<p>Observing that election symbols play a vital role and ordinarily the voters identify their candidates on the basis of symbols, the High Court dismissed the petition filed by an unseated Gram Panchayat member from Hassan district.</p>.<p>The petitioner had challenged the order of an election tribunal in Hassan by considering four ballot papers that were rejected while counting the votes.</p>.<p>The petitioner, Prabhamani, had secured 232 votes and won by a margin of just one vote against Hemalatha in the elections to Karle Gram Panchayat in Hassan district. However, the election tribunal declared Hemalatha as the winner by considering four votes rejected for being cast on ballot papers belonging to another constituency.</p>.<p>The court observed that though the four ballot papers belong to another constituency, there is irrefutable evidence on record that they were utilised for the election in question. Justice Krishna S Dixit said that the importance of election symbols is more so in the case of elections to ‘grass-root’ level local bodies.</p>.<p>“They had the same electoral symbol; they were taken and used for the constituency in question after scrutiny by the jurisdictional authorities; the voters acted upon the same accordingly. The electors made a mark upon the same. It is nobody’s case that the marks found on these ballot papers were fake, forged or otherwise illegal,” the court said.</p>.<p>The court also observed that some insignificant lapses do happen in the election process, more particularly in rural areas and noted the admission of the petitioner that the four ballot papers have not come from the ‘farthest land’, as to be called ‘alien’ to the election in question.</p>.<p>To another submission that the election of the petitioner was set aside by a very small margin (three votes) and therefore, an eminent case arises for the indulgence of the court, Justice Krishna Dixit said, “Precedentially, the Vajpayee led NDA–government was toppled for want of one vote, failing to secure a confidence vote on 17th April 1999. That is the value our system attaches to every vote.”</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>Observing that election symbols play a vital role and ordinarily the voters identify their candidates on the basis of symbols, the High Court dismissed the petition filed by an unseated Gram Panchayat member from Hassan district.</p>.<p>The petitioner had challenged the order of an election tribunal in Hassan by considering four ballot papers that were rejected while counting the votes.</p>.<p>The petitioner, Prabhamani, had secured 232 votes and won by a margin of just one vote against Hemalatha in the elections to Karle Gram Panchayat in Hassan district. However, the election tribunal declared Hemalatha as the winner by considering four votes rejected for being cast on ballot papers belonging to another constituency.</p>.<p>The court observed that though the four ballot papers belong to another constituency, there is irrefutable evidence on record that they were utilised for the election in question. Justice Krishna S Dixit said that the importance of election symbols is more so in the case of elections to ‘grass-root’ level local bodies.</p>.<p>“They had the same electoral symbol; they were taken and used for the constituency in question after scrutiny by the jurisdictional authorities; the voters acted upon the same accordingly. The electors made a mark upon the same. It is nobody’s case that the marks found on these ballot papers were fake, forged or otherwise illegal,” the court said.</p>.<p>The court also observed that some insignificant lapses do happen in the election process, more particularly in rural areas and noted the admission of the petitioner that the four ballot papers have not come from the ‘farthest land’, as to be called ‘alien’ to the election in question.</p>.<p>To another submission that the election of the petitioner was set aside by a very small margin (three votes) and therefore, an eminent case arises for the indulgence of the court, Justice Krishna Dixit said, “Precedentially, the Vajpayee led NDA–government was toppled for want of one vote, failing to secure a confidence vote on 17th April 1999. That is the value our system attaches to every vote.”</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
