Elections 2019: Results may see one-day delay

Increase in the number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification in five constituencies could delay the counting by more than five to six hours, Election Commission officials said. Pic/PTI

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha elections results may be delayed a day due to increased number of VVPAT verifications, sources in the Election Commission said on Wednesday. "As per the previous plan, the results of the elections are scheduled to be declared on May 23. But the results may be delayed and the final results may be declared to May 24 due to increased number of VVPAT verifications," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Explaining the reason behind the delay, the EC official said that an increase in the number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification from one to five polling booths in each Assembly segment of a Parliamentary constituency, as directed by the apex court on April 8, could delay the counting by more than five-six hours and the final tally is likely to be clear on May 24. In a setback to the Opposition, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to increase the count for verification of VVPAT slips with EVMs in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

RaGa apologises to apex court

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tendered an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for wrongfully attributing his "chowkidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the apex court in the Rafale verdict. He also urged the top court to close the criminal contempt proceedings against him.

'Congress did not even spare my mother'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of hurling abuses at him from its "love dictionary" and said the party did not even spare his mother. "I stopped their corruption and challenged their dynasty because of which they wear masks of love and abuse me," he said, adding, he was called 'gandi naali ka keeda' (an insect), and "abused my mother too."

No one has copyright on saffron: Digvijay

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday said that no one has the copyright on saffron after the sadhus, who took out a roadshow here were seen holding saffron flags along with the Congress' flags. A group of sadhus extended their support to Singh led by Namdeo Das Tyagi alias Computer Baba.

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