EC refusal to meet INDIA parties on VVPAT ‘unfortunate,’ ‘unprecedented’: Jairam Ramesh

Jairam Ramesh said instead of giving a clarification, the EC termed the queries an "inadequate or incorrect" appreciation of the FAQs.

The INDIA parties had on December 19, 2023 passed a resolution demanding 100% counting of VVPAT slips, as opposed to the current 2%. (Express Photo)

Days after the Election Commission dismissed the INDIA bloc’s concerns about EVMs and VVPATs, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has once again written to CEC Rajiv Kumar, saying the poll panel’s refusal to meet the bloc’s leaders was “unfortunate” and “unprecedented”

Refusing to engage with political participants on the issue, he said, was a matter of “grave concern” for all parties and not just INDIA bloc members, which “commanded over 60% of the popular vote” in the 2019 elections.

Ramesh’s letter, sent to CEC Kumar on Sunday, was the latest in a series of written exchanges between the poll panel and the Congress leader, as well as the INDIA bloc which has been pushing the poll body to discuss its doubts on the integrity of EVMs and its demand for “100% counting” of VVPAT (Voter verifiable paper audit trail) during elections.

Explained | What are VVPATs, and why has Jairam Ramesh written to EC about them?

“The EC’s response, while completely brushing aside our request for an appointment, has yet again failed to provide a substantive response to our queries and genuine concerns… Instead, the Commission has been repeatedly directing us to generic ECI FAQs as the answer book for all queries…” he wrote.

Saying the request for discussion on the issue was being made “on behalf of INDIA parties, which have given our country PMs, CMs…,” he told the EC, “Your point blank refusal to even engage with political participants on EVMs or VVPATs is a matter of grave concern for all political parties and not just those who belong to the INDIA alliance”.

“INDIA parties commanded over 60% of the popular vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Yet the Commission continues to deny these parties an opportunity to meet with it. This is most unfortunate and to put it very mildly, unprecedented,” Ramesh wrote.

In his last letter, sent on December 30, Ramesh had reminded the EC it had still not addressed the Oppositions bloc’s concerns despite several representations and requests for a meeting since August.

Story continues below this ad

Replying on January 5, the EC directed Ramesh to the poll panel’s website, including the updated FAQs section, which it said covered “all reasonable and legitimate aspects of use of EVMs”. It was similar to what the EC had told the INDIA bloc’s counsel on August 23 last year.

The EC also told Ramesh that EVMs and VVPATs complied with the legal framework “strengthened by Governments over the past 40 years” and while some aspects of the paper trail system were sub-judice, there was “full faith” in EVMs.

The Supreme Court is hearing a petition seeking 100% counting of VVPAT slips, as opposed to the current 2%.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram