Lok Sabha Elections Highlights: Opposition Parties On Vigil Outside EVM Rooms Ahead Of Poll Results

The Congress today launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission after it rejected a demand by opposition parties to tally Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with Electronic Voting Machines. The opposition party referred to the poll body as "Enfeebled Commission" and said it was a "black day" for democracy.

 

"Has the Model Code of Conduct become  Modi's campaign code and EVMs 'electronic victory machines' for the BJP. Has the Election Commission become Enfeebled Commission' or is it ''Eradicated Commission," Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. 

"Chirag Paswan has all the qualities of a leader. Kaun baap nahin chahta hai ki beta aage badhe (which father doesn't want his son to move ahead?). But first let the results come," he said.Read full story

"The next 24 hours are important. Be alert and vigilant. Don't be afraid. You are fighting for the truth. Don't be disheartened by what the fake exit polls are propagating. Have faith in yourselves and the Congress. Your hard work will not be in vain, Jai Hindi," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi

The Opposition demand to tally the VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) slips before the Electronic Voting Machines has been turned down by the Election Commission. The verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips from five random polling booths in each assembly segment - made mandatory by the Supreme Court -- will be done after the counting of votes and not before, the Commission said today.

Election Commission rejects the demand of 22 Opposition Parties to do the mandatory verification of VVPAT slips with the EVM votes at first and then start the counting of votes. Mandatory verification of VVPAT slips with EVM votes in 5 random polling booths will be done after the counting of votes and not before. Yesterday, a delegation consisting of 22 Opposition Parties had asked the commission to start with the VVPAT verification process at first and then the counting of votes. EC in its full commission meeting today has rejected this demand of the Opposition Parties.

Union Minister Smriti Irani this morning thanked the people of the country for "blessing" the BJP as she reflected on the last five years of the BJP-led NDA government in a series of tweets. Ms Irani also attacked the opposition and said that this national election was "about people versus the opposition". "24 hours to go .. while most of us will be glued to our TV sets tomorrow to watch vote by vote, count by count analysis, here's taking this opportunity to say thank you for the countless blessings of millions across the Nation for my party and my leadership," the 43-year-old leader, who is contesting against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in UP's Amethi this time, tweeted. 

The opposition parties in several states are keeping a round-the-clock vigil on the storage rooms where the voting machines are kept in high security, ahead of the counting of votes in the national election. This comes amid complaints of alleged tampering of EVMs and protests in Uttar Pradesh after videos of alleged movement and tampering of voting machines. Digvijaya Singh, senior Congress leader and the party's candidate in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, and his wife, visited voting machine store room at the central jail in the city last night.