New Delhi sources stated that Chief Election Commission cited technical issues as the reason for not able to conduct the parallel polls. Chief election commissioner OP Rawat said "We don't have enough VVPATs to conduct simultaneous polls". Meanwhile it is estimated that 34 lakh ballot units, 26 lakh control units and 27 lakh VVPAT (voter-verifiable paper audit trail) machines would be needed, where the EC cannot place an order for additional machines without necessary legal framework.
Moreover this need required changes in the relevant laws, including amendments to the Constitution. Furthermore after the legal framework sanctions the simultaneous polls, the EC has to assess the additional requirement of EVMs and VVPAT units and present a budget to the government for procuring the additionally required machines and then have to place an order with the manufacturers.
Meanwhile with very little time for 2019 general
elections, the chances of simultaneous polls look bleak. Mainly for beginners,
Ballot and Control Units of the EVMs will be delivered by the two PSU
manufacturers Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India
Ltd (ECIL). Already, the VVPAT delivery is said to be behind the schedule.
