SC grants EC four weeks' time to file reply on plea seeking voting details after polls

The apex court has asked the Election Commission to reply within four weeks on the petitions seeking details regarding the voter turnout and final vote count on its website after election results are declared. The court had, on December 9, 2019, sought a response from the poll panel in this regard.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks' time to the Election Commission of India to file its reply on a batch of petitions seeking directions to publish details of voter turnout and final vote count on its website once general and assembly election results are declared.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde posted the matter after four weeks on the pleas filed by TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra and Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The apex court had, on December 9, 2019, sought a response from the poll panel.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, told the court that RTI has shown that VVPAT slips have been destroyed within four months even though it was to be kept for one year according to the Representation of Peoples Act.

Bhushan said that he will file an application seeking information about the VVPAT as well.

Moitra, in the plea, sought directions to the Election Commission to publish on its website the constituency-wise information collated in Form 17C part I and II and Form 20 for every subsequent Parliamentary and Assembly election.

Form 17C Part I is public disclosure and due reporting of account of votes recorded while Part II is the result of counting and Form 20 is the final result sheet.

The pleas sought directions to the poll panel to publish the details within a period of 48 hours from the preparation of the Form and seven days from the declaration of the result of the constituency.

Inputs from ANI

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