Hyderabad: Political parties in the state have still not received a concrete answer from the State Election Commission over what happens if there is a difference in the number of votes polled using EVMs and the number of votes printed by the VVPATs. The State Election Commission said there are specific guidelines from the Election Commission regarding what number is to to be taken in case there is such a difference.
Sources said such an incident took place at the Tungathurthi Assembly constituency during the state elections, where Congress candidate Addanki Dayakar alleged that there was a difference of 244 votes between the votes polled for him in the EVMs and the number of votes printed by the VVPATs.
According to BJP Malkajgiri Lok Sabha candidate N. Ramchander Rao, if such a situation arises, the candidate should be able to ask the EC to verify the number of votes polled in the EVMs and VVPATs in the entire constituency.
Congress Chevella candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy said he had serious concerns about the variation in the number of votes polled and VVPAT slips printed. He said political parties had unwarranted apprehensions but the EC still has to build their trust in the EVMs. “Why should only five VVPATs be verified in each Assembly segment, and why not 10? It is the duty of the EC and not political parties, the contesting candidates, or party cadres, to give us a reason to trust the results generated by the EVMs and the VVPATs,” he said.
A senior EC official on condition of anonymity explained that the mismatch took place as the election staff had not cleared the mock poll data from the EVMs or the VVPATs. He revealed that such mismatch had occurred in 13 constituencies in the December polls
He said the EC had instructed polling officials to compulsorily clear the mock poll data from all EVMs and VVPATs prior to installing them at polling stations. "If it happens again, then the EC will seek the help of the Election Commission of India for further action," he said.
Going by the Supreme Court order to compare the data from five EVMs in each Lok Sabha constituency, the EC has to verify VVPATs at 595 polling stations out of the 34,604 across the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 119 Assembly segments.
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