Cong's Prithviraj Chavan seeks 100 pc VVPAT verification; claims EC has something to hide
Pune, Dec 1: Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday batted for 100 per cent counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
Chavan alleged the Election Commission of India had something to hide though he did not elaborate.
The VVPAT is a vote verification mechanism that enables voters to see whether their votes have been recorded correctly by way of a slip that is briefly visible after the EVM button is pressed.
Chavan lost from Karad South to BJP's Atul Suresh Bhosale by a margin of 39355 votes in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, results of which were announced on November 23.
He was in the city to meet nonagenarian social activist Baba Adhav. who ended his protest on Saturday here against EVM "irregularities" and alleged money power in politics.
"I am here to extend support to Baba Adhav. The results of the assembly elections are unexpected. Six months back, we got success in Lok Sabha polls (with Maha Vikas Aghadi winning 30 out of 48 seats). There was nothing as such due to which results would be so different in the assembly polls. We (MVA) had expected a change in the state," Chavan told reporters.
"Many persons have demanded that polls be conducted through ballot papers. I demand that each and every VVPAT slip must be counted. We have scheduled a meeting with the Election Commission of India (on this issue following Maharashtra polls)," he added.
"I don't know what the ECI will discuss with us on this issue but I will demand to count every receipt. I think there's something the Election Commission wants to hide," he said.
"If democracy has to be saved, then there is a strong need for change. I would like to thank Baba Adhav for his protest," the former Union minister said.
Adhav had started his protest on Thursday at Pune's Phule Wada, the residence of iconic social reformer Jyotiba Phule.
In April this year, the Supreme Court had rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using electronic voting machines (EVMs) with VVPAT.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
