New Kerala:
New Delhi: Tuesday, 25 February 2020.
The
Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks' time to the Election Commission of
India to file its reply on a batch of petitions seeking directions to publish
details of voter turnout and final vote count on its website once general and
assembly election results are declared.
A
bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde posted the matter after four weeks on
the pleas filed by TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra and Association of Democratic
Reforms (ADR).
The
apex court had, on December 9, 2019, sought a response from the poll panel.
Advocate
Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, told the court that RTI has shown that
VVPAT slips have been destroyed within four months even though it was to be
kept for one year according to the Representation of Peoples Act.
Bhushan
said that he will file an application seeking information about the VVPAT as
well.
Moitra,
in the plea, sought directions to the Election Commission to publish on its
website the constituency-wise information collated in Form 17C part I and II
and Form 20 for every subsequent Parliamentary and Assembly election.
Form
17C Part I is public disclosure and due reporting of account of votes recorded
while Part II is the result of counting and Form 20 is the final result sheet.
The
pleas sought directions to the poll panel to publish the details within a
period of 48 hours from the preparation of the Form and seven days from the
declaration of the result of the constituency.
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