Opposition rejects EC claim of no VVPAT mismatch in Maharashtra polls

The Election Commission (EC) has refuted allegations of discrepancies in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, asserting that there were no mismatches between the votes recorded on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the corresponding Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

In its official statement on Tuesday, the EC revealed that a comprehensive audit was conducted, tallying the VVPAT slips from 1,440 randomly selected polling stations across the state with the data from EVM control units. The exercise, which followed the standard procedures outlined by the commission, found no inconsistencies. The VVPAT slips were scrutinised in accordance with the Election Commission’s guidelines, with the audit conducted on November 23.

The verification process involved selecting five polling stations from each of Maharashtra's 288 assembly constituencies. The EC reiterated its commitment to transparency and adherence to procedural norms, emphasising that the process was carried out under the supervision of the concerned district election officers.

Despite these assurances, opposition parties remain sceptical and have questioned the validity of the EC's statement. The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, including key parties such as Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Indian National Congress, continues to allege irregularities in the election process.

Concerns have also been raised about the absence of a signed statement from the State Election Commissioner, with critics suggesting that this raises doubts about the credibility of the EC’s findings.