Repolling is taking place at eight polling stations across four assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh due to reports of violence and damage to electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections on April 19. Elaborate security arrangements have been made, including the deployment of police superintendents and paramilitary forces, to ensure the smooth conduct of the repolling.
On the last day of campaigning for Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold public meetings and rallies across the country. Modi will address public meetings in Surguja, Chhattisgarh; Sagar and Betul, Madhya Pradesh; and hold a roadshow in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Gandhi will resume campaigning after a brief break due to illness and will address public meetings in Amravati and Solapur, Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will pronounce directions on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with VVPATs. Prime Minister Modi also alleged that the Congress attempted to extend reservation benefits based on religion and give them to Muslims.
The Supreme Court of India is expected to pronounce its orders on Wednesday, April 20, on pleas seeking a complete cross-verification of votes cast using Electronic Voter Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, had earlier expressed reluctance to suspect the efficacy of EVMs during the hearing.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court is expected to announce directions on a series of petitions demanding thorough cross-validation of votes cast using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). VVPAT is a standalone vote verification system that allows voters to verify that their votes have been recorded correctly. The court’s directions will be delivered by a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. During the hearings, the court emphasized the significance of voter satisfaction and trust in the electoral process, urging petitioners not to doubt the effectiveness of EVMs and to recognize the efforts of the Election Commission.
