After the Election Commission submitted the affidavit concerning the delay in election results if the counting of VVPAT slips increases by 50%, Supreme Court on Monday gave the 21 opposition parties a week’s time to file their reply. The next hearing is scheduled on April 8.
The EC said, “the present system has been adopted after detailed study and consideration of all aspects, and bringing into play all safeguards and checks as have been felt necessary”. It added that to alter the system “when polls are imminent and polling is to commence on April 11,2019…might not be feasible.”
21 opposition parties filed a plea and jointly moved to the apex court challenging the poll body’s guidelines that VVPAT skips’ counting would take place only in one polling station in an assembly constituency or each assembly segment in case of parliamentary elections.
Election Commission in its affidavit mentioned that an increase in 50% VVPAT slip verification shall enlarge the time required for counting to about six days. It also mentioned that it would lead to a very negligible gain in the confidence level of the voters.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that the demand for random verification in at least 50% EVMs with VVPATs was in the interest of free and fair elections which is a part of the basic structure of the constitution.
The petitioners who filed the plea include, Chandrababu Naidu of TDP, Sharad Chandra Pawar of the NCP, Congress leader KC Venugopal, TMC leader Derek O’Brien, Sharad Yadav of the Loktrantik Janata Dal, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, Satish Chandra Mishra of the BSP, DMK leader M K Stalin, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and National Congress leader Farooq Abdullah.
The Lok Sabha elections for 2019 in the country are scheduled to begin from April 11 to May 19 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 23rd and results will be announced on the same day.