The Election Commission Of India (ECI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the reports alleging EVMs giving extra votes to BJP in Kerala's Kasargod are totally false. This came after Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) presented in the top court a news report dated April 17 that stated that four electronic voting machines (EVM) erroneously registered votes in favour of BJP during mock polling in Kasaragod on Wednesday.
On Bhushan's submission, the bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked ECI to give an explanation for the allegations.
The Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing the plea seeking 100% cross verification of VVPATs with EVMs.
According to the news report cited in the court by Bhushan, LDF and UDF candidates' agents have alleged that at least four EVMs erroneously registered votes in favour of BJP during mock polling in Kasaragod on April 17.
According to the Manorama report, a complaint has also been filed by LDF candidate and CPM leader M V Balakrishnan with the District Collector Inbasekar K, designated as the District Election Officer. The UDF candidate Rajmohan Unnithan's agent Muhammed Nasar Cherkalam Abdulla has also urged the assistant returning officer (ARO) in Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency to change the erring machines.
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The ECI in its reply completely denied the allegations. The court concluded hearing the petitioners and is now hearing the ECI's submission in the court.
Nitish Vyas Senior Deputy election commissioner is present in the court today and explained in detail the working of the VVPAT-EVM machines.
After hearing Vyas, Justice Khanna remarked that there seems to be some disconnect between what you are telling us and what is available in public domain which needs to be bridged.