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Synopsis

A review petition has been filed before Supreme Court of India against its judgment rejecting all the pleas filed before it seeking 100% verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

The petition filed by Arun Kumar Agrawal seeks review on the following issues:

i) Feasibility of counting of all VVPAT paper slips in terms of time to be taken and additional manpower
ii) Vulnerability of SLU
iii) Percentage of VVPAT slips counted for tallying with EVM votes after Chandrababu Naidu [(2019) 15 SCC 377] Judgment

Court has been told that the counting of all VVPAT slips can be done accurately with a fraction of the employees and at a fraction of cost and within 5 to 8 hrs.

"...electronic voting machines do not allow voters to verify that their votes have been accurately recorded. Furthermore, given their very nature, electronic voting machines are especially vulnerable to malicious changes by insiders such as designers, programmers, manufacturers, maintenance technicians, etc...", the petition adds

In the impugned judgment, Supreme Court of India had held EVMs to be simple, secure and user-friendly. Furthermore, EVMs reduce paper usage and alleviate logistical challenges, the court had said.

Justice Dipankar Datta is a separate but concurring judgment has also noted that there has been a trend in the recent years fast developing of certain vested interest groups endeavouring to undermine the achievements and accomplishments of the nation, earned through the hard work and dedication of its sincere workforce.

Case Title: ARUN KUMAR AGRAWAL vs, ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA AND ANR.