Supreme Court asks poll body to verify ‘extra votes’ to BJP in mock polls

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to look into allegations that extra votes were recorded in favour of the BJP in EVMs during a mock poll in Kerala.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta passed the oral direction during a hearing on pleas seeking verification of every vote cast through EVMs with VVPAT slips during elections.

The matter was brought to the Supreme Court’s attention after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), cited a media report on the complaints raised regarding the mock polls conducted in Kerala’s Kasargod.

The report mentioned that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala and the United Democratic Front (UDF) lodged complaints with the district collector that four EVMs had erroneously registered extra votes in favour of the BJP.

“There was a mock poll in Kasargod, Kerala. Four EVMs and VVPATs were recording one extra vote for BJP,” Bhushan said, citing the report.

The court then directed the ECI counsel to look into the issue.

The Supreme Court made the observation while hearing a batch of petitions seeking 100% verification of votes cast through EVMs with VVPAT slips. Presently, VVPAT verification is done only in five randomly selected EVMs in each assembly segment.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court asked the poll watchdog to explain the working of the EVM-VVPAT machines, saying there has to be sanctity in the electoral process.

Thursday was the second day of the hearing in the matter.