CPI (M) demands 50 percent VVPAT tally with EVMs

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday demanded that at least 50 per cent VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) be tallied with EVM count and announced that it will campaign across the country on the issue.

Since 2019, VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency (or segment in cases of Lok Sabha seats) are matched with the electronic voting machine (EVM) count for greater transparency.

"Given the widespread concerns over the functioning of the EVMs, the party will campaign across the country that there should be the following re-sequencing of the electronic units in the polling booths – voting units, control units and VVPAT.

"At least 50 per cent of VVPAT must be tallied with that recorded in the control unit," the CPI(M) said in a statement issued after a three-day meeting of its Central Committee in Thiruvananthapuram from January 28-30.

The CPI(M) also raised the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, (CAA) and alleged that the government has pushed the framing rules to the eve of elections to sharpen communal polarisation.

"Since December 2019, the Modi government has not framed the Rules under this Act. Now, on the eve of the general elections, it is pushing for its implementation with a view to further sharpen communal polarisation and hoping to reap electoral gains, particularly in Eastern India," they said.

The Central Committee also gave a call to all state units to "continue and intensify struggles against growing unemployment, price rise and assaults on people’s livelihood' by the policies of the Modi government.

It asked state units to hold a protest on February 8, coinciding with the planned protest by the LDF government of Kerala in Delhi against the Union government's policies and "attack on the federal structure".

They also expressed solidarity with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the joint platform of Central Trade Unions for countrywide protest actions on February 16, 2024.