ORDER

Writ Petition (C) No. 273/2019:

1. This writ petition has been filed seeking the following reliefs:

"A. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby quashing and setting aside Guideline No.16.6 of the Manual on Electronic Voting Machine and VVPAT as framed and issued by the Election Commission of India; and

B. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby directing that minimum of 50% randomized VVPAT paper slip verification of EVM shall be conducted in every General and Bye Election in each Assembly Segment of a Parliamentary Constituency, in case of Election to the House of the People; and in each Assembly Constituency, in case of an election to a State Legislative Assembly; and

C. Pass such other order or direction as it deems fit in the facts of the present case and in the interest of justice."

2. Guideline No. 16.6 of the Manual on Electronic Voting Machine and VVPAT in respect of which the first prayer has been made would require to be specifically noticed to appreciate the issues involved in the writ petition. We, therefore, deem it appropriate to extract Guideline No. 16.6, which reads as follo