Tally EVM-VVPAT Slips Before Final Counting, Oppn. Tells EC

Poll body non-committal, says decision likely today after full panel meeting

- Sobhana K Nair

Twenty-two Opposition parties met the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday demanding that tallying of the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips in five polling booths in each Assembly segment with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) be done prior to the counting of votes.

If any discrepancy is found anywhere in the VVPAT verification, hundred per cent counting of paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that Assembly segment should be done, the parties demanded. The EC, however, remained noncommittal and told them that there would be a special meeting of the full Commission on Wednesday to examine the issue.

Many meetings

The Opposition parties together and individually have met the EC 94 times in the last few months with the same request. The EC also refused the demand for 100% tallying of VVPAT slips.

The meeting saw a sharp exchange between the Opposition parties and the EC.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora cited the Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday, dismissing a petition by a Chennai-based group for matching of all VVPAT slips with EVMs, where it had called the plea a “nuisance”.

According to sources, Mr. Arora said the Supreme Court itself had said a discussion on the issue was a waste of time.