The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will consider a plea from an NGO next week, requesting the cross-verification of votes cast in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench led by Justices Sanjiv Khanna stated that the plea will be scheduled for hearing either on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. This decision came after advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, emphasized the urgency of the matter.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, also involved in the case, expressed concerns about the proximity of the upcoming elections, highlighting that failure to address the plea promptly could render it ineffective.

Justice Khanna, presiding over a special bench with Justice MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi, assured that the court is cognizant of the situation and committed to hearing the matter in the upcoming week.

"Mr. Bhushan, let's expedite proceedings. You can present your arguments within two hours, and we will conclude the matter. Agreed. Next week," remarked Justice Khanna.

Last year on July 17, the Supreme Court had requested a response from the Election Commission of India regarding a similar plea filed by the NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms' (ADR).

The petition by the NGO urges the court to direct both the Election Commission and the Central Government to ensure that voters can verify through VVPATs that their votes have been accurately recorded.

With the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls set to commence on April 19, the issue of ensuring transparency and accuracy in the electoral process remains paramount.

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