A fresh intervention application was moved in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India to restore the ballot paper system of voting.

The petitioner claimed that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are unreliable and can be manipulated easily.

The application has been filed by advocate Mahmood Pracha, who is also contesting the ensuing general elections from UP’s Rampur seat seeking intervention in the matter relating to "Arun Kumar Agrawal vs ECI" in which the apex court on April 1 had sought response from the Centre and the Election Commission on a PIL seeking complete count of VVPAT slips in elections as opposed to the current practice of verification of only five randomly selected EVMs through VVPAT paper slips.

Agrawal had sought a direction because of apprehensions about the potential misuse and possibility of the EVMs being manipulated. According to Pracha, the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951, and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, mandate that at every election where a poll is taken, the votes shall be given by ballot in such manner as may be prescribed.