MCD elections: Court directs poll panel to seal EVM machines

A Delhi court today directed the State Election Commission to keep the EVM machines used in a south Delhi ward in the recent MCD polls intact and in a sealed condition on a plea challenging the victory of a BJP candidate by two votes.
District and Sessions Judge Asha Menon also sought response from the poll panel by May 19 on the plea filed by Pinky Tyagi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who had lost to her BJP rival Anita Tanwar. While Tyagi had bagged 8,413 votes, Tanwar received 8,415.
According to advocate Gopal Jha, who appeared for Tyagi, the court asked the poll panel to preserve the register signed by the voters and the record of voting slips that may have been submitted by the voters before casting their votes till further orders so that there can be no tampering.

It, however, rejected the AAP candidate's request to restrain Tanwar from taking oath as councillor of ward number 70-S, Chhattarpur and restrain South Delhi Municipal Council from holding the oath ceremony.
In her plea, Tyagi had alleged discrepancies in counting of the votes.