Congress hopeful that SC will allow conducting Gujarat Polls via paper ballot
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea of Congress seeking its direction to the Election Commission to use VVPATs (voting machines with paper trail) in the coming assembly elections in Gujarat and install CCTV camera in each polling booth to check mobility of people inside the booth.
The plea, filed by All-India Congress Committee secretary Prakash Joshi, requested the Court to “… issue direction” to the commission “to install CCTV cameras inside the polling booth to watch the mobility of persons inside the polling booth” and display the videograph along with “the number of votes polled outside the polling booth on a display board.”
Appearing for the petitioner, senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha urged the court to hear it at an early date as the notification for the Gujarat Assembly election was expected to be issued soon. The petition said the poll panel should be directed not to post any official facing any inquiry or disciplinary proceedings in key positions in the districts on contract basis or on extension of time from services. Though representations had been made to the EC on these issues, no decision had been taken yet, the petition added.
