BENGALURU: Peaceful polling across South Karnataka districts was marred by a violent incident on Friday afternoon at a remote hamlet in MM Hills of Ha.
The Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking to tally VVPAT slips with EVM votes, calling the demand to return to the ballot paper system "regressive." Justices Khanna and Datta described EVMs as "simple, secure, and user-friendly." The court asked the Election Commission to examine suggestions for machine counting of VVPAT slips and barcoding symbols in VVPATs. It passed two directions to strengthen election integrity, including sealing symbol loading units and allowing candidates to verify votes. Justice Datta raised concerns about the motives behind such petitions, aiming to discredit the nation s progress.
The Supreme Court directed the sealing and storage of symbol loading units (SLU) along with EVMs for at least 45 days post-election. Candidates who stand second or third can request verification of microcontrollers in EVMs. The court rejected demands to revert to paper ballots, calling suspicions of EVM manipulation unfounded. The verification process will be conducted by engineers from EVM manufacturers, with expenses borne by the requesting candidates and refunded if tampering is found.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted the verdict was a "tight slap" to the Congress-led opposition which must "apologise" for creating distrust against EVMs. | Latest News India