AAP wants VVPAT-EVM tally in upcoming Bawana by-poll

AAP on Tuesday asked the Election Commission (EC) to tally VVPAT paper trails with EVM results in the upcoming Bawana by-poll, in the backdrop of reports of malfunctioning of a voting machine in Zilla Parishad poll in Maharashtra. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti, the party said the poll body's decision to tally slips of VVPAT with the results of Electronic Voting Machines in five per cent of polling stations in each seat in the Lok Sabha and the state assembly polls should be tried in Bawana.

"The by-election of the Bawana assembly constituency is due anytime. This provides an ideal opportunity to the Election Commission to implement the decision to tally the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail slips with the votes recorded by the EVMs," said an AAP leader.

By-poll to the Bawana constituency was necessitated after AAP MLA Ved Prakash resigned to join the BJP, days before the MCD polls, held in April this year. The commission is yet to declare dates for the assembly by-poll. The AAP has been questioning the credibility of the EVMs after its poor show in Punjab and humiliating defeat in the MCD polls.

The issue has come to light after collectorate of Buldhana district (Maharashtra) recently admitted that one of the EVMs that was used in the local body polls held in February this year was malfunctioning.

An independent candidate Asha Arun Zore, who contested the Zlla Parishad elections, had raised objection in this regard after it was found that the votes were getting registered in favour of the BJP despite pressing the button indicating her symbol.