VoL Desk, September 09: In a press conference today, the Kargil unit of the National Conference and Congress party expressed concern regarding the absence of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) alongside the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the upcoming 5th LAHDC Kargil elections.

According to the election regulations, the Law Department of UT Ladakh introduced amendments to the LAHDC Election Rules on September 18, 2020, under SO 26. These amendments encompassed various changes to Section 29, involving both additions and removals, said Congress District President, Nasir Hussain Munshi.

Notably, this upcoming LAHDC Kargil election marks the first instance where EVMs will be utilized. According to the amendments made by the Election Commission, VVPATs are meant to accompany EVMs. VVPATs are small devices attached to the EVMs, allowing voters to verify their chosen candidate’s symbol for a duration of 7 seconds, assuring them that their vote has been recorded accurately.

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Additionally, VVPATs offer the advantage of cross-referencing the votes cast with the number of registered voters in the same constituency during the vote count.

In response to these concerns, the political parties held discussions with the District Magistrate, who emphasized that the amendments made under SO 26 did not explicitly mention VVPATs. Consequently, the election process must adhere to these rules.

It’s worth noting that the previous elections in Temisgang, Leh, were also conducted without the use of VVPATs, said Nasir Munshi, quoting DM Kargil. However, the District Magistrate has assured that he will raise this issue with the UT Administration.

Furthermore, he has pledged to conduct the upcoming elections transparently and impartially, addressing any concerns or grievances to ensure free and fair elections for all.

Besides Nasir Munshi, NC District President Haji Hanifa Jan, Councillor Suru Agha Syed Abass, Councillor Pashkum Kacho Mohd Feroz, among others were present at the press conference.