Petition in SC seeks probe in LS election results

The Associationfor Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Common Cause submitted a petition in theSupreme Court on Wednesday seeking a direction to the Election Commission (EC) toinitiate an investigation regarding discrepancies in the 2019 Lok Sabhaelection results.

It may be mentioned here that the BJP-led NDA government had returned to a thumping majority in the elections. The petitioner sought a direction to the EC to conduct an actual and accurate reconciliation of data prior to the declaration of any election result.

However, the petition submitted that they are not challenging the final result of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. According to reports, the petition was filed to ensure that the democratic process is not subverted by electoral irregularities.

"Theissues and irregularities that arose in the conduct of the election are beingcited as arguments for seeking the prayers sought in the petition foreffectuating free and fair elections, the survival of democracy and for theenforcement of fundamental rights," the petition stated.

Earlier,former IAS officer Kannan Gopinath had written a letter to the Chief ElectionCommissioner regarding serious loopholes and vulnerabilities in the use ofVVPAT machines which made EVMs susceptible to potential hacking. The petitioncited the said letter.