The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 7 May, rejected a review plea filed by 21 Opposition parties seeking a direction to increase VVPAT verification from five to at least 50 percent of EVMs during counting of votes in the general elections 2019.
Opposition parties, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, were demanding 50 percent verification of the VVPAT slips.
Earlier, on 8 April, the apex court had directed the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs in five polling booths per Assembly segment from one booth.
Seeking VVPAT Verification to be Raised to 25 Percent: Abhishek Singhvi
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for petitioners, told the bench that the apex court had increased the random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per Assembly segment and they are now seeking that it should be increased to 25 per cent at least.
“It will be for the satisfaction of confidence building measures,” Singhvi told the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.
Singhvi said the present increase of random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per Assembly segment amounted to a meagre two per cent and petitioners are seeking that it be raised to 25 percent at least.
Not Inclined to Modify Our Order: SC
We are not inclined to modify our order, SC said while dismissing review plea on random matching of VVPAT slips.
No Increase in Verification of VVPAT Paper Trail: SC Junks Plea
The Supreme Court has rejected Opposition’s review plea seeking a direction to increase VVPAT verification from five to at least 50 percent of EVMs during counting of votes in the general elections 2019.