Following the Vice Presidential election victory of NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan, scrutiny has turned to the 15 invalid votes cast. This raises important questions about the criteria for invalidating votes and the procedures used to identify them.
The determination of which political alliance the invalid votes stemmed from is often inferred from the errors made during the voting process. A misplaced mark in the box next to CP Radhakrishnan’s name suggests an NDA MP’s error, while a similar mistake near Sudarshan Reddy’s name implies an error by an INDIA alliance MP.
Specific errors that lead to vote invalidation include the use of an incorrect pen. The election officer provides a designated pen for voting, and its use is mandatory. In the event of a dispute, this special pen (and its ink) can be subjected to forensic analysis. Other grounds for invalidation include writing preferences in words rather than numerals (e.g., ‘one’ or ‘two’), marking outside the designated box boundaries, or assigning the same preference number to both candidates.
**The Vice Presidential Election: Voting and Counting Explained**
The election process involves secret ballots cast by members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The ballot papers provided for voting do not bear any identifying marks of the MP, thus ensuring secrecy. Each MP receives a ballot paper with a unique number. This number is concealed before the ballot is placed in the ballot box, preventing identification based on ballot numbers.
**Ballot Paper Layout:**
* Boxes are provided adjacent to each candidate’s name.
* MPs are required to indicate their preferences using numerals (1 and 2).
* MPs can choose to indicate only their first preference.
* Preferences must be expressed numerically, not in words.
* The use of the international numeral system, Roman numerals, or any Indian language is acceptable.
* Indicating more than one preference is optional.
**Vote Counting Process:**
* The process begins with the initial sorting of all ballot papers.
* Valid and invalid votes are separated.
* The winning quota is calculated based on the number of valid votes.
* Formula: (Valid votes ÷ 2) + 1
**Example: If a total of 700 valid votes are cast, the winning quota is 351.**
* The candidate who secures more votes than the first preference quota is declared the winner.