Congress urges Supreme Court to reconsider its order on EVM-VVPAT slips matching

The Congress party on Monday urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its instruction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to increase the random verification of VVPAT slips from one polling station per Assembly seat to only five booths in the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "We are not satisfied with five per booth verification of VVPAT slips in one assembly constituency. If VVPAT slips are not verified, then what was the point in spending Rs 18,00,00,000."

"We have demanded the verification of 50 per cent VVPAT slips. The order of the Supreme Court is not reasonable. The apex court must reconsider its decision," said Surjewala.

The Congress party stuck to the demand of 50 per cent matching of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) in all constituencies.

Earlier on Saturday, twenty-one Opposition parties had submitted before the apex court that they were agreeable to a delay of even five days in the declaration of Lok Sabha poll results if the Election Commission of India (ECI) approves their demand for the verification of 50 per cent votes through VVPATs.