Let The Country Elect It’s Government, Says SC, Junks ‘Nuisance’ Plea Seeking 100% VVPAT-EVM Matching

New Delhi: The Supreme Court On Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking 100 percent matching of Voter Valid Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during counting of votes on May 23 for Lok Sabha polls.

A vacation bench directed by Justice Arun Mishra denied too entertain the plea filed by a Chennai-based organization 'Tech for All', saying that a larger bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had already dealt with the issue and passed an order.

"The CJI had already dealt with this issue. Why are you taking chance before a two-judge vacation bench," the apex court asked. "We cannot override the CJI's order... This is nonsense. The petition is taken



on board. Dismissed," Justice Mishra said. Calling the petition a “nuisance”, the court said it could not come in the way of a country electing its government.

The apex court had on May 7 dismissed a review plea filed by 21 Opposition leaders led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking that random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs be increased to 50 per cent.

The top court had on April 8 directed the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs from one to five polling booths per assembly segment in Lok Sabha polls, saying it would provide greater satisfaction not just to political parties but also to the entire electorate.