MCD polls: AAP files plea in Delhi HC to use VVPAT equipped EVMs

A plea was on Tuesday moved in the Delhi High Court by the Aam Aadmi Party seeking a direction to the Election Commission to use VVPAT machines attached to EVMs in the upcoming MCD polls in the national capital.

The petition for urgent hearing was mentioned before a bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra who agreed to hear it today itself.

The petition filed by Mohd. Tahir Hussain, who is contesting as a councillor in the MCD election, and the Aam Aadmi Party was mentioned by senior advocate Indira Jaising, who urged the court to list the matter for today in view of the recent alleged incidents of EVM manipulation in various states.

The petitioner sought to know why the Delhi state election commission asked for generation one EVMs, which are least secure with minimum security features to conduct MCD election

However, BJP said that AAP has "accepted defeat" in the upcoming MCD polls by moving a petition in the Delhi High Court.

Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari said that the AAP has admitted its "defeat" in the municipal elections by filling a petition in the court for "deferment" of polls.

"Seeking vote by paper ballot is just an alibi and the actual purpose is to get the polls deferred," he said.

Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also demanded withdrawal of allegedly tampered EVMs brought from Rajasthan for MCD polls and said only VVPAT equipped voting machines should be used.

Voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot less voting system.

The elections for 272 wards of the three municipal corporations are due on April 23.