[Lok Sabha Elections] Each Citizen Casts Only One Vote, Double Entry Voters Not Allowed To Cast Vote In More Than One Place: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has disposed of the plea moved by the Chief Election Agent of MP Adoor Prakash alleging that the final voters' list in the Attingal Parliamentary Constituency contained double entries.

“In a constitutional democracy, the government is a government, of the people, by the people and for the people; and each of us have a participatory role in electing the government. On the day of election, the vote that each citizen casts, counts as of the same value. So, our constitution and our law provide for one citizen, one vote and one value. That is the great power of our nation as a constitutional democracy” observed Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen.

The plea was moved by the Chief Election Agent of Adoor Prakash, MP, who is the Congress-I candidate nominated to contest from the Attingal Parliamentary Constituency in the polling scheduled to be held on 26th April 2024. The petitioner submitted that the final voter's list prepared in the Attingal Parliamentary Constituency contains 1,61,237 double entries out of 13,93,134 voters.

The standing counsel for the Election Commission submitted that all precautionary measures were being taken to ensure free and fair conduct of the election in the State and to ensure the sanctity of the electoral roll. They added that no person will be allowed to cast unauthorized votes in the election.

According to the standing counsel, the process for identifying the double entries in the final voters' list is under process and once the list of the double-entry voters is ready, the ASD (absentee/shifted/dead) voters' list can be furnished to the respective candidates or to their election agents.

Accordingly, the writ petition was disposed of after directing that the respondents shall strictly adhere to the undertaking given by them before the Court in the form of statements and shall take all possible steps to ensure that one citizen casts only one vote and double entry voters are not allowed to cast their vote in more than one place.

Counsel for Petitioners: Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, Advocates Nisha George, A.L.Navaneeth Krishnan, Sidharth.R.Wariyar, Kavya Varma M. M., Anshin K.K.

Counsel for Respondents: Advocate Deepu Lal Mohan, Standing Counsel Election Commission of India

Case Citation: 2024 LiveLaw Ker 264

Case Title: Varkala Kahar v. The Election Commission of India and Ors.

Case Number: WP(C) No. 16024 of 2024

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