ECI advises candidates to appoint mature persons as counting agents

Chandigarh, May 12, 2014: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that the law does not prescribe any specific qualification for persons to be appointed as counting agents but advised candidates to appoint only mature persons who were above 18 years as their counting agents so that their interests could be properly taken care off.
Disclosing this here today, Raminder Singh, Additional CEO said that according to a communication received from ECI, security personnel were not allowed to enter the counting hall, so no sitting Minister either of Union Government  or of a State Government, sitting MP, MLA/MLC or any other person having security cover provided by the state(bith Union and State governments) would be allowed to act as election agent, polling agents or counting agent of any candidate during an election. Besides this, no person having security cover could act as such agent of a candidate during an election. He cannot enter the counting hall along with security personnel; his security cannot be put to jeopardy by allowing him to enter the hall without any security cover, he added.
He said that the ECI has further clarified that any sitting Minister of Union Government or of a state government, any sitting MP/MLA/MLC, Chief/Head/Chairperson of Urban Local Bodies, viz., Mayor of a corporation, Chairman of Municiplity/Nagar Panchayat, Chairperson of Zila Parishad/Block Samiti, elected Chairpersons of National/State/District co-operative institutions, Political functionaries appointed as Chairpersons of Central PSUs/State PSUs, Chairpersons of Government bodies,  and Government pleader/additional government pleader cannot be appointed as counting agent.
The Communiqué further clarified that there was no restriction that only local persons shall be permitted to become counting agents and the candidates were free to nominate any persons above 18 years of age.
The Additional CEO said that these instructions have already been conveyed to ROs/AROs/Candidates and Observers.