Lok Sabha Election 2019: EC has problem with our demand for EVM-VVPAT tallying, says Chandrababu Naidu

Questioning the BJP demand for deployment of central forces in West Bengal till the Model Code of Conduct is in place, a miffed Trinamool Congress on Tuesday asked the Election Commission "if Emergency has been declared" in the state, sources said.

TMC's national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien raised the issue of the central forces with the EC and demanded that the poll body take action, the sources said.

Abhishek Singhvi, Congress after opposition's meeting with EC said, “We raised these same issues in last 1.5 months. We asked EC why have they not responded. Strangely, EC heard us for almost an hour and they assured us they'll meet again tomorrow morning to consider primarily these 2 issues.”

22 parties of the opposition have submitted a memorandum before the EC, requesting that the verification of VVPAT slips of randomly identified (05) polling stations should be done prior to the initiation of counting of votes and not after the completion of last round of counting.

In the memorandum, the opposition leaders have also demanded that if any discrepancy is found anywhere during the VVPAT verification, 100% counting of paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that assembly segment should be done.

Name of some prominent Opposition leaders, who signed the Memorandum of 22 political parties submitted to the Election Commission of India at Nirvachan Sadan today.

Sh Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sh Ahmed Patel, Sh Ashok Gehlot, Sh Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sh K Raju, Sh Raj Babbar(all from Cong Party); Shri Chandrababu Naidu (TDP); Prof Ram Gopal Yadav(SP); Shri Sitaram Yechuri, Shri TK Rangarajan (CPI-M); Shri Arvind Kejriwal (AAP); Shri Praful Patel, Sh Majeed Memon (NCP); Smt K Kanimozhi (DMK); Sh Derek O’Brien (AITC); Shri Satish Chandra Misra(BSP); Shri Manoj Jha(RJD); Shri S. Sudhakar Reddy, Shri D Raja (CPI); Shri Javed Razawa(LJD); Shri KG Kenye (NPF); Shri Kupendra Reddy (JD-S); Dr G. Srinivas Reddy (RSP); Dr G Mallesh (JSMT); Shri Devender Singh Rana (NC); Prof Bhim Singh (JKNPP); Shri Rajnish Kumar (HAM); Shri Ashok Jha {CPI ML (Bihar)}.

Protests broke out in some parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday after videos of alleged movement and tampering of EVMs went viral on social media, a charge dismissed by the Election Commission as "frivolous" and "unfounded".

As the videos went viral, workers of various parties held protests in Ghazipur, Chandauli and Dumariyaganj alleging that EVMs were being "moved around" outside strongrooms.

A video clip of EVMs being off-loaded and put in a room inside the counting centre complex in Chandauli was doing the rounds on social media. BJP's state unit president Mahendra Nath Pandey is seeking re-election from the seat.

EC: Complaints of alleged movement of EVMs, purportedly to replace polled EVMs in strongrooms, doing rounds in sections of media. Would like to unambiguously clarify that reports are absolutely false. Visuals seen viral on media do not pertain to any EVMs used during the polls.

The provisions and protocols have been explained to the political parties on multiple occasions including in several of the 93 meetings held with them at the Commission since announcement of elections.

The aspersions in clips being used in media merely pertain to the storage or movement of reserve unused EVMs. However any case of lapse even in handling of reserve EVMs is thoroughly investigated and disciplinary action taken against the officers responsible.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee issues statement, says 'Onus on ensuring institutional integrity in this case (security of EVMs) lies with the Election Commission, they must do so and put all speculations to rest'.

Election Commission: In meeting of the Commission held today, it was inter alia decided that proceedings of the Commission meeting would be drawn including views of all members. Thereafter, formal instructions to this effect would be issued in consonance with extant laws/rules etc.

Former chief election commissioner T S Krishnamurthy on Tuesday said the poll body has done 'a good job' in conducting the Lok Sabha elections but could have taken decisions on certain complaints in time.

He also came out in support of the demand of Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa that his dissent be recorded in orders on model code of conduct (MCC) violation cases.

"Election Commission did a good job (in conduct of elections), reasonably well...", he said.

The former CEC said he was not surprised by political parties' attack on the Election Commission, saying when it takes a decision on complaints of MCC violations, it has to be "one way or the other".

The Congress on Tuesday said the Election Commission (EC) should take immediate and effective steps to address the complaints of movement of electronic voting machines (EVMs) from strongrooms from various parts of the country.

Party spokesperson Rajeev Shukla also said it was the EC's responsibility to ensure that polls were held in a fair and unbiased manner.

"Complaints about movement of EVMs are coming from various parts of the country. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab -- there have been complaints of taking out of EVMs from strongrooms from various places. People's suspicion and anger are increasing," he said.

The reason that was being given was that these were the reserve machines, but even then, the EVMs should be shown to the candidates' representatives, Shukla added.

Top opposition leaders met on Tuesday, ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23, to discuss the possibility of a non-NDA alliance staking claim to government formation.

They will also move the Election Commission (EC) to press for their demand of tallying the paper trail of votes (VVPATs) with the electronic voting machine (EVM) figures.

Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress, TDP's Chandrababu Naidu, Satish Chandra Misra of the BSP, Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M), D Raja of the CPI, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Derek O'Brien of the TMC, Ramgopal Yadav of the SP, Kanimozhi of the DMK, Manoj Jha (RJD), Majeed Memon (NCP), Devinder Rana (NC) are taking part in the meeting among others.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said the silence of the Election Commission (EC) was worrying even after "evidence" had come to the fore that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls were being switched.

"Worrying that despite solid evidence about EVMs being switched, @ECISVEEP hasnt clarified any of these concerns. A farcical wave backed by dubious exit polls followed by manipulating EVMs is another Balakot in the making," she said in a tweet.

Mumbai Congress President Milind Deora writes to Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra requesting "increase of vigilance, security etc at counting centers, so that EVM machines should not get tampered in any manner whatsoever"

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal talked to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over phone on Tuesday to discuss the strategy to be followed after the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll results on Thursday.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh told reporters here that the two leaders held talks over phone.

He said Kejriwal and Yadav talked about the strategy to be followed after the announcement of the poll results.

Sweet shop workers prepare sweets in Borivali, Mumbai ahead of Lok Sabha elections results on 23rd May. Shop owner says,"We've received an order of 1500-2000 kg sweets from BJP's Gopal Shetty (Mumbai North LS candidate). Workers are excited, so they're wearing Modi ji's masks"

Sanjay Singh, AAP after meeting SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Results will be declared after 2 days. We met to discuss the strategy to be followed after that. The first priority is to stop BJP, pair of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah & communal forces. This was also a courtesy call.”

“I feel the gathbandhan will get more than 60 seats in UP. BJP will be wiped off across the country. Exit polls will prove to be completely false, like it had happened before. Opposition will form a strong govt at the centre.”

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday expressed confidence that a government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be re-elected for a second term as the exit polls show a "clear trend" in the BJP-led NDA's favour.

At the same time, it also praised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for their "hard work", saying their party will get enough seats to bag the leader of opposition's post in the new Lok Sabha.

Elections to 542 seats of 543-member Lok Sabha ended on Sunday and counting of votes is scheduled for Thursday.

Supreme Court dismisses a plea challenging the appointment of two retired bureaucrats as special observer and central police observer in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls. Court observed that elections are over & the petitioner may approach the Kolkata High Court.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi on Tuesday, where he was expected to take part in a meeting of opposition leaders over the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), official sources said.

"The proposed visit of the chief minister to New Delhi today stands cancelled," the CMO said, without specifying any reasons.

According to the schedule of the chief minister shared with the media earlier, Kumaraswamy was to leave for Delhi by a special flight at 11 am and take part in meetings there, before heading back to the city in the evening.

West Bengal: 5 BJP workers were injured last night after they were attacked allegedly by TMC workers in Sitai, Cooch Behar. More details awaited.

Congress party candidate from Mirzapur, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi has written to the observer of the Lok Sabha constituency requesting him to remove the reserve EVMs, kept at the counting venue, in front of political parties' candidate and their representatives, while being photographed.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking 100 per cent matching of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during counting of votes on May 23 for Lok Sabha polls.

A vacation bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra refused to entertain the plea filed by a Chennai-based organisation 'Tech for All', saying that a larger bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had already dealt with the matter and passed an order "The CJI had dealt with this matter. Why are you taking chance before a two-judge vacation bench," the apex court asked.

Coming down heavily on the petitioner, Justice Mishra, while dismissing the petition, said, "Won't entertain such kind of plea over and over again. We can't come in the way of people electing their representatives." The Justice also termed the move of the petitioner, a "nuisance" PIL

The BSP on Tuesday suspended senior leader and former minister Ramvir Upadhyay from the party for his "anti-party" activities.

Upadhyay has also been removed from the post of chief whip of the party in the state assembly, BSP General Secretary Mewalal Gautam said.

Poll held on 19th May at polling station number 200 of the Kolkata Uttar parliamentary constituency declared void. Re-poll to be held on 22nd May from 7am to 6pm.

Two days ahead of the counting of votes for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 21 Opposition parties will meet on Tuesday in New Delhi to discuss the possibilities of a non-NDA alliance.

The meeting of the 21 opposition parties will be held at the Constitution Club here at 1.30 pm, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sources said on Monday.

The meeting will be attended by the several senior Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M, AAP, NCP, National Conference, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK, Janata Dal-Secular and the TDP.

A delegation of opposition parties will also meet the Election Commission on Tuesday to complain about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the VVPAT slips.

According to a senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, a delegation of 21 opposition parties will approach the poll panel to complain about the EVMs and the VVPAT slips. The delegation will be headed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu, who on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. The delegation will visit the Election Commission at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.