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AGP team leaves for Cherrapunji

By Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 26 � A three-member team of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) led by former Member of Parliament Arun Sarma left for Meghalaya (Cherrapunji) today to take part in the counting of the mock poll conducted by the Election Commission of India for the North East.

The team which also includes advocate Bijon Mahajan and EVM expert Diganta Gogoi, will assess the proposed polling procedure where the EVM machine will be supported by a paper ballot.

�The polling of the mock election of some select constituency of Cherrapunji was done yesterday. We along with other political parties of the North East have been asked to take part in the process and register our opinion,� former MP Sarma told this reporter.

The Election Commission of India had decided to hold such mock exercises to test the efficacy of the modified election voting machine after some political circles questioned the level of transparency in the use of the EVM. The proposed decision of attaching verifiable matter with the EVM was taken to make the voting and counting process fool-proof.

�Although, we are not totally convinced with the proposed use of the paper ballot to be attached with the EVM, we, however, want to get the first hand view to assess the level of transparency in the proposed system,� Sarma said.

As per the proposed system, when a voter presses the button for the candidate of his choice in the EVM, a paper containing the serial number and the name of the candidate will be printed and the voter can verify it.

�An EVM verifiable matter will come out in luminous form for the voter to see, with the symbol of the party against which the vote was cast. The piece of paper will then have to be deposited to a separate box for its use in case of recounting,� advocate Mahajan added.

The counting will start from 8 am tomorrow.

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