SC rejects opposition parties plea of increasing VVPAT slips with EVMs in the ongoing LS Polls

New Delhi, (7/5/2019): The Supreme Court today, rejected a review plea filed by 21 opposition parties seeking an increase in random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, said the Supreme Court was not inclined to interfere. “We are not inclined to modify our order. For how many days will we hear the same matter,” the SC bench said while dismissing review plea on random matching of VVPAT slips.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for petitioners, told the bench that the apex court had increased the random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per assembly segment and they are now seeking that it should be increased to 25 per cent at least.

It will be for the satisfaction of confidence building measures,” Singhvi told the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.

Singhvi said the present increase of random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per assembly segment amounted to a meagre two per cent and petitioners are seeking that it be raised to 25 per cent at least.

“Unfortunately our plea has not been accepted today. We have pointed out a gap in EC approach. But there aren’t guidelines on what they will do if they find defects,” senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said today.