Poll officer: Booth-wise VVPAT matching may delay results

Kanpur: The counting of votes of 2019 Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 23. Generally, the election results are declared by afternoon, but this time, since the Election Commission (EC) has directed to match VVPAT slips of five booths in each assembly constituency, the matching time is likely to delay declaration of results.
As most of the political parties, which were not satisfied with 2014 Lok Sabha election results, have been raising objections over functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the Election Commission, therefore, decided to use VVPat machines so that a voter, after casting his/her vote, can ensure that the vote has been cast in favour of the candidate of his/her choice.
After directions of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has made arrangements of counting VVPat slips of five booths of each assembly constituency. "The observer has to decide whether to match VVPAT slips after counting of votes or match the votes booth-wise", said deputy election officer, Kanpur Nagar, Kehari Singh.
An official, who had conducted countings in previous elections, said, "If matching of VVPat slips takes place after counting, then the declaration of results may get delayed". If counting and matching of VVPat slips of five booths is held together, then one can hope the results by 6 pm, he added.
The deputy election officer stated that counting of votes would be held at Naubasta Galla Mandi where all used EVMs have been kept in a strong room. “A team of around 1,500 officers and workers will be involved in the counting process under close supervision of the
Election Commission's observer and district election officer Vijay Vishwas Pant, who is also the district magistrate of Kanpur", the officer further said.
He said the apex court will hear the review petition filed by 21 political parties which had expressed dissatisfaction over the court's previous order in which it had directed the Election Commission to match VVPAT slips of five booths of each assembly constituency. In the review petition, the political parties pleaded that matching of VVPAT slips should be 50% instead of five booths. The position would be clear after hearing of the review petition in the next week, he added.