Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Opposition raises doubts over EVMs, demands return to ballot papers
Leaders from 23 opposition parties announced on Sunday they will approach the Supreme Court to demand a minimum of 50% of votes cast in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections be verified with a paper trail, ratcheting up criticism of electronic voting machines (EVM) just three days after polling began.
Representatives of the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party, Samajwadi Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Left parties, among others, said in Delhi that a large number of EVMs had malfunctioned during the first phase of polling on April 11, and that to restore the credibility of the electoral system, at least half the votes cast had to be checked with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system.
“We are going to politely seek politically in the country through a campaign and legally in the court that at least a 50% sample check is of vital importance. Otherwise a serious question mark arises on the process,” said senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, adding that the top court had “in principle” accepted the Opposition’s argument.…
SEE ALSO:
- Opposition parties to approach SC again to demand verification of 50% votes by VVPATs (Apr 14, 2019, The Hindu)
https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/opposition-parties-to-approach-sc-again-to-demand-verification-of-50-votes-by-vvpats/article26834693.ece - SC directs EC to raise random sampling of EVMs using VVPAT from one per assembly segment to 5 (Apr 8, 2019, Indian Express)
https://indianexpress.com/elections/sc-directs-ec-to-raise-random-sampling-of-evms-using-vvpat-from-one-per-assembly-segment-to-5-5664777/ - Andhra CM Naidu slams EC, says 30 per cent EVMs not working (Apr 11, 2019, Hindustan Times)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/andhra-cm-naidu-slams-ec-says-30-per-cent-evms-not-working/story-TNHe0HzMPjOa3sNeT1nsqK.html - 66 Ex-Bureaucrats Including Najeeb Jung, Shivshankar Menon Write To President, Say EC Suffering From Credibility Crisis (Apr 8, 2019, Outlook)
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-election-commission-is-suffering-from-credibility-crisis-66-ex-bureaucrats-write-to-president-kovind/328385
