After SC declines, oppn parties urge EC to expand VVPAT verification

New Delhi The opposition parties on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of India ECI to expand the ambit of voterverified paper audit trail VVPAT verification after the Supreme Court rejected their plea to match 50 per cent electronic voting machines EVMs with VVPAT slipsWe have demanded from the ECI to crosscheck 50 per cent EVMs with VVPAT slips for the sake of the credibility of voting and the peoples confidence in the poll body We have also clarified that the Supreme Court has not restricted the poll body to take any decision in this regard senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reportersA delegation of leaders from 21 opposition parties visited the poll body headquarters here with their demands pertaining to VVPAT verification The opposition leaders however did not specify the percentage of EMVs they want to be crosschecked with VVPATs and said that they have left the decision to be taken by the ECEarlier in the day the apex court turned down the review plea filed by 21 opposition parties seeking a direction to the ECI to increase VVPAT verification from five to at least 50 per cent of EVMs during the counting of Lok Sabha votes scheduled for May 23The opposition parties have also demanded from the EC to promulgate a law to check any discrepancy in the ballot crosscheckingSinghvi said There is a big gap in the EC rulebook There is no clarity as to what will happen if there is any discrepancy in VVPAT sample checks in five segments in an Assembly constituencyIf any discrepancy is found there should be a highlevel inquiry and the probe report should be made public the Congress leader addedThe delegation also suggested the Election Commissioner to engage more manpower to speed up the vote counting processSinghvi said There is no argument to authorise only Returning Officers ROs and observers to inspect the crosschecking of VVPAT We have demanded to increase the manpowerThe delegation consisted of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah CPI leader D Raja and othersTalking to media persons Raja accused the BJP of undermining constitutional institutions including the EC It is a matter of concern that the BJP is undermining the constitutional institutions including the Election Commission of our country he saidSo far five phases of Lok Sabha elections have been conducted while the remaining two phases of polling are scheduled for May 12 and 19 The counting of votes will take place on May 23Stories of the daySigns of Virginity to disappear from second year MBBS booksMumbai Your bus stop will be announced in 3 languages but not by conductorTragedy does not recognise your religion Bhopal insistsBMC finds cockroach dahi vada eatery in Colaba to be unhygienicDigvijay Singh My Sanatan dharma is for unity theirs for divisionReal estate vehicle sales pick up in Mumbai this Akshaya TritiyaAnand Dighe Pratishthans website to be launchedMumbai No shelter yet for 35 pets caged in Virar flatChairman trustees in battle over BPPs place in allIndia Parsi bodyMumbai Crime IT employee hacks into colleagues bank details steals Rs 3 lakhMumbai HC orders state to provide woman boyfriend with securityMumbai Showcause notices to civic bodies over polluted rivers79year old woman from Pune lived her whole life without electricityCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates