EC declines Oppn demand for VVPAT verification

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

After the Election Commission dismissed the Opposition demand to verify VVPATs before counting tomorrow, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said in a message to party workers that the next 24 hours were crucial and they should remain cautious.

“Don’t be scared,!disheartened by the fake exit poll results. The next 24 hours are crucial. Remain alert and cautious and beware. Your hard work will not go waste,” Gandhi said in a twitter post after the EC decision was seen as a huge setback to the united opposition’s anti EVM pitch.

Earlier, AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also issued an audio message to party persons asking them to stand vigil outside the strong rooms and guard the EVMs.

The Opposition leaders in a memorandum yesterday urged the EC to verify matching of the EVM and VVPATs in five polling stations per Assembly segment before counting the results. Opposition contention was that verifying VVPATs before counting would give poll officers a chance to prevent discrepancies.

The Opposition wanted that 100 pc matching in all polling booths of an Assembly constituency should be done if even one discrepancy is reported in sample checks.

The Election Commission, however, resolved there was no cause to detour from established poll and counting processes which involved counting first and VVPAT verification through sample checks later.