Supreme Court orders ECI to use VVPAT systems in Gujarat Assembly polls
Today based on Reshma Vithalbhai Patel’s petition and PAAS Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Convenor, Supreme Court accepts EVM Electronic Voting Machine related plea. Reshma wants to ensure VVPAT Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail for every EVM.
A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar accepted the petition of ECI Election Commission of India and disposed of the plea seeking direction for use of VVPAT machines in Gujarat assembly polls.ECI in its affidavit has said that it will conduct the Gujarat polls using VVPAT. We are satisfied by the submission. The petition is disposed of,the bench also comprising Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and D Y Chandrachud said after the ECI’s lawyer apprised it of the poll panel’s stand. The VVPAT machine is linked with EVMs and generstes a paper evidence for the voters so that they can verify that their vote is cast correctly. This system could bring transparency in electoral process and makes it full proof. Supreme court stated other matters connected to use of VVPAT in polls for tomorrow on the plea of petitioners.
ECI trough its affidavit submitted it will be able to conduct the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls using EVMs with paper trail if it gets 73,500 VVPAT machines by September from the manufacturers. The poll panel maintained that EVMs currently used for conducting Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the country cannot be tampered with. It udated the court that around 70,000 VVPATs would be needed for the Gujarat Assembly elections. The poll panel said that around 48,000 units were likely to be delivered by BEL Bharat Electronics Ltd and ECIL Electronics Corporation of India Ltd by August 31 while another 25,500 VVPATs would be delivered by September.
“If the said consignment of VVPATs is delivered on time, the Election Commission expects to be able to conduct the elections to the Gujarat legislative assembly completely with the use of VVPATs,” the poll panel told the apex court in its affidavit. The ECI said that currently it was in possession of 53,500 VVPAT units.
“It is pertinent to point out herein that the Election Commission of India (ECI) currently has 53,500 of VVPAT units in its possession and the number of VVPAT units required for conducting election to the Gujarat legislative assembly is 70,000 units. “The ECI expects to receive the delivery of 48,000 VVPAT units from BEL and ECIL by August 31, 2017 and another 25,500 VVPAT units in September 2017,” the poll panel said.
Petitioner Reshma Vithabhai Patel, which was in the forefront of the Patel quota agitation, had claimed that the EVMs were not fully reliable, foolproof, tamper-proof or hacker-proof. The ECI should be asked to replace EVMs with ballot paper or to ensure VVPAT for every EVM, she had demanded.
Supreme court orders Election Commission to organize Gujarat Legislative Assembly Election using VVPAT .
Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 are to be held by year end for 182 seats. Both ruling BJP Bharatiya Janta Party and opposition Congress is planning its political strategy and gearing up for elections. Also, Election Commission is on the job making arrangements and issueing instructions.
Also, AAP Aam Aadmi Party has its local office and AAP is likely to contest in the elections. AAP will emerge as third front.
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