M A I N   N E W S

SC rejects Jaya’s plea on EVMs

New Delhi, April 23
Paving the way for use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the Assembly elections, the Supreme Court today dismissed a petition filed by the AIADMK supremo, Ms Jayalalitha, challenging the provision in the Representation of People’s Act, empowering the Election Commission to use such machines.

Terming Section 61(A) of the Act as “perfectly valid”, a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice B.N. Kirpal and Mr Justice Ruma Pal said the petitioner has failed to show any infirmity in the use of the EVMs in elections and added that it failed to understand why these machines should not be used for the ensuing Assembly poll.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court today dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction to restrain returning officers for the May 10 poll to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from accepting nomination papers of candidates who had been convicted. PTI