New Delhi: Twenty-two Opposition parties on Tuesday petitioned the Election Commission and demanded that the paper slips of VVPAT machines be counted first. Only after this exercise is over, the counting should begin on electronic voting machines. They further demanded that paper slip of all VVPATs in the Assembly segments be counted if discrepancy is found even in one of the five VVPATs in a segment and the EVM counts.
Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who led the delegation in a march from the Constitution Club to the Election Commission a furlong away, said: “We were told that the Election Commission has an open mind and it will meet Wednesday morning to consider our demand.” The Supreme Court has ordered counting of five VVPATs in each Assembly segment only as a “sample check” and any error in such a check should entail counting of paper slips in all VVPATs, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
In a joint memorandum to the EC two days before counting of votes, the opposition parties drew attention to the possibility of tampering of the EVMs. In this context, it highlighted the movement of EVM machines in many states. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said all that they want is that the people’s mandate be respected and that it is not manipulated.