Congress files petition in Chhattisgarh HC over EVM security

The Congress Thursday filed a writ petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court, seeking directions to the Election Commission (EC) for maintaining strict security at strongrooms housing electronic voting machines (EVMs) which contain the votes cast in the last month's assembly polls.

In the petition, the main opposition party in the state has also demanded counting of VVPAT paper slips used in EVMs in 50 per cent of booths in all the constituencies.

Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPT) is an independent printer system attached with EVMs that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.

The HC posted the matter for hearing on December 10, a day before the counting of votes polled in the 90-assembly seats on November 12 and November 20.

General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Congress Girish Dewangan filed the writ petition in the high court following complaints pertaining to tampering of EVMs reported in the state, his lawyer Satish Chandra Verma said.

The petition demanded more steps to strengthen the security of election strongrooms, he said.

The petitioner has sought counting of VVPAT slips in 50 per cent of the booths in all the constituencies contending there has been serious breach of EVM security and numerous complaints of likewise nature, he said.

Besides, Dewangan has sought segregation of used and unused EVMs by placing only the used machines in strongrooms, the lawyer said.

According to the plea, round-wise counting of votes and immediate reporting should be made mandatory for all counting stations.

The court posted the matter for hearing on December 10, Verma said.

The electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the last month's polls have been locked away in strongrooms in various district headquarters.