KATHMANDU, July 7: Hearing on Bharatpur vote counting dispute was postponed until Monday as the Supreme Court failed to conclude the hearing today.

A joint bench of justices Mira Khadka and Anil Kumar Sinha responded to the writ in relation to the issue filed by advocate Tulasi Pandey and CPN-UML candidate for Bharatpur Metropolitan City-19 Gunjan Man BK. The writ is against the Election Commission’s decision to hold re-elections in the metropolis-19 after the vote counting halted following the tearing of ballot papers during the vote count.

Earlier, a joint bench of acting Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli and Justice Hari Krishna Karki heard the issue and delivered a verdict asking for bringing torn up ballot papers.

Acting on the verdict, the torn ballot papers were presented before the Court on June 27.

Likewise, the first round of the hearing conducted by a single bench of Justice Cholendra Shamsher Junga Bahadur Rana also issued a verdict against the EC’s direction to organise re-polls in the metropolis. RSS

CHITWAN, June 1: The number and the condition of the ballot papers that were torn down when vote counting was underway for Ward Number 19 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City on May 28 is being determined.

The count was obstructed after the CPN (Maoist Centre) representatives allegedly tore the ballot papers while vote counting under the first-phase local level election in Bharatpur Metropolitan City on Sunday night.

According to chief election officer Kavi Prasad Neupane, they were finalizing the number of torn ballot papers and the details will be sent to the office of the Election Commission.

Neupane added that, they had provided separate permission to 46 persons including contenders and party representatives to confirm the number of torn ballot papers.

The election office has opened the vote counting spot at 2:30 today as it was sealed after dispute occurred while counting vote Sunday night.

The Election Commission had formed a probe committee under the convenorship of joint attorney Gita Timilsina in this regard and the team had submitted its report on Wednesday to the Commission. RSS