National Desk, 10th April: The Supreme Court dismissed a plea advocating for the implementation of breathalyser tests for voters waiting in queues at polling booths during elections. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, upheld the decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had earlier rejected the petition. The bench criticized the plea, stating it seemed more like a publicity stunt than a genuine legal concern.
Representatives of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Janavahini Party argued that voters should not be allowed to cast their votes under the influence of alcohol, especially during the enforcement of the model code of conduct. However, the Supreme Court bench dismissed the plea, citing the presence of police personnel and the implementation of dry days on polling days as sufficient measures to prevent intoxicated voting.
Initially, the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Janavahini Party approached the high court with their plea, which was turned down on February 28. The high court ruling stated that the petitioner failed to cite any specific legal provision obligating the Election Commission of India to conduct breathalyser tests on voters before allowing them to cast their votes.
The political party has contested the Election Commission’s inaction regarding their representation dated January 6, requesting the arrangement of breathalyser tests at the entry points of polling booth queues. They sought a directive to the poll panel to ensure that only sober voters are permitted to exercise their voting rights.