BJP banking on paper trail machines in Bengal, Assam

NEW DELHI: Preparing for the assembly polls in Bengal due in a few months, BJP is keen that most polling booths in 294 constituencies get to use the VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) system to ensure free and fair polling.

Though having a limited presence in the state, BJP hopes to improve its stake after the party’s vote-share went up considerably during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls though it won only two seats.

While the party is keen that the EC puts into use the VVPAT system across all the constituencies in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry which are likely to go to polls at the same time, the problem for the poll watchdog is that it has only 20,000 VVPAT machines at its disposal at the moment.

The EC ordered for another 67,000 machines in November-December, according to a senior EC functionary. Though the EC is following up on the delivery, it is not sure the machines could be made available to all booths in all constituencies that go to polls around the same time.

The effort, EC officials say, is to ensure VVPAT machines as much as possible in the poll-bounmd states.