If the deployment of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines is not feasible, the elections to rural and urban civic bodies should be held using ballot papers, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said
If VVPATs are not available, then ballot papers should be used, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said. File Pic
The Congress on Wednesday demanded that the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra be conducted using VVPAT machines to ensure transparency in the voting process.
If the deployment of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines is not feasible, the elections to rural and urban civic bodies should be held using ballot papers, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, according to the PTI.
He was reacting to State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare's remarks on Tuesday that VVPATs would not be used in the local body polls due to logistical challenges, including a large number of candidates in each ward and requirement for electors to cast four votes at one time, reported the PTI.
The use of VVPATs (connected with EVMs through a printer port) without addressing logistical and human resources challenges could lead to long queues and crowding at polling booths, the commissioner had contended.
Talking to reporters, Wadettiwar sought to counter the SEC's arguments, stressing electors must be able to verify their votes, and only VVPAT-enabled EVMs can ensure high level of transparency.
"If VVPATs are not available, then ballot papers should be used. The integrity of the election process must not be compromised," the Congress MLA asserted, as per the PTI.
VVPATs are connected with EVMs through a printer port, which records vote data and counters in a paper slip to verify the correct recording of vote by the EVM.
Waghmare has said the much-awaited elections to local bodies will be held in phases, with the electoral process expected to begin after Diwali.
Polls to zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, nagar parishads and municipal corporations are due in the state for long.
Replying to a query, Wadettiwar defended Congress Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi's right to question the central government on matters such as Chinese incursions.
He strongly disagreed with the critical observations made by the Supreme Court against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha over his remarks on the Army.
Such comments by judges could erode public trust in the judiciary, Wadettiwar argued.
"Judges should not issue certificates of patriotism. It is the opposition's duty to question the government in a democracy," he affirmed, according to the PTI.
The Congress leader expressed concern over the collegium's recommendation to appoint a former BJP spokesperson as a Bombay High Court judge, maintaining such developments could damage the impartial image of the judiciary.
(with PTI inputs)
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