HC directs Bombay Parsi Punchayet Trustee polls to be held on May 29, allows use of EVMs and VVPATs – The Indian Express

“The counting of all votes cast shall be undertaken immediately after the Election and shall be completed on the same date. The result of the election will also be declared on the same day. Provided, however, that no such declaration will be considered invalid if the process of counting is completed after midnight of that day,” the bench noted.

As per the schedule fixed by HC, the final date for submission of candidature will be April 4 and the same can be withdrawn on or before May 8. The final list of candidates will be published on or before May 15.

The election result will be published on the notice board of BPP latest by May 30 and the newly elected trustee will assume office on May 31.

Three of the existing five trustees of BPP had sought from the Bombay High Court that the proposed scheme for elections should also consist of VVPAT-EVMs and had suggested comprehensive amendments to the Scheme for Elections for all seven posts of Trustees of the BPP, along with the Code of Conduct.

A division bench of Justice Shahrukh J Kathawalla and Justice Milind N Jadhav passed a detailed judgment in the regard on March 1, which was made available on Saturday. The court approved the revised scheme for elections with several substantial changes from the previous scheme and noted that the casting of all votes shall be by secret ballot through the use of EVMs.

Allowing use of VVPAT-EVM for the upcoming polls, the HC-approved scheme read: “Provided, however, that in the event of changed circumstances, the trustees may unanimously agree that the casting of votes be done by paper ballot instead of EVMs for a particular Election. All necessary safeguards will be put in place by the Election Commissioners for ensuring the sanctity of secret ballots and safekeeping of the paper ballots.”