Details
“SC Nixes 50% VVPAT Count, Maha EC Sighs!”
01-Jul-2019
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Would Have Entailed 6 Days More
KHL News Bureau
[email protected]
The Maharashtra Election Commission (EC) has heaved a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court (SC) nixed the demand for the physical verification of 50 per cent of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines that would have delayed vote counting on May 23, 2019, for the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats that the state has elected, over four phases by almost six days. A senior state EC official said, “Having to tally 50 per cent of the VVPATs would have been a virtual nightmarish proposition!”
Maharashtra Under Secretary And Deputy Chief Electoral officer, AN Valvi, when contacted told kiranhegdelive.com, “On an average there are 350 polling stations in every state (legislative) assembly seat. The physical counting of 50 per cent of VVPAT machines would have entailed the counting of 175 VVPAT machines per assembly segment. This would consume (7875 minutes) or 131.25 man hours (read 5.47 days) and therefore, delay the counting process by that much longer. Add to this the rest time that the poll officials would require to be given, and the delay could be longer. Even booth level agents (BLAs) of individual political parties would have to remain present through the entire process of physical verification in the designated polling stations where VVPATs are put to the laser paper trail counting.”
He added that even with the apex court prescribed five VVPAT machines per assembly segment (increased by the SC from the one per assembly segment prescribed earlier) it would entail 225 minutes (3.75 hours) more after the EVM results are available till the physical paper trail of the five VVPAT machines are literally verified. “The fact is that the winner trends may become apparent even by 2 pm on May 23 in many parliamentary (with VVPAT verified results of five assembly) segments. Parliamentary constituencies like Gadchiroli (with only five candidates in the fray) would be able to declare results by eight pm on May 23 itself. However, in the Lok Sabha seats (Maharashtra boasts of 48) where multiple candidates are in the fray such as in Beed (where 36 candidates battled it out), the delay may extend to even the next morning for arriving at the final declaration and issuance of winner certificates to the successful candidate from each of the 48 seats in Maharashtra,” the senior EC official told kiranhegdelive.com.
Post the five day election process (two days prior to and two days post voting days) in each of the four phases of the general elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats held in Maharashtra over 7.5 lakh state government employees were relieved of their election duties to man nearly 1,00, 800 polling stations in the state a day after the last phase of elections that ended on April 9, 2019.
Meanwhile, even as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) remains in force till May 23 (vote counting day), the state election commission has permitted the state government to carry on with its business of administration and drought relief (with specific exemption issued for the latter). “The MCC rule book says that for operational purposes the state government has no need to seek prior permission. Only an intimation has to be made to the EC and the operational and administrative works can be carried out in right earnest without upsetting the balance of government obligations towards general public interest of the citizens. No cessation of work is the norm just because the MCC is in force. We have repeatedly informed the state departments. Yet we had to issue ‘bulk clearance’ for 50, mostly public works for which permissions were sought. We have done so,” another Election Officer told www.kiranhegdelive.com.”
“Would Have Entailed 6 Days More
KHL News Bureau
[email protected]
The Maharashtra Election Commission (EC) has heaved a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court (SC) nixed the demand for the physical verification of 50 per cent of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines that would have delayed vote counting on May 23, 2019, for the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats that the state has elected, over four phases by almost six days. A senior state EC official said, “Having to tally 50 per cent of the VVPATs would have been a virtual nightmarish proposition!”
Maharashtra Under Secretary And Deputy Chief Electoral officer, AN Valvi, when contacted told kiranhegdelive.com, “On an average there are 350 polling stations in every state (legislative) assembly seat. The physical counting of 50 per cent of VVPAT machines would have entailed the counting of 175 VVPAT machines per assembly segment. This would consume (7875 minutes) or 131.25 man hours (read 5.47 days) and therefore, delay the counting process by that much longer. Add to this the rest time that the poll officials would require to be given, and the delay could be longer. Even booth level agents (BLAs) of individual political parties would have to remain present through the entire process of physical verification in the designated polling stations where VVPATs are put to the laser paper trail counting.”
He added that even with the apex court prescribed five VVPAT machines per assembly segment (increased by the SC from the one per assembly segment prescribed earlier) it would entail 225 minutes (3.75 hours) more after the EVM results are available till the physical paper trail of the five VVPAT machines are literally verified. “The fact is that the winner trends may become apparent even by 2 pm on May 23 in many parliamentary (with VVPAT verified results of five assembly) segments. Parliamentary constituencies like Gadchiroli (with only five candidates in the fray) would be able to declare results by eight pm on May 23 itself. However, in the Lok Sabha seats (Maharashtra boasts of 48) where multiple candidates are in the fray such as in Beed (where 36 candidates battled it out), the delay may extend to even the next morning for arriving at the final declaration and issuance of winner certificates to the successful candidate from each of the 48 seats in Maharashtra,” the senior EC official told kiranhegdelive.com.
Post the five day election process (two days prior to and two days post voting days) in each of the four phases of the general elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats held in Maharashtra over 7.5 lakh state government employees were relieved of their election duties to man nearly 1,00, 800 polling stations in the state a day after the last phase of elections that ended on April 9, 2019.
Meanwhile, even as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) remains in force till May 23 (vote counting day), the state election commission has permitted the state government to carry on with its business of administration and drought relief (with specific exemption issued for the latter). “The MCC rule book says that for operational purposes the state government has no need to seek prior permission. Only an intimation has to be made to the EC and the operational and administrative works can be carried out in right earnest without upsetting the balance of government obligations towards general public interest of the citizens. No cessation of work is the norm just because the MCC is in force. We have repeatedly informed the state departments. Yet we had to issue ‘bulk clearance’ for 50, mostly public works for which permissions were sought. We have done so,” another Election Officer told www.kiranhegdelive.com.”
