VVPAT makes EVM polling process foolproof: Former CEC Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi

Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi on Thursday stressed that Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) brought about qualitative improvement in the electoral process.

Kolkata (West Bengal ) [India], May 23 : Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi on Thursday stressed that Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) brought about qualitative improvement in the electoral process.

Recently 22 political parties moved Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding counting of VVPAT slips before the counting of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). The polling body, however, rejected the opposition parties' demand on the basis of the impracticability of its implementation and cited Supreme Court's (SC) order on the subject.

Speaking to , Zaidi said, "EC has disposed of the representation of political parties in light of the order of SC on the sequencing of counting of paper slips."

Zaidi further added, "In addition to the recount provision, now additionally, randomly selected VVPAT paper slips of five polling stations per assembly constituency will also be counted to test the accuracy and discrepancy, if any, between the EVM count and paper slips, in which case, the tally of paper slips will prevail."

Political parties have time and again raised questions on the EVM including the issue of auditability and trail of their electronic votes. The doubts were raised on whether the votes were cast as intended. The issue of EVM tampering is another concerned raised by the political parties several times. Thus, the EC and the apex court came up with the VVPAT system to assure voters and trail their electronic votes.

"VVPAT is a brilliant innovation and confidence-building measure and makes EVM polling process foolproof. An EVM with VVPAT machine is a hundred per cent safe and secured system of polling. Many developed countries which were using EVM failed to introduce the system of auditability. India is the only country which had introduced 100% use of VVPAT with EVM," former CEC said.

A candidate during the counting process can also ask for a re-count of VVPAT paper slips at a polling station in case he is not satisfied with the EVM result on the approval of returning officer (RO).

In the 2019 general election, over 17 lakh VVPAT, 16 lakh Control Units (CU), and 22 Lakh Ballot Units were used.

( With inputs from ANI )