Opposition leaders set to meet; also to move EC over VVPATs

Top opposition leaders will meet in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of a nonNDA alliance staking claim to government formation and also move the Election Commission to press for their demand of tallying paper trail of votes VVPATs with electronic voting machine EVM figuresAhmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party NCP TDPs Chandrababu Naidu Satish Chandra Misra of the BSP Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India Marxist D Raja of the Communist Party of India CPI and Derek OBrien of the TMC are expected to take part in Tuesdays meeting among othersNotwithstanding exit polls that have predicted a majority for the BJPled NDA the opposition is going ahead with its strategy as most parties have trashed the forecast and claimed that the NDA would not get a majority in the Lok SabhaAccording to sources leaders of opposition parties such as the Congress TDP Left parties BSP NCP and TMC will informally meet to discuss the way forward in case the NDA fails to get to the majority markOpposition leaders are citing previous examples when exit polls were proved wrong as also elsewhere in the world like the surprise result in AustraliaAs part of his efforts to unite the opposition Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader Naidu held a meeting on Monday with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee at her Kolkata residence on forming a nonBJP government at the Centre in case of a hung verdictSamajwadi Party SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also telephoned Banerjee on Monday and discussed the strategy of the Mahagathbandhan sources saidNaidu has been moving around across the country and has held several rounds of discussions with top opposition leaders in a bid to unite them and form an alliance to stake claim to form the next government in case the NDA falls short of the majority markAkhilesh and Mayawati also held a meeting on Monday and discussed their strategy going forwardHowever in view of the exit polls the opposition has turned a bit cautious and decided not to hold any formal meetingsOn Sunday Naidu met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi separately in New Delhi besides NCP supremo PawarSources said the opposition strategy was to procure letters of support from various parties and in case of a hung verdict to present the same before the president to stake claim to form the governmentThey added that the opposition did not want to leave anything to chance and did not wish to waste any time in staking a claim for government formation and thus was putting its house in orderOpposition parties will also be meeting the Election Commission and demand tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency in case a discrepancy is found in any polling boothAndhra Pradesh CM amp TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu along with 21 opposition parties leaders will meet Election Commission tomorrow at 3 pm file pic pictwittercomz9gY0PWgpvmdash ANI ANI May 20 2019The Supreme Court has asked the EC to tally the VVPAT slips with the EVM figures of five polling stations in each Assembly constituency across the country which may delay the resultsIn another related development the apex court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking 100 per cent matching of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail VVPAT slips with Electronic Voting Machines EVMs during the counting of votes on May 23 for Lok Sabha pollsTop News Stories Of The DayMumbai TikTok user arrested for dangerous bike stunts back in 2017Travel agent dupes south Mumbai travellers of Rs 308 lakhMumbai Crime Four nabbed for illegal soil excavation in GoraiMumbai crime Within four hours of murder cops nab 2 accusedShiv Sena corporator Salman Khan discuss Being Human for BMCCongress leaders discuss water issues with Mumbai civic chiefHow did you spend our money BMC chief asks the RailwaysMumbai Sion flyover to be shut for one monthCan we leave the fireflies alone pleaseAlert Mumbai Metro staff helps commuter get back lost wallet in four hoursMumbai lift mishap BDL lift has not had a licence for last 14 yearsPune Loud purring alerts cops to leopard cubs being smuggledBetween the real and the abstractThe future of Idli ManchurianSmita Thackeray Maanayata Dutt Amitabh Bachchan at an event in AndheriRemembering Rajiv Gandhi Rare pictures of former Prime Minister of IndiaBritish Royal kids Prince George Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis play in the woodsThese photos of Amruta Fadnavis enjoying the rains are romantic as everPopular Mumbai salons that Bollywoods top actresses visitmid day editorial Lets start making every drop of water countBritish Royal kids George Charlotte and Louis play in the woodsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesEdited by midday online desk with inputs from Agencies