VVPAT-EVM tallying will be the last step, not the first, says EC
Justifying the decision, EC officials said there has been no case of mismatch in the past. Also, VVPAT verification before EVM counting could delay the final results further.
Published: 23rd May 2019 03:27 AM | Last Updated: 23rd May 2019 07:31 AM | A+A A-
A security person walks past the boxes containing election material at a counting hall ahead of the counting process for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections at Akshardham in New Delhi Wednesday May 22 2019. | PTI
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday formally rejected the Opposition demand to tally the VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) slips before counting of votes polled in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
After a full commission meeting, the panel said the verification of EVM figures with VVPAT slips from five polling booths in each Assembly segment, as mandated by the Supreme Court, will be done only after the counting of all votes.
Justifying the decision, EC officials said there has been no case of mismatch in the past. Also, VVPAT verification before EVM counting could delay the final results further.
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Reacting sharply, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said: “Integrity of EVMs by matching with sample VVPATs has to be done at the start of the counting. Doing so after the trends are declared makes it infructuous and is likely to lead to protests and a possible law and order situation from the affected candidates.”
