The apex court on Thursday (August 23) sought a response from Election Commission of India and Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission on a plea filed by Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Sachin Pilot seeking random verification of VVPAT machines in ensuing assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.

The bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan posted the matter for next hearing to August 31.

“There are serious allegations with regard to the transportations of EVM’s and VVPAT’s form a different state. The election commission is not using any state machinery nor the central machinery for the transportation of the EVM’s. Private transporters are being used for the transportation of the EVM. It was proved in the past that they have no accountability for such machine nor for the safety of the same,” the plea said.

—India Legal Bureau