Election Commission rejects opposition’s claims of VVPAT-EVM discrepancies in Maharashtra polls

“no mismatch was found in any VVPAT voter slips with corresponding EVM numbers“, EC confirms

The Election Commission of India (ECI) dismissed allegations of discrepancies in Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. In a statement released on Tuesday (December 10), the ECI confirmed that “no mismatch was found in any VVPAT voter slips with corresponding EVM numbers.”

VVPAT verification process followed

According to guidelines set by the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations in each of Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly constituencies were verified on November 23. The process was conducted in the presence of Counting Observers and representatives of political candidates.

“The VVPAT slip count from 1,440 polling stations was matched with the EVM control unit data. No discrepancies were found as per reports from the concerned District Election Officers (DEOs),” the ECI stated, emphasizing that “due procedure laid down by the ECI was strictly followed.”

Opposition’s allegations and EC response

The ECI’s clarification comes after a Congress delegation met Election Commission officials in New Delhi, raising concerns about alleged electoral irregularities during the Maharashtra polls. The opposition party cited issues like large-scale deletions and unexplained additions to the voters’ list.

On November 29, Congress submitted a memorandum demanding raw voting data from the ECI to verify polling and counting processes. AICC Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress chief Nana Patole, and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik accused the poll panel of “serious and grave inconsistencies” that threatened the integrity of a “transparent, free, and fair electoral system.”

The Congress delegation further requested an in-person hearing to present their findings, claiming their concerns were “extracted from information made publicly available by the Commission.”

Looking ahead

With the ECI standing by its election procedures and verification process, the Maharashtra Assembly polls’ electoral validity seems intact despite the opposition’s accusations. However, with Congress demanding greater transparency and electoral reforms, the matter may continue to spark political debate in the coming weeks.

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