Supreme Court rejects Congress's plea seeking cross verification of EVM votes with VVPAT paper trails

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Congress party's plea seeking counting and cross verification of VVPAT paper trail with EVM votes.

The Supreme Court said that it finds no merit in Congress' plea and added that Gujarat Congress can approach the top court through filing a writ petition for electoral reforms.

A day after News Nation’s exit poll predicted humiliating defeat for Congress and a clear majority for BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the grand-old party had moved to SC seeking counting and cross verification of at least 25 per cent VVPAT paper trail with the EVM votes.

Congress knocked the Supreme Court’s door seeking the apex court’s directions to the Election Commission in this regard.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal appeared for the Congress party in Supreme Court.

During the first phase of elections in Gujarat on December 9, some EVMs had malfunctioned in Patidar dominated Surat and other parts of the state.

Also Read | Gujarat, Himachal Exit Poll 2017: Clear win projected for BJP

Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia had also complained to the EC that EVMs were connected to mobile devices via Bluetooth in a Muslim-dominated area of Porbandar.

Chief Election Officer (CEO) B B Swain had ordered an inquiry into the matter and the collector and the observer of the Election Commission (EC) were sent to the spot.

The ruling BJP, however, said the complaint made by Modhwadia shows the opposition party’s “search for an excuse” as it knows that it would bite dust in the election.

The issue of EVM tampering has been making the rounds after BJP’s massive victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand elections.