The Congress party has welcomed the Supreme Court's recent action, considering it a significant initial move, directing attention to both the Election Commission and the central government regarding the demand for a thorough count of VVPAT slips. This plea, if resolved promptly, could play a crucial role in enhancing public trust in the electoral process, particularly as the Lok Sabha elections approach.
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress's general secretary, reiterated the party's stance on the matter, emphasizing that the Election Commission's reluctance to engage with party representatives advocating for 100% VVPATs is a concern. Ramesh underscored the importance of addressing this issue comprehensively before the upcoming elections kick off.
VVPAT, an acronym for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, serves as an independent mechanism for voters to verify the accuracy of their ballots. It produces a paper slip for each vote cast, which can be examined by the voter and stored securely for potential verification in case of disputes.
The Supreme Court's involvement in this matter traces back to its directive on April 8, 2019, urging the Election Commission to expand the physical verification of VVPATs from one to five machines per assembly segment in parliamentary elections.
During the recent proceedings, lawyers representing activist Arun Kumar Agrawal presented arguments advocating for a comprehensive count of VVPAT slips, opposing the current practice of verifying only five randomly-selected EVMs through VVPAT paper slips. The bench, comprising justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, took cognizance of these submissions and issued notices to both the Election Commission and the central government. The case is expected to be heard on May 17.
Senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Neha Rathi appeared on behalf of Agrawal, challenging the Election Commission's guideline mandating sequential VVPAT verification. The plea suggested that simultaneous verification, with increased personnel deployed for counting in each assembly constituency, could facilitate complete VVPAT verification within a relatively short timeframe.
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