HC seeks poll panel's response on VVPATs for Delhi civic polls

New Delhi, March 24 The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the Election Commission and Delhi State Election Commission on the plea by the ruling AAP seeking directions for using EVMs which are compatible with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in the upcoming municipal corporation elections.

Issuing notice in the matter, Justice Rekha Palli sought an affidavit from the respondents clarifying the suitability of M-2 EVM with the VVPAT and renotified the matter for April 7.

The plea, filed by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, was seeking directions for the use of VVPAT machines for the polls to rule out chances of malpractice, stating EVMs without VVPAT is manifestly wrong and amounts to a colourable exercise of power.

It was pointing out the poll watchdog's earlier response in which it said the upcoming Delhi civic polls will be using M-2 EVMs without VVPAT.

During the course of the hearing, Election Commission's counsel submitted that the petition is non-maintainable at all and it is providing M-2 EVM to the State Election Commission as per the demand.

In the hearing on Tuesday, the EC had submitted that it has no objection in using the machines with paper trails, if available.

Petitioner's counsel Rahul Mehra argued that the respondents' stand is contradictory. The civic polls are nearing and the respondents have not developed its own infrastructure despite the Supreme Court's direction of 2014, Mehra added.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh appeared on behalf of the Election Commission.

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