Lok Sabha Election 2024: New protocol of Election Commission issued on the orders of the Supreme Court, SLU will be kept in the strong room along with EVM for 45 days

The Election Commission has issued a new protocol for the operation and storage of Symbol Loading Units (SLUs) following directions from the Supreme Court which had ordered that the machines should be sealed and secured in a container and stored. should go. The court said that the symbol store unit should be kept safe for at least 45 days after the election results are declared.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Election Commission said all state Chief Electoral Officers have been directed to create the necessary infrastructure and provisions to implement the new protocol for the operation and storage of Symbol Loading Units (SLUs). "As ordered by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in VVPAT on or after May 1, 2024," the commission said.

The top court had last Friday issued directions to seal and store the symbol loading unit on the request of the candidates standing second and third in the election and also pave the way for verification of the micro-controllers fitted in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Was paved.

SLU uploads the name and symbol of the candidates contesting for a particular seat on the VVPAT or paper trail machines. Till now, EVM and VVPAT slips were stored for 45 days after the results. After the announcement of election results, people can file an election petition in the concerned High Court challenging the election within these 45 days. EVM and VVPAT slips can be called for by the court while hearing the petition.

Before the Supreme Court order, the SLU was handed over to the local election authorities by engineers of BEL or ECIL. A day after polling, the SLUs were returned to the engineers of the two public sector units that manufacture the ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT along with the SLUs.

A few years ago a feature was added that enabled candidates or their representatives to watch the symbol loading process on a TV monitor. This feature was added to increase transparency.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2024: The credibility of many ministers will be tested in the third phase of the election, and the fight will be interesting in Mainpuri.