' ! 012 ! !" .$.$/ ()*+ ,*- 60 " + "#$$ %$#$$ ) %& *+, # %& )& )#) $ # 8 &9 "" #$$&$N $ ( &-O$& %/ # / ) 9 : / 31 1 ,* ,45 3 $621 !! #$ %&$%'()*!& he counting of votes for the TLok Sabha polls would be Q held on Thursday in the shad- ow of a raging controversy over security of the Electronic their franchise to elect 542 counting the slips at the end. Voting Machines (EVMs) and members of the Lok Sabha The poll body is also learnt " R charges that they were being from 8,049 contestants. to have decided to count postal rigged. The Election Election Commission offi- ballots simultaneously with with the EC, they cited rule Commission has rejected the cials said the counting of votes electronic voting machine 56(B). But the rule 56(D) says demand by 22 political parties will begin at 8 am on Thursday count due to the “sheer size” of ours after the Election for mandatory sample check of that voter verifiable paper audit and results are expected only by the ballots received this time HCommission (EC) on the VVPAT slips. Rule 56(B) trail (VVPAT) slips be matched late evening. from service voters. The count- Wednesday rejected demand and 56(D) are complete dif- with EVM data before count- For the first time in Lok ing will involve the matching of 22 Opposition parties for ferent things,” he said. ing of votes. Sabha polls, the EC will tally of VVPAT slips in five polling VVPAT slips’ check before the Reacting to the EC deci- The grueling and bitterly vote count on EVMs with voter booths picked at random for counting, the Opposition par- sion, CPI(M) general secretary fought seven-phase polls that verified paper audit trail slips each Assembly segment at the ties hit back saying the poll Sitaram Yechury tweeted, began on April 11 concluded in five polling stations in each end of counting. As per pro- panel has lost its credibility and “This goes against the spirit of on May 19. Barring Jammu & Assembly segment of a parlia- cedure, postal ballots so far dubbed the electronic voting the Supreme Court Order on Kashmir and West Bengal, vot- mentary constituency. were the first to be counted. machines (EVMs) as “Election VVPATs delivered before ing has been largely peaceful. It will effectively mean that As per EC, the exercise of Victory Machines”. polling began. If the process Security has been tightened out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling counting postal ballots manu- ! Congress spokesperson has been so long drawn for the across all the polling stations in stations, the EVM-VVPAT ally will itself take a couple of Abhishek Manu Singhvi said sake of integrity of the elec- the county with the Home matching will take place in hours at least as the number of the EC has rejected their toral process, why is (the) EC Ministry directing extra-secu- 20,600 such stations. In case of service voters stands at 18 request to check the VVPAT not adhering to the basic prin- rity around sensitive con- a mismatch, the results based lakh and these include per- slips, “which we came to know ciple of testing the sample stituencies. on paper slip count will be con- sonnel of the armed forces, through the media” reports. first?” Most of the exit polls have sidered as final. Central police force personnel polls, which have predicted a like Upendra Kushwaha that “The interesting thing is we TDP general secretary predicted that the BJP-led Meanwhile, a day after 22 and State police personnel comfortable victory for the people can take up arms and have not received any formal Nara Lokesh tweeted, “A gen- National Democratic Alliance Opposition parties claimed who are posted outside their JP president Amit Shah on BJP-led NDA. “How can you resort to violence, he said such orders yet,” he said, adding ear- uine and fair demand for (NDA) is on course to retain they don’t trust EVMs and constituencies. Diplomats and BThursday accused the question EVMs credibility on comments have no place in lier the poll panel had declined transparency is chucked out power for a second term, rid- demanded VVPAT slips be support staff posted in Indian Opposition parties of “disre- the basis of exit polls,” he asked democracy and questioned 15-20 requests of the party the window without a reason. ing on Prime Minister matched with EVM data before embassies abroad are also specting” people’s mandate by in his tweet. them for challenging democ- without giving any reason. He A dark day for Indian democ- Narendra Modi’s charisma like counting, the three-member counted as service voters. Out questioning the credibility of He also termed as uncon- racy. said the EC means “Eradicated racy!... By ignoring the gen- the way he did in 2014. EC on Wednesday rejected of the 18 lakh registered vot- EVMs and “tarnishing” Indian stitutional the demand of 22 The Opposition in Bihar Credibility” and EVMs have uine demand of the majority However, the Opposition their demands saying there ers, 16.49 lakh have sent their democracy in the face of its Opposition parties that the on Tuesday had alleged that become “Electronic Victory of partiesto, the EC has shown parties have trashed results of will not be any change in postal ballots to their respec- “likely defeat” in the Lok Sabha Election Commission change attempts were being made to Machines” for BJP. once again whose side it wants the exit polls, claiming that the counting procedures. tive returning officers as on elections. its counting protocol and manipulate the Lok Sabha poll The Congress Rajya Sabha to take.” BJP will suffer severe drubbing The EC had made it clear May 17. Suspecting Opposition’s count VVPAT slips first, say- results in favour of the NDA, MP said the EC, for “confi- AAP leader and Delhi due to rising unemployment, to the parties on Tuesday that Earlier, the Supreme Court motives in raising doubts about ing any decision in this regard and warned that “blood may dence building”, should have Deputy Chief Minister Manish farm distress and slowdown in the old protocol would con- had rejected Opposition’s EVMs, Shah said they started is not possible without an all- spill on the streets”. accepted the request of 22 Sisodia tweeted if all the argu- the economy. tinue. The top officials of EC demand for at least 50 per cent protesting against EVMs only party consensus. Opposition to EVMs Opposition parties that “rep- ments of EC were accepted in Around 67 per cent of the also met on Wednesday and VVPAT verification saying it is after the sixth phase of polling Referring to the statements amounts to disrespecting peo- resent 75 per cent of the pop- past also, then no reform in elec- nearly 90 crore voters exercised decided to continue with “not inclined to interfere”. and intensified it after exit of some Opposition leaders ple’s mandate, Shah said. ulation”. “During our talks tion process was needed. $ % &'( " $ % & % $ sued by the BJP, which is try- ing to consolidate its numbers, just in case they require,” said !"#! political sources. A confident Rahul on his he 59,000 crore Rafale $ & part urged party leaders to be Tfighter jets deal, which has “alert in the next 24 hours” and been in the centre of a bitter “be fearless as exit polls are political slugfest between the fake”. “The next 24 hours are Congress and the NDA nfazed by the findings of important. Be alert and vigilant. Government, is back in the Uthe exit polls, the Don’t be afraid. You are fight- news after some unidentified Opposition is continuing with ing for the truth. Don’t be dis- persons made an attempt to its efforts to form a non-BJP heartened by what the fake exit break into the Paris office of front so as to form a polls are propagating. Have Indian Air Force (IAF) project Government in case the NDA faith in yourselves and the management team supervising not keep money or valuables, it multi-role combat aircraft in falls short of the halfway mark Congress. Your hard work will the Rafale project. Espionage is possible that this could be a fly-away condition. Dassault is even marginally. not go in vain, Jai Hindi,” angle is not ruled out. case of espionage to get hold of manufacturing the aircraft as While Congress chief Rahul tweeted. The incident took place on crucial data related to the per the Indian specifications. Rahul Gandhi and party gen- Priyanka too said in a mes- Sunday last and reports indi- Rafale deal. They also said the There are nearly 13 India spe- eral secretary Priyanka Gandhi sage to party workers that they cated that no hard disk or any incident occurred on the cific enhancements and the have asked party workers and should not fall for “rumours” other sensitive documents were Dassault Aviations premises. project management team is its Lok Sabha candidates not to Congress sources said support by if the Congress-led between secular and non-BJP intended to make them drop stolen. The local police regis- Rafale is a nuclear capable stationed in Paris to ensure the believe the “fake and manipu- Naveen Patnaik also received a United Progressive Alliance parties, Naidu has already held their guard ahead of the count- tered a case and is investigat- aircraft and an attempt to get implementation. lated” exit polls, NCP supremo call from Madhya Pradesh (UPA) has the numbers to several rounds of meetings ing of votes. ing about the motive, sources hold of technical specifica- As per the contract, the Sharad Pawar has established Chief Minister Kamal Nath.