Opposition to approach EC today on VVPAT counting

Stepping up its campaign days before the counting of Lok Sabha elections, senior Opposition leaders will meet the Election Commission on Tuesday to demand that all VVPAT slips be counted in case there is a mis-match between EVM and VVPAT tally for five polling booths.

Sources said leaders from Congress, TDP, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI and TDP among others will be meeting the Election Commission with the demand. Before this, the leaders will meet in Constitution Club in the capital to fine tune their strategy.

This time, EVM and VVPAT in five polling booths of each Assembly segments of a Lok Sabha seat should be tallied following a Supreme Court directive on an Opposition plea. The Opposition had demanded that at least 50% of the VVPAT should be tallied with EVMs.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted, "On VVPATs and the EVM tally, the EC is yet to come out with a procedure in case there is a mismatch! Even if there is one mismatch in the VVPAT samples picked for counting and EVMs, to maintain integrity of the electoral process, all VVPATs in that assembly segment must be counted."

CPI National Secretary D Raja said they will be meeting the EC and would convey that the EC should make public the modality in case there is a mismatch between EVM and VVPAT tally.

The Opposition has already stepped up its campaign on EVMs after the exit polls result showed that the BJP-led NDA is comfortably romping home once again.

LJD patron Sharad Yadav said the exit polls were "fraud not the truth" and that the ground reality was "totally different and against" the NDA. "Which people have done this survey and consists of which castes? Survey is against democracy. I would pray let d democracy survives and as such defeat of NDA is necessary," he tweeted.

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said, "I don't trust exit poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together."

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted on Sunday, "we reiterate our demand to the ECI to count VVPATs in at least 50% of polling stations. VVPATs should be counted in 5 polling stations in each Assembly Constituency at the beginning of counting process. In case of discrepancy, all VVPATs of Assembly Constituency shall be counted."

AAP's senior Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted late Sunday, "is the real game on EVM? Is it paid exit polls? Who is believing that BJP is winning all over UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Bengal? All parties should demand cancellation of polls due to EVM fraud."