MP voter list: Congress' petition based on false evidence, says EC

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday submitted to the Supreme Court that senior Congress leader Kamal Nath's petition regarding discrepancies in Madhya Pradesh voter list was based on false evidence.

Vikas Singh, senior lawyer appearing for the EC, told the two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and also comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, that the list available on its website was tweaked and then presented before the court.

However, counsel for the petitioner, Kapil Sibal, submitted to the top court that the list was published on a personal website and the same has been given to the EC as well. He further asked as to why the EC has not initiated any investigation against that private website.

The apex court fixed the matter for further hearing on October 8, when the EC will also file its response in the case.

Kamal Nath had on August 10 filed the petition in the apex court seeking a direction to the EC for transparency in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh state Assembly elections.

The petition also sought the apex court's intervention demanding a direction to the EC regarding compulsory cross-verification of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) vote count with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in the Madhya Pradesh polls.

The petition also pleaded to the apex court for a direction to the EC and State Election Commission, to take effective measures to ensure free and fair polls in the state of Madhya Pradesh.