Don’t announce EVM-wise leads in counting: PIL

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Election Commission's response to a PIL which demanded that EVM-wise declaration of leads in the vote counting process be stopped.

The PIL by advocate Yogesh Gupta from Punjab was based on Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's poll-eve threat to Baramati villagers that their water supply would be discontinued if they did not vote for his cousin and sitting NCP MP Supriya Sule.

Gupta said if the votes cast in each EVM was kept secret and announced only after totalling the votes in all EVMs used in a parliamentary constituency, then politicians would not know which segment voted for which candidate. This would help voters exercise their franchise without fear.

Finding the point interesting, a vacation bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice NV Ramana issued notice to the EC and sought its reply by May 21. So, the outcome of this PIL will not affect the mode of counting of votes for this general election.

But if the court allows the PIL and EVM-wise results are stopped from being announced, then it would take away the excitement of ups and down in leads, intrinsic to counting of votes.

"In the present form of declaration of results, political parties become aware of the wards where they have not got voted and where they have got maximum votes," the petitioner said. "The present form of declaration of results also acts as a catalyst for registration of false cases based on political vendetta against persons who have not voted for the victorious parties."