Opposition to move EC for clarity on procedure in case of mismatch in VVPAT tally and EVM count

NEW DELHI: Leaders of opposition parties will meet the Election Commission again on Tuesday to demand clarity on the poll panel's guidelines on what should be done in case of a mismatch in tally of

VVPAT slips

with

EVM

results.


The parties had petitioned the Election Commission on several occasions, demanding that in case of discrepancies, the panel must order recounting in the entire assembly segment. The Commission, however, has not cleared the air on what it proposes to do in case of such a mismatch.

The SC had on April 8 instructed the EC to increase the VVPAT slips tally to at least five EVMs from the earlier one EVM for every assembly segment in a Lok Sabha constituency. The Supreme Court rejected a review petition filed by 21 opposition parties for increasing VVPAT tallying with EVM figures to 50 per cent.

The delegation led by TDP chief

Chandrababu Naidu

and comprising representatives of Congress, TMC and the Left parties will reiterate the demand for new rules for counting of votes in constituencies where VVPAT slips do not tally with EVM figures.

"On VVPATs & EVM tally, the EC is yet to come out with a procedure in case there is a mismatch! Even if there is one mismatch in the VVPAT samples picked for counting and EVMs, to maintain integrity of the electoral process, all VVPATs in that assembly segment must be counted," CPM general secretary

Sitaram Yechury

said in a tweet.

Polling for the seven-phased

Lok Sabha election

came to an end on Sunday and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23.