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APML, PPP bag 25 votes each after recounting of rejected ballots

CHITRAL, Oct 1: The recounting of rejected votes in PK-90 upper Chitral completed on Tuesday noon after which the two rival candidates are still neck and neck, according to our sources close to the recounting process. The sources close to the recounting process told ChitralToday on the condition of strict anonymity that after the recounting of rejected votes in all the 108 polling stations, MPA Ghulam Muhammad of the APML bagged 25 more votes while 22 votes went to his rival candidate, Sardar Hussain of the PPP. However, recounting of three put into the NA ballot box at Warijun polling station and declared rejected were decided in favour of Sardar Hussain that put the tally at 25 each. There are about 2,000 postal ballot papers in the constituency. The commission will recount the postal ballot papers on Wednesday after which it will submit its report to the election tribunal in Peshawar. The tribunal will announce the official result within two weeks. Besides, the two candidates, a large number of supporters of the two candidates were present outside the district and sessions judge office where the recounting was conducted i amid tight security. It may be noted that Ghulam Muhammad was declared the winner in the May 11 elections with 10,848 votes against Sardar Hussain’s 10,841 votes – a difference of seven votes. When the recounting of the rejected votes ended putting 25 extra votes in the pockets of the two rival candidates, PPP’s Sardar Hussain was yet to break the seven-vote lead by which Ghulam Muhammad was declared the winner on May 11.  The sources said Sardar Hussain and his supporters were expecting a marked edge after the recounting of the rejected votes because they had been based their demand for the recounting on the plea that widespread irregularities had been committed in the counting. According to the sources, after recounting of the rejected votes only 50 were declared valid – 25 votes in favour of each candidate. The recounting of the postal ballots according to observers would hardly make any big difference as the chances of tampering with these papers was very slim. A source, who was part of the postal ballot counting after May 11general elections, said the PPP candidate would once again be in hot waters as some of his postal votes had gone to his namesake by mistake or otherwise.    ]]>

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