Increase random checking of VVPAT slips to five per Assembly segment, SC tells Election Commission

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to increase random checking of VVPAT slips from one booth per assembly segment to five in Lok Sabha polls for better voter confidence and credibility of electoral process.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi however did not agree to the request of 21 opposition parties leaders that VVPAT slips of 50 per cent EVMs be matched, on the ground that it will require huge manpower and not be feasible in view of infrastructural difficulties.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, disposed of the petition filed by opposition parties including TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on the issue.

The ECI had objected to the Opposition's idea of 50% random physical verification of VVPAT slips in each Assembly segment of a Parliamentary constituency or Assembly constituency in order to ensure free and fair General Elections in 2019, the first phase of which commences on April 11.

The poll body had told the apex court that such an increase would create an insurmountable difficulty in the election process. It would lead to exactly 5.2 days of delay in vote-counting.