at a counting table, the counting agents present at that table
shall be allowed to inspect the paper seal or such other seal as might have been affixed thereon and
to satisfy themselves that it is intact.
(3) The returning officer shall satisfy himself that none of the ballot boxes has in fact been
tampered with.
(4) If the returning officer is satisfied that any ballot box has in fact been tampered with, he
shall not count the ballot papers contained in that box and shall follow the procedure laid down in
section 58 in respect of that polling station.
56B. Counting of votes.—(1) Subject to such general or special directions, if any, as may be
given by the Election Commission in this behalf, the ballot papers taken out of all boxes 2 [used at more
than one polling station in a constituency,] shall be mixed together and then arranged in convenient
bundles and scrutinised.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Ins. by Notifn. No. S.O. 958(E), dated the 17th November, 1989, for rule 59A.
2. Subs. by Notifn. No. S.O. 105(E), dated the 15th February, 1993, for certain words.