Opposition leaders meet EC after SC VVPAT order

New Delhi: Barely hours after the Supreme Court rejected the review petition on VVPATs, Opposition parties on Tuesday approached the Election Commission yet again on the matter and vowed to continue their fight.

Leaders of 21 Opposition parties, which included Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Abhishek Manu Singhvi,  Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, CPI leader D. Raja and NCP patron Farooq Abdullah met the EC and submitted a memorandum. They asked the commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per Assembly segment.

After the SC dismissal of plea, Mr Naidu said that he would not give up the fight for transparency in the election process. The Opposition parties had demanded that the number be raised to 50 per cent of total booths.

“We respect the Supreme Court’s order...but the party will not give up and continue its fight for transparency in the election process in the country. It’s absolutely critical for the EC to work transparently to ensure free and fair elections,” he said in a statement.

The Election Commission should be responsible for the honest execution of the Supreme Court’s April 8 order. In case of any discrepancy, voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips should be matched with EVM results in the entire constituency, the Telugu Desam Party chief said. The TDP had alleged large-scale EVM malfunctioning in Andhra Pradesh during the April 11 elections for the 25 Lok Sbha seats and to elect a new 175-member Assembly.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented the parties in the apex court, said that though the SC had rejected their petition, the Opposition would continue its political fight and take the issue to the people.

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