ECI transfers RTI query to Returning Officer
Srinagar, Mar 20: The ghost of cross-voting is once again set to haunt political parties in Jammu & Kashmir, as the Election Commission of India has transferred an RTI application seeking details on whether parties had appointed authorised agents to verify whom their MLAs voted in the Rajya Sabha elections held in October last year.
The Election Commission has transferred the RTI application to the Returning Officer of the Rajya Sabha polls.
“For point No. 1, 2 and 3 of your RTI application, your application has been transferred to the Returning Officer concerned through PIO, O/o Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu & Kashmir under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005,” reads the response of Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) S.K. Das, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The application specifically seeks the names of MLAs or Ministers who were appointed as authorized agents by political parties to verify the votes cast by their members. It also asks for the names of substitutes or additional authorised agents who were appointed to verify the votes of MLAs or Ministers serving as authorized agents.
The appointment of authorized agents is a key requirement to ensure transparency in how MLAs cast their votes in Rajya Sabha election, which is conducted through an open ballot system. Every political party that has members in the Assembly has to appoint an authorized agent to verify whom its MLAs have voted for. These agents are seated inside the polling station in seats provided by the Returning Officer. After marking their vote, MLAs belonging to political parties are required to show their ballot paper to their party’s authorized agent before inserting it into the ballot box.
In the Rajya Sabha polls held on October 8, 2025, eight MLAs who had pledged support to NC-led candidates helped the BJP either by voting in its favour or by deliberately cancelling their votes. (KNO)
