EC rejects Opposition's demand to count VVPAT slips first.

The Election Commission of India had rejected the demand of counting the VVPAT before the vote counting. The ECI had also assured the delegations that the entire counting process was being done in a fair and transparent manner.

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday rejected the demand of 22 political parties to count VVPAT slips before the commencement of counting of votes registered in EVMs. The delegation had met the ECI on May 21.

The ECI rejected the oppositions parties' demand on the basis of the impracticability of its implementations and cited the SC order on the subject.

The Commission deliberately on the issue with senior officials dealing with this issue in the ECI. After two rounds of in-depth discussions yesterday and today, it has neither been found possible nor feasible to accede to this demand in the overall context and especially in the view of the judgement of the Honourable Supreme Court in Writ Petition(C) No. 273 of 2019 delivered on April 8. The said judgement directs the random selections of VVPATs shall be subjected to the process of slip verification as per the guidelines 16.6 of EVM Manual in force," said a release issued by the ECI.

"There were some other procedural issues like allowing counting agents of the candidates along with all Returning Officers and Assistance Returning Officers on which necessary instructions have already been reiterated and wherever required made more candidate- friendly," the release added.

The ECI, however, had assured the members of the delegations and the voters of the country that the entire counting process, especially guarding the strong rooms and counting centres, was being done in an absolutely fair and transparent manner.

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