New Delhi: Leaders of several Opposition parties approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) on February 4 and sought redressal of the issue of alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

They urged the poll panel ensure that 50% of EVM results are matched and cross-checked with voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) before the declaration of results in the coming Lok Sabha elections. They told the ECI that people doubted the efficacy of EVMs and this issue needed to be redressed.

The Opposition delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and other members of the panel.

Opposition parties had sought moving back to the ballot paper system, but after the ECI made it clear that there is no possibility of going back to the old system, they changed their strategy and are now demanding matching of 50% EVMs with VVPATs.

The Opposition leaders earlier met in Parliament and discussed their strategy on the issue.

The delegation included Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel and Anand Sharma of the Congress, Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Majid Menon (NCP), Derek O’Brien (Trinamool Congress), Ramgopal Yadav (SP), Satish Chandra Misra (BSP), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mohammed Salim and T.K. Rangarajan (CPI-M), Manoj Jha (RJD), Sanjay Singh (AAP), D Raja (CPI), Danish Ali (JD-S), N.K. Premchandran (RSP), Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF) and K.G. Kenye (NPF).

On February 1, leaders of various parties met in the Constitution Club in New Delhi and discussed their future strategy on the EVM issue.