Advocate Mehmood Pracha has brought forth a significant legal argument before the Supreme Court, advocating for the reinstatement of traditional paper ballots in all electoral processes across the nation. Pracha, who is currently vying for a seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate from the Rampur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, has articulated his stance through a plea filed as an interlocutory application in an ongoing case before the apex court.

In his plea, Pracha contends that the existing legal framework governing elections in India, comprising the Representation of the People Act of 1951 and the Conduct of Election Rules of 1961, unequivocally mandates the use of paper ballots alone. He asserts that the utilization of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) contravenes the established norms enshrined within these statutes.

Pracha emphasizes that the RP Act explicitly prescribes the employment of paper ballots and ballot boxes as the standard procedure for conducting elections. He argues that any deviation from this established practice should only be permissible under exceptional circumstances, with justifiable reasons duly outlined in specific orders by the Election Commission of India.

The crux of Pracha's argument lies in the fundamental differences between paper ballots and EVMs. He highlights that the provisions for counterfoils inherent in paper ballots serve as a crucial mechanism for safeguarding the integrity of the voting process, a safeguard which is absent in the case of EVMs.