Supreme Court stays RCA election results as ballot boxes sealed after 35 of 38 districts vote

Supreme Court puts RCA election results on hold

Jaipur: Voting for the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections concluded here on Tuesday under the shadow of a Supreme Court directive halting the announcement of results. The apex court's stay came following petitions challenging the complete exclusion of women from the electoral rolls and a legal dispute over the inclusion of three newly formed districts in the voter list.

Out of a total of 38 eligible voters, 35 cast their votes while three new districts — Didwana-Kuchaman, Khairthal-Tijara and Balotra — voluntarily refrained from polling. Following the court order, the ballot boxes were sealed and deposited in the collectorate treasury without counting, extending the state body's long history of delayed election outcomes.

Campaign rivals trade barbs on polling day

The polling day was also marked by sharp exchanges between the two presidential candidates, with Dhananjay Singh Khimsar raising questions over 'unauthorised presence' inside the venue and Brij Kishore Upadhyay dismissing the charges while expressing full confidence in his victory.

Election officer confirms peaceful voting

Election officer AK Pandey confirmed that polling was conducted smoothly. "Voting commenced and concluded peacefully. Three new districts did not vote. They submitted in writing that they chose not to vote out of their own free will. In the meantime, we received information that the Supreme Court has issued an order directing that the results of this election should not be declared. Consequently, we have sealed the ballot box and stored it safely until further orders," Pandey said.

Khimsar questioned the presence of outsiders inside the premises and raised concerns over the decision of three districts to skip voting despite attending the AGM before the polling began.

"We completely respect the decision of the Supreme Court, but we have registered a formal written complaint regarding irregularities. Why were 11 or 12 individuals who had no connection with cricket allowed entry inside the venue, despite strict identity checks at the gate, if not to influence voters? Representatives from Didwana-Kuchaman, Khairthal-Tijara and Balotra attended the AGM, but did not vote, which raises serious concerns," Khimsar added while maintaining that there is no internal factionalism with the BJP.

Upadhyay rejected the allegations of voter influence and announced plans to move the court for an early declaration of results.

"RCA voting was conducted in a very peaceful manner and we fully respect the court's decision. Regarding the allegations of unauthorised people, these are baseless claims typical during election time. The location has a common cafeteria where media and friends sit, but the polling area was completely separate. Association secretaries are experienced individuals who cannot be influenced by people sitting in a cafeteria," Upadhyay said.

"The three district associations refrained from voting voluntarily out of respect for the judiciary after learning about the court order. We plan to file an application to become a party in court to request an early declaration, and we are 100% confident of victory once the results are opened," he added.

No scope to act on complaints, says election officer

The election officer said that there is no scope to act upon complaints. "While polling was ongoing, no complaints were received. After polling concluded, when we were busy with the sealing process, we received two or three complaints. However, at this stage, there is no scope to act upon them. Everything has now been sealed in the ballot box, and the results will be declared once permission is received from the Supreme Court," Pandey added.

Om Prakash Beniwal, representing Didwana-Kuchaman, said that their decision was taken to avoid prolonging the legal dispute. "The three of us decided voluntarily that we will not participate in this voting, so that the results don't get affected or delayed by the court for a long time," Beniwal said.