Supreme Court Rejects Plea for Breathalyser Tests at Polling Booths, Deeming it a Publicity Stunt

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea on Wednesday advocating for the implementation of breathalyser tests for voters waiting in queues at polling booths during elections, upholding the decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which had earlier rejected the petition.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta declined to intervene, remarking that the plea appeared to be more of a publicity stunt than a genuine legal concern. Representatives of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Janavahini Party had argued that voters should not be allowed to cast their votes under the influence of alcohol, especially during the period when the model code of conduct is enforced.

However, the Supreme Court bench emphasized the presence of police personnel and the implementation of dry days on polling days, indicating that adequate measures were already in place to prevent intoxicated voting.

The Janavahini Party had initially approached the high court with their plea, which was rejected on February 28. The high court ruled 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.

Despite contesting the Election Commission’s alleged inaction regarding their representation dated January 6, the political party’s plea was ultimately dismissed by both the high court and the Supreme Court.