SC Agrees To Hear Next Week Review Petition By 21 Political Parties For 50% VVPAT Verification

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear next week the review petition filed by 21 political parties seeking 50% verification of VVPAT(Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) slips.

On April 8, the Court had partially allowed the original plea, by directing the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths from one per assembly segment in the ongoing general elections.

The review of this order is sought saying that the "increase from 01 (one) to 05 (five) is not a 'reasonable number' and does not lead to the satisfaction desired by this court".

 The plea, which has been filed after the conclusion of third phase of polls, said: "The petitioners submit that the aforesaid increase to a mere 2 per cent is not sufficient and will not make any substantial difference to the situation that existed prior to the passing of the impugned order."

The petition was originally filed challenging the decision of ECI to verify VVPAT of only one randomly selected booth of a constituency. The petitioners say that this will account only for 0.44% of the votes polled. This guideline defeats the entire purpose of VVPAT and makes the same "ornamental" without actual substance, they state.

The petition referred to the decision in Dr. Subramanian Swamy v ECI (2013) 10 SCC 500 which held that VVPAT is an "indispensable requirement of free and fair elections". To give meaningful effect to this judgment, at least 50% of VVPAT should be verified.

The petitioners are : N Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Sharad Pawar (NCP), K C Venugopal (INC), Derek O Brien (TMC) ,Sharad Yadav (LTJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP),M K Stalin (DMK) ,T K Ranga Rajan (CPI(M)) ,S Sudhakar Reddy (CPI), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Farookh Abdullah (NC), K Danish Ali (RJD),Ajith Singh (RLD), M Badrudding Ajmal (AIUDF), Jithin Ram Manji (Hindusthani Awam Morcha) Ashok Kumar Singh (JVM), Khorrum Anis Omar (IUML), Prof.Kodanadram (Telengana Jana Samithi) and K G Kenye (Naga Peoples Front).