Observers
Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 deals with observers. The Election Commission may nominate an Observer who shall be an officer officer of Government to watch the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or a group of constituencies and to perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the Election Commission. The Act came into force on 17 Jul 1951.
1[20B. Observers.—(1) The Election Commission may nominate an Observer who shall be an officer officer of Government to watch the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or a group of constituencies and to perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the Election Commission.
(2) The Observer nominated under sub-section (1) shall have the power to direct the returning officer for the constituency or for any of the constituencies for which he has been nominated, to stop the counting of votes at any time before the declaration of the result or not to declare the result if in the opinion of the Observer booth capturing has taken place at a large number of polling stations or at places fixed for the poll or counting of votes or any ballot papers used at a polling station or at a place fixed for the poll are unlawfully taken out of the custody of the returning officer or are accidentally or intentionally destroyed or lost or are damaged or tampered with to such an extent that the result of the poll at that polling station or place cannot be ascertained.
(3) Where an Observer has directed the returning officer under this section to stop counting of votes or not to declare the result, the Observer shall forthwith report the matter to the Election Commission and thereupon the Election Commission shall, after taking all material circumstances into account, issue appropriate directions under section 58A or section 64A or section 66.
Explanation.—For the purposes of sub-section (2) and sub-section (3), "Observer" shall include a Regional Commissioner or any such officer of the Election Commission as has been assigned under this section the duty of watching the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or group of constituencies by the Commission.]
Section 20B, The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Act 43 of 1951).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Questions about Section 20B
What does Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act deal with?
Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act is headed "Observers". [20B. Observers.—(1) The Election Commission may nominate an Observer who shall be an officer officer of Government to watch the conduct of election or elections in a constituency or a group of constituencies and to perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the Election Commission.
How do I find court cases under Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: RP Act 1951 20B, section 20B RP Act 1951, section 20B of the Representation of the People Act. People searching for it also type section 20b of the representation of the people act 1951. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 58A (Adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of booth capturing), section 64A (Destruction, loss, etc., of ballot papers at the time of counting), section 66 (Declaration of results), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act come into force?
Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, cited as RP Act 1951 20B, came into force on 17 Jul 1951, having been enacted on 17 Jul 1951. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 123. Corrupt practices1710 words
- 33. Presentation of nomination paper and requirement for a valid nomination1149 words
- 8. Disqualification on conviction for certain offences898 words
- 75A. Declaration of assets and liabilities659 words
- 39. Nomination of candidates at other elections632 words
- 36. Scrutiny of nominations596 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 17 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.