INDIA bloc questioning EVM silenced; they tried to provoke violence between June 1 and 4: PM Modi
Tag: EVM
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LS Polls 2024 Phase 4: EVMs are checked thoroughly before sealing…’ M’rashtra Beed Additional Collector Arvind Latkar – The Economic Times Video
EVMs and VVPAT dispatched ahead of 4th phase of Lok Sabha Polls in Maharashtra’s Parali Vaijnath. Additional Collector of Beed district Arvind Latkar said, “We have a team of a total of 8 members. They are going to be dispatched today. EVMs are checked thoroughly before sealing. We are going to hold a mock polling before actual polling at the polling station.”
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Supreme Court Dismisses Return To Ballot Paper, Says `Have Not Forgotten` Pre-EVM Era
Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the petitioner may have forgotten what used to happen before EVM but the judges have not.
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INDIA bloc again seeks meeting with CEC over VVPATs
New Delhi: The Congress sent yet another letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, requesting for a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders with him to discuss their demands such as the voters’ self-checking voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips and their larger use in the Lok Sabha election.
The party also reminded the CEC that he has not given them time for a meeting despite several requests.
“On December 20, 2023, we again requested for an appointment with the ECI (Election Commission of India) to discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs based on a resolution passed at a meeting of leaders of INDIA parties held the previous day,” All India Congress Committee general Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in his December 30 letter on behalf of the Congress to the CEC. “We have been trying to meet with the ECI to hand over a copy of this resolution and have a discussion but have not been successful so far in doing so. I once again make a request for an opportunity for a 3-4 member team of the INDIA party leaders to meet with you and your colleagues and take a few minutes to put forward our point of view on VVPATs. Surely this is a perfectly reasonable and justifiable request.”Ramesh also reminded Kumar about the opposition submitting a memorandum to the ECI about concerns over electronic voting machines (EVMs) on August 9 and then making a series of requests on August 9, 10, 16, 18 and 23 for an opposition leaders’ meeting with ECI representatives. He said all that came in response was a “generic clarification” on August 23, in which the ECI told the opposition to refer to the standard FAQs on EVMs available on the ECI website.
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Presidential polls: Electoral fate of Murmu, Sinha to be stored in ballot boxes, not EVMs
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Ever wondered why electronic voting machines, used in four Lok Sabha elections and 127 assembly polls since 2004, are not deployed in polls to elect the President and Vice President of India, members of Rajya Sabha, and members of state legislative councils? The EVMs are based on a technology where they work as aggregators of votes in direct elections such as the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Voters press the button against the name of the candidate of their choice and the one who bags the maximum number of votes is declared elected.
But the election of the President is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
In accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, every elector can mark as many preferences, as there are candidates contesting the election.
These preferences for the candidates are to be marked by the elector, by placing the figures 1,2,3, 4, 5 and so on, against the names of the candidates, in the order of preference, in the space provided in column 2 of the ballot paper.
In Monday’s election Droupadi Murmu of the NDA and Yashwant Sinha, backed by the opposition are the two candidates.
The EVMs, officials explained, are not designed to register this system of voting.
The EVM is an aggregator of votes and under the system of proportional representation, the machine will have to compute votes based on preference and it requires an altogether different technology.
In other words, a different type of EVM would be needed.
According to the August, 2021 issue of ‘My Vote Matters’, a quarterly magazine of the Election Commission, since 2004, EVMs have been used in four Lok Sabha and 127 assembly elections.
According to the EC website, first conceived in 1977 in the Election Commission, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL), Hyderabad was assigned the task to design and develop EVMs.
In 1979 a prototype was developed, which was demonstrated by the Election Commission before the representatives of political parties on August 6, 1980.
The Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL), Bengaluru, another public-sector undertaking, was co-opted along with ECIL to manufacture EVMs once a broad consensus was reached on its introduction.
The machines were first used in the assembly election in Kerala in May, 1982.
However, the absence of a specific law prescribing its use led to the Supreme Court striking down that election.
Subsequently, in 1989, Parliament amended the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to create a provision for the use of EVMs in elections.
A general consensus on its introduction could be reached only in 1998 and these were used in 25 legislative assembly constituencies spread across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
In the assembly elections held in May 2001 in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal, the EVMs were used in all the assembly constituencies.
Since then, for every state assembly election, the Commission has used the EVMs.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, more than 10 lakh EVMs were used in all 543 parliamentary constituencies of the country.
NEW DELHI: Ever wondered why electronic voting machines, used in four Lok Sabha elections and 127 assembly polls since 2004, are not deployed in polls to elect the President and Vice President of India, members of Rajya Sabha, and members of state legislative councils? The EVMs are based on a technology where they work as aggregators of votes in direct elections such as the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Voters press the button against the name of the candidate of their choice and the one who bags the maximum number of votes is declared elected.
But the election of the President is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
In accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, every elector can mark as many preferences, as there are candidates contesting the election.
These preferences for the candidates are to be marked by the elector, by placing the figures 1,2,3, 4, 5 and so on, against the names of the candidates, in the order of preference, in the space provided in column 2 of the ballot paper.
In Monday’s election Droupadi Murmu of the NDA and Yashwant Sinha, backed by the opposition are the two candidates.
The EVMs, officials explained, are not designed to register this system of voting.
The EVM is an aggregator of votes and under the system of proportional representation, the machine will have to compute votes based on preference and it requires an altogether different technology.
In other words, a different type of EVM would be needed.
According to the August, 2021 issue of ‘My Vote Matters’, a quarterly magazine of the Election Commission, since 2004, EVMs have been used in four Lok Sabha and 127 assembly elections.
According to the EC website, first conceived in 1977 in the Election Commission, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL), Hyderabad was assigned the task to design and develop EVMs.
In 1979 a prototype was developed, which was demonstrated by the Election Commission before the representatives of political parties on August 6, 1980.
The Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL), Bengaluru, another public-sector undertaking, was co-opted along with ECIL to manufacture EVMs once a broad consensus was reached on its introduction.
The machines were first used in the assembly election in Kerala in May, 1982.
However, the absence of a specific law prescribing its use led to the Supreme Court striking down that election.
Subsequently, in 1989, Parliament amended the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to create a provision for the use of EVMs in elections.
A general consensus on its introduction could be reached only in 1998 and these were used in 25 legislative assembly constituencies spread across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
In the assembly elections held in May 2001 in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal, the EVMs were used in all the assembly constituencies.
Since then, for every state assembly election, the Commission has used the EVMs.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, more than 10 lakh EVMs were used in all 543 parliamentary constituencies of the country.
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‘Will EC take cognisance of this?’ Harish Rawat claims video shows ballot tampering
By PTI
DEHRADUN: Congress general secretary Harish Rawat has posted a video on social media that purportedly shows one person at an Army centre ticking and signing several postal ballot papers.
Sharing the video on his Twitter handle and Facebook on Tuesday, Rawat said, “Sharing a short video for everyone’s information. It shows how one man at an army centre is ticking and signing several ballot papers. Will the Election Commission take cognisance of this?” When asked about the tweet, Rawat’s spokesman Surendra Kumar refused to disclose the source of the video but claimed that it is from Uttarakhand.
The party has not made a formal complaint to the Election Commission in this regard yet but it can take suo motu cognisance of it, he said.
The Congress leaders termed it as a “mockery of democracy” and urged the Election Commission to take cognisance of the video and act against the guilty.
The state Congress has retweeted Rawat’s tweet.
Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Pritam Singh said,”In this video that makes a mockery of democracy, a man at an army centre is seen ticking and signing several postal ballot papers in favour of the party of his choice.”
The Election Commission should take cognisance of it and act against the guilty, Singh said.
Reacting to the tweet, the BJP termed it the Congress’ frustration, saying the party is doing it as it can see its defeat in the recently held Assembly polls.
“The Congress is resorting to such tactics as it is aware that it has failed to mislead people. In the face of its imminent defeat the party which was talking earlier about manipulation of EVMs is now talking about ballot papers. It shows the party’s frustration,” Pradesh BJP media incharge Manveer Singh Chauhan said.
The Army should be kept away from politics and the Congress should avoid levelling such allegations without testing their authenticity, Chauhan said.
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Election Commission moves SC for fixing timeline for release of EVMs, VVPATs used in six states
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday sought an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court on its plea alleging that EVMs and VVPAT machines used in the assembly polls of six states are lying unused as they are preserved due to an order extending the limitation period for filing pleas, including election petitions, during the second wave of COVID-19.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana agreed to hear next week the EC’s plea after senior advocate Vikas Singh submitted a large number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machines (VVPATs) are still being preserved and need to be released.
He sought that a timeline be fixed for filing election petitions relating to assembly polls of Assam, Kerala, Delhi, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
“We have to maintain these EVMs and VVPAT machines and hearing is necessary as elections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab are coming up,” the senior lawyer said, adding that these machines would be needed for upcoming polls. “Alright, we will fix it next week,” said the bench which also comprised justices Surya Kant and AS Bopanna.
Taking note of the onset of the second COVID wave, the CJI-led bench, on April 27, 2021, had relaxed the statutory period for filing petitions, including the election petitions, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Consequently, anybody can still file a plea challenging the election of a returned candidate and as per procedure, the poll panel is required to preserve EVMs and VVPAT machines, having evidentiary value, to put forth its views in judicial proceedings.
“Resultantly, all the EVMs and VVPATs belonging to the Election Commission of India that were used in recently held Assembly Elections are blocked and cannot be used in future/upcoming elections,” the plea said.
“The poll panel is seeking appropriate directions from this court fixing a timeline for filing of Election Petitions in the States/Union Territories of Assam, Kerala, NCT of Delhi, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as in absence of the same, all EVMs used in these States/Union Territories are currently stuck or unable to be used/deployed for upcoming/future elections due to the Order dated 27.04.2021 passed by this court…,” it said.
As a result of the apex court’s order, the EC is unable to use a substantial number of EVMs. “The same is a cause for concern for the Election Commission as it is scheduled to conduct assembly elections in a few states next year. In this context it is pertinent to note that the term of Legislative Assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are coming to an end in 2022,” it said.
The panel gave the numbers of EVMs and VVPAT machines used in these assembly polls in six states.
It would be in the interests of justice that the plea of EC is allowed by fixing of the timeline for filing of the election petitions so that the EVMs and VVPAT machines in recent polls may be released on the basis of the status of filing of Election Petitions by that due date.
“It is trite to mention that the Election Commission releases for reuse only those EVMs which have been used in constituencies in respect of which no Election Petition/Writ Petition has been filed raising any EVM related issue,” it said.
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Delhi HC order dismissing plea to stop use of EVMs in elections challenged in Supreme Court
By PTI
NEW DELHI: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order which dismissed a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to stop the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) and revert to ballot papers in forthcoming polls in the country.
A division bench of the high court had on August 3 rejected the petition with a cost of Rs 10,000 saying it contained “baseless allegations”.
In his plea filed in the apex court on Thursday against the high court order, advocate CR Jaya Sukin has claimed that voting through ballot papers is a more reliable and transparent method for electoral process of any country. “Serious doubts about safety, accuracy, reliability, and verification of elections through electronic machines are raised throughout the world,” the plea said.
It said that some of the developed countries of the world do not rely on the technology of EVMs. In its order, the high court had said that from the arguments canvassed by the petitioner as well as the pleadings, it was evident that he has been unable to place any material on record detailing the working of the EVM or the alleged drawbacks.
“The petition has been filed merely on the basis of some news items without any further research on the issue. Nothing concrete has been pointed out to support the allegation that the EVMs can be manipulated,” the high court had noted.
However, it had granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the high court in case, after a thorough research, he is in a position to substantiate the allegations with necessary material and documents.
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Assam Congress alleges lapses in security of EVMs, strong room ahead of counting day
By PTI
GUWAHATI: The Congress’ Assam unit on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission alleging “serious discrepancies” regarding the safety of a strong room and electronic voting machines used in the recently held assembly poll and demanded an enquiry into the matter.In a letter to the Election Commission, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora claimed that the lack of safety of a strong room and EVMS were noticed in several assembly constituencies in Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh and Goalpara districts.
The tags/slips bearing the number of ballot unit, control unit and the VVPAT used in two polling stations under the Dhakuakhana seat in Lakhimpur district were found by Congress supporters outside the sealed strong room in which they were kept, Bora alleged in the letter.
At Moran, Lahowal, Dibrugarh and Chabua constituencies in Dibrugarh district, the identification numbers of the EVM, control unit, ballot unit and the VVPAT did not match with those given to the contesting candidates before the poll, the state Congress president claimed.
In another incident in Goalpara district, Bora claimed in the letter, three persons carrying electronic devices on Wednesday entered the inner parameter of the strong room as well as the control room of the closed circuit camera on the pretext of some repairing works in the CC unit without making entries in the logbook.
Congress candidates of these constituencies have already lodged complaints with their respective returning officers or district election officers over the alleged lapses.
The assembly election was held in Assam in three phases on March 27, April 1 and 6.
Counting will be held on May 2.
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Assam polls: Congress alleges ‘illegal’ use of EVMs, BJP calls it ‘language of defeat’
By ANI
KARIMGANJ: A war of words has erupted between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party after a video surfaced on social media purportedly showing an EVM being found in a BJP candidate’s car in Patharkandi constituency following the second round of polling in Assam.While Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded Election Commission to take action in the matter and asked all national political parties to have a “serious” re-evaluation on the use of electronic voting machines following the incident, party leader from Assam Sushmita Dev demanded immediate disqualification of the BJP candidate.
“This is a criminal act and we demand immediate disqualification of the candidate. This is clear that the BJP is losing in Assam that is why it is using illegal means to win the elections, which is unacceptable,” said Dev.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Trinamool Congress leaders also met EC in Kolkata and requested to address the EVM issue.
“We have requested EC to address EVM issue and violence by BJP workers. It’s EC’s responsibility to ensure fair polls. Despite their tactics, Mamata Banerjee will win in Nandigram, and TMC will win in the previous two phases,” said TMC leader Yashwant Sinha.
“Central Armed Police Forces, under instructions of the Home Minister, has acted in a complete departure from its duty to act impartially, by being a mute spectator to continual violence perpetrated by BJP, perpetrating violence and intimidating electors voting for TMC and inducing voters to vote for BJP,” he added.
However, BJP said the Congress is losing the elections in Assam and is using the incident to justify the defeat.
“This is a language of defeat. Whenever Congress thinks they are about to lose, they use this language. This is spoken from a position of weakness. As the election results will near, Congress will say that BJP has tempered EVMs in ways that on pushing the button with ‘hand’ symbol, the vote is going to ‘lotus’. The youth is literate, and they know what’s right,” said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
BJP MP Dilip Saikia also called the allegation of EVM tempering an “old habit” of Congress and said his party believes in the Election Commission.
“When Congress wins, the EVMs are fine. But when they lose, the EVMs are tampered with. It is their old habit. We believe in the EC. We have already touched the magic number in Phase 1, 2. Phase 3 will just be a bonus for us. BJP is winning at least 90 seats,” said Saikia.
The EC has issued a show-cause notice for violation of the transport protocol to the Presiding Officer and suspended him along with three other officials after the incident came to light in Assam.
EC also decided to do a re-poll at number 149- Indira MV School of LAC 1 Ratabari (SC) as an added precaution.