Delhi High Court notice to poll panels on VVPAT machines’ availability

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said that it cannot issue directions for the use of VVPAT equipment attached to electronic voting machines in the upcoming MCD polls without any knowledge about its availability with the Election Commission.

VVPAT is an equipment which provides a feedback on paper to the voters about whom they have voted using the ballotless voting system.

Justice A.K. Pathak issued notices to the Election Commission of India and the Delhi state Election Commission asking them to file their responses on Aam Aadmi Party’s plea for use of VVPAT (Voter-verified paper audit trail)-enabled Generation 2 or Generation 3 EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) in the MCD polls.

The judge, however, observed that “at the eleventh hour, I cannot issue any direction to stall the MCD elections”.

“We cannot interfere with the process when the machines are not available,” the court said, asking the EC to inform it on affidavit within two days whether VVPAT equipment were available with them or not.

The court, which fixed the matter for further hearing on April 21, was hearing a petition, filed by Mohd Tahir Hussain, who is contesting in the MCD election, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that in the recent past, the EVMs have been manipulated in various states.