Delhi man claims mismatch between vote cast by him and VVPAT slip; EC orders probe

The Election Commission on Monday asked the Delhi Chief Electoral Office to inquire into the allegations of a man who claimed that he was dissuaded from complaining about a mismatch between the vote cast by him and what reflected in the VVPAT machine.

The case pertains to a polling booth in the Matiala assembly segment of West Delhi.

"My VVPAT machine (Delhi, Matiala, Booth 96) printed the wrong symbol although the EVM machine red bulb glowed correctly. I complained to the presiding officer who directed me to nodal officer who then directed me to sector officer. All of them asked me not to complain I insisted (sic).

"They told me I'd be arrested under ipc sec 177. I found that strange because that section doesn't provide for arrest without court orders. I told them I'd submit a written complaint anyway. The senior most officer told me that I would have to write in Annexure 6.(2/n) (sic)," Milan Gupta tweeted.

Taking cognisance of his grievance, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa tweeted, "CEO Delhi has been asked to inquire."
"I stood in front of the EVM, closed my eyes and looked up & randomly scrolled my fingers blindly on the EVM. The witnesses saw that by doing this I wasn't intending to reveal my earlier secret vote in this testing procedure. (7/n)