SC seeks reply from EC, Centre on petition for complete count of VVPAT Slips

In a significant development, the Supreme Court requested responses from both the Election Commission and the Centre regarding a petition seeking a full count of VVPAT slips in elections, contrasting with the current practice of verifying only five randomly chosen EVMs through VVPAT paper slips. VVPAT, which allows voters to verify their votes, generates a paper slip stored in a sealed cover for potential disputes.

Previously, the court had mandated the Election Commission to increase the number of EVMs undergoing VVPAT verification from one to five per assembly segment in a parliamentary constituency. The bench, consisting of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, acknowledged the arguments made by lawyers representing activist Arun Kumar Agrawal, who advocated for a complete count of VVPAT slips.

Notices were issued to the Election Commission and the central government, with the hearing potentially scheduled for May 17. Agrawal’s legal team challenged the Election Commission’s guideline requiring sequential VVPAT verification, proposing simultaneous verification to expedite the process.

Despite the government’s substantial investment in VVPATs, only a fraction of the VVPAT slips are currently verified. The plea stressed the necessity for comprehensive VVPAT verification in light of concerns raised by experts and numerous past discrepancies between EVM and VVPAT vote counts, advocating for voters to physically deposit their VVPAT slips in the ballot box for proper verification.