VVPAT not mandatory or feasible for local body polls: Maha SEC tells court

Nagpur, Nov. 19 -- The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court that using VVPAT machines is not mandatory or technically feasible for the upcoming local body polls.

It was responding to a petition by Congress leader Prafulla Gudadhe, who argued that VVPAT is essential for transparency and sought either its use or a back to ballot papers.

A bench led by Justice Anil Kilor questioned why VVPATs were not being used despite a Supreme Court ruling, to which the SEC said the ruling applies only to parliamentary and assembly elections, not local body polls.

Gudadhe in his plea said the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system was essential for a transparent election proces...