News Analysis India

Tag: EVM

  • Case registered after vehicle of BJP candidate carrying EVM attacked in Assam

    By ANI
    KARIMGANJ (Assam): Violence broke out in Karimganj district of Assam on Thursday night after a mob spotted a BJP candidate’s vehicle being used to take a polled EVM to the strong room, forcing the police to fire in the air to bring the situation under control.

    The vehicle of the polling party of Indira MV School in the Ratabari constituency broke down on their way to the strong room in Karimganj town, officials said on Friday morning.

    “They took a lift in a private vehicle. Incidentally, the vehicle was registered under the name of sitting BJP MLA from Patharkandi Krishnendu Paul. When it reached Nimal Bazar area, some public spotted it,” an official of the district administration said.

    Paul is also the BJP candidate from the seat this time.

    The mob, mostly consisting of AIUDF and Congress supporters, vandalised the vehicle, upon which the polling party ran away, leaving behind the EVMs, eyewitnesses said.

    “The Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police reached the spot immediately and they tried to pacify the mob. But the crowd did not listen, forcing the police to fire in the air to disperse them,” police sources said.

    The DC and the SP then brought the EVMs to Patharkandi police station at night, from where it was taken and deposited at the strong room in Karimganj town, they added.

    Ratabari and Patharkandi constituencies went for polls in the second phase on Thursday.

  • Serious re-evaluation of use of EVMs needs to be done by all parties: Priyanka

    Her remarks came over a video which surfaced on social media allegedly showing electronic voting machines (EVMs) in what was claimed to be the car of a BJP candidate in Assam.

  • Yechury flags  EVM, money power issues

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has written to the Election Commission, raising issues including functioning of EVMs along with VVPAT and the impact of electoral bonds and the role of money power in the conduct of free and fair elections. He said these concerns are serious and have arisen from the experience of “the 2019 Lok Sabha” elections.

    Referring to a detailed report by a civil society organisation named Citizens Commission on Elections (CCE), Yechury expressed concern about the EVM and VVPAT system. He stated that the Indian Constitution mandates and empowers the Election Commission of India with wide powers under Article 324. However, he added that the ECI’s response to the two issues raised since 2019 has been “far less than adequate”.

    “We feel it has become imperative to address a major vulnerability in the conduct of the elections. This arises from the introduction of VVPAT in 2013 as a response to address the doubts in the minds of voters as to whether their intended choice is indeed recorded in the counting process” he wrote.

    Yechury urged ECI to ensure that a voter’s choice exercised in the Ballot Unit goes into the Control Unit of the EVM, where it is recorded, and then routed to the VVPAT. He said “100% matching of VVPAT output with EVM recorded data” should be done for each booth.

  • Replace name and party symbol from EVMs with candidate details, says plea filed before SC

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court, seeking directions to the Election Commission to stop the practice of having party symbols on ballot and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and replace them with name, age, educational qualification and photo of candidates.

    The petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay came up for hearing before a bench headed by CJI SA Bobde, who  directed that a copy of the plea be served on Attorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

    He didn’t issue a formal notice. The petition argued that ballot and EVM, without party symbols, will help electors support intelligent, diligent and honest candidates.

    “List the matter after one week to enable the petitioner to serve a copy of this writ petition upon the learned Attorney General for India,” the bench said without issuing any formal notice on the PIL.

    During the brief hearing, the bench asked senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Upadhyay, that it wants to know what the objections are to the election symbol on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

    Singh said the petitioner wants these details on EVMs to ascertain how popular is the candidate and they have written the Election Commission but have not received any response.

    Singh further said that he has checked up in Brazil where one just gets numbers to contest and no symbols.

    The bench again asked Singh as to how does a poll symbol prejudice the electronic voting process in any way to which he replied that he would explain the basis on the next date of hearing.

    The plea filed by Upadhyay has sought directions to declare the use of party symbol on EVM illegal and violative of the Constitution.

    It said that the best solution to weed corruption and criminalisation in politics is to replace political party symbols on ballot and EVM with name, age, educational qualification and photograph of the candidates.

    The petition further said that ballot and EVM, without political party symbols, have many benefits as it will help electors to vote and support intelligent, diligent and honest candidates.

    ‘Ballot and EVMs, without political party symbol, will control dictatorship of political party bosses in ticket distribution and force them to give ticket to those who religiously work for people’s welfare,’ the plea has said.

    Referring to a study done by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-government organisation working in electoral reforms, the plea said that out of 539 MPs, 233 (43 per cent) have declared criminal cases against them.

    ‘Out of 542 winners analysed after 2014 election, 185 (34 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves and out of 543 winners analysed after 2009 Lok Sabha election, 162 (30 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves.

    ‘There is an increase of 44 per cent in the number of Lok Sabha MPs with declared criminal cases against themselves since 2009, and the root cause of this bizarre situation is the use of political party symbol on ballot paper and EVM,’ the plea said.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • EVM hacking allegations: EC warns of action against fake news

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Election Commission said it will take stern action against fake news. An FIR has been lodged against the news of EVM hacking attributed to former CEC TS Krishnamurthy circulated over internet.

    The news item dated December 21, 2017, said that former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Krishnamurthy had opined that a particular party won Assembly elections by hacking EVMs.

    In a statement, the Commission said that on its direction, the Delhi chief electoral officer has lodged an FIR under Section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the IPC, and Sections 128 (maintenance of secrecy of voting) and 134 (breach of official duty in connection with elections) of the Representation of the People Act.

    The poll panel said this was debunked by the former CEC himself, soon after it came to his knowledge in 2018.

    “Investigation has been initiated in this matter and stern action will be taken against the miscreants who have uploaded fake news to create wrong impressions about the election process,” it said.

    The poll panel said it had come its notice that “an old fake news” about EVM hacking was being circulated on some social media platforms.

    This news was again being circulated by some miscreants on social media. Krishnamurthy issued a statement again.

    “It has been brought to my notice that a fake news which appeared in a Hindi newspaper some time back is being re-circulated as if that I express doubts about the credibility of the EVMs, in the conduct of elections in India. This is utterly false and mischievous to circulate a wrong impression in the ensuing elections. I would like to reiterate that EVMs are most credible and I have no doubt about their reliability. EVMs are indeed our nation’s pride and there cannot be any doubt about its credibility,” the statement read.

    Refuting the news attributed to him, Krishnamurthy in a statement said, “It has been brought to my notice that a fake news which had appeared in a Hindi newspaper quite some time back is being activated and re-circulated as if that I express doubts about the credibility of the electronic voting machine in the conduct of elections in India.”

    “This is utterly false and mischievous to circulate a wrong impression in the ensuing elections. I would like to reiterate that the EVMs are most credible and I have no doubt about its efficacy and reliability,” the former CEC said.

    The EC has attached Krishnamurthy’s statement issued on Wednesday along with its release on Thursday.

    Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will begin on March 27.

  • Navjot Singh Sidhu questions use of EVMs in polls, seeks voting through ballot papers

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Congress MLA and former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday questioned the use of EVMs in the elections and said voting should be held through ballot papers. Speaking for the first time in the ongoing Budget session in the Assembly, Sidhu during the Zero Hour said countries like the USA have disapproved polling through electronic voting machines (EVMs).

    The Amritsar MLA said these countries had reasoned that any technology could be “manipulated” but not ballot papers. Sidhu spoke after Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains raised the issue in the House.

    Bains said that according to Article 328 of the Constitution, a state Assembly is empowered to decide whether it wants election through an EVM or ballot paper. Citing an example, Bains said the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker had asked the state government to bring a Bill for reintroducing ballot papers as a mode of conducting elections.

    To this, Speaker Rana KP Singh said he will get the matter examined. Backing Bains, Sidhu told the Speaker, “You do not allow elections through EVMs in Punjab, not even a single seat can be won by the central government.”

    “It is not an issue of political parties. It is an issue of democracy,” said Sidhu demanding a resolution over it. Former cricketer-turned-politician also slammed the Union government, accusing it of “politicisation of institutions”. “The institutions have been turned into puppets,” he alleged.

    Leader of Opposition and AAP legislator Harpal Singh Cheema also demanded a resolution, stating that the elections should not be held through EVMs.

  • Bihar Panchayat elections through EVMs despite Opposition protests

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Amid the growing momentum for the panchayat elections, the state government in Biharhas approved the fund and proposal to conduct the wards elections in 10 phases using EVMs. The elections are due to be held April-May and the induction of EVMs for the elections are being opposed by the non-NDA parties fearing manipulation of results.

    The principal opposition party in the state RJD vehemently opposed the use of EVMs in the local body elections terming them not foolproof in ensuring fair elections. However, the dates of the Panchayat elections have not been announced but the election commission has released the guidelines.

    Meanwhile, official sources said that the state government has already allotted a huge fund of Rs 122 for the purchase 90,000 EVM machines and conduct the panchayat elections in a fair and peaceful manner.

    Official sources added that more than 90,000 new EVM machines will be purchased from the reputed company for the Panchayat elections in which the NDA allies are planning to put up their party-associated candidates for various posts.

    Meanwhile, the BJP has asked the workers and leaders at district levels to start taking the works done by the NDA government to the people.

    According to the guidelines, voting will be held from 7 am to 5 pm.  At the same time, after the completion of the voting of all the stages, the counting of votes will be started from eight o’clock in the morning on the fixed date.  

    The Panchayat elections will be held for electing 8,387 elected panchayat heads, who are colloquially called here ‘Mukhiya”, members to 1,14,667 wards,1161 district board and others posts including the “surpanchas”( panchayat judicial heads)  and their associates. The elections will be conducted amid the tight security arrangements in 45,103 village-based polling booths through the EVMs. 

  • Have faith in EVM, no return of ballot papers in Maharashtra, says Ajit Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday expressed complete faith in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and asserted the state government does not want the use of ballot papers in polls.

    In the past, several non-BJP parties, including the Congress and the NCP, have raised doubts over the reliability of EVMs, claiming they are prone to manipulation.

    Interacting with the media here, Pawar, a senior NCP leader, said EVMs work fine, but they become target of criticism from losing sides in elections.

    Before resigning recently as Maharashtra Assembly speaker, Nana Patole, now state Congress president, had asked the legislature to frame a law to give voters the option of using ballot papers besides EVMs in local governing bodies and Assembly polls.

    Patole, as the speaker, had issued the instruction during a meeting held earlier this month after complaints about alleged EVM tampering in polls.

    When asked about Patole’s instruction, Pawar said, “Each individual can have a different view.

    They think that way and I have said what I feel (about the use of EVMs).

    ” Speaking about the government’s official stand on the issue, Pawar said the MVA dispensation, in which the Shiv Sena and the Congress are the other two constituents, “absolutely does not” want the use of ballot papers.

    The senior NCP leader noted the Congress formed governments in Rajasthan (in 2018) and Punjab (2017) even when EVMs were used in the Assembly polls held in the two states.

    “Everything is fine with people in any party if they get majority. But they start alleging that EVMs were managed if they get routed. EVMs are working fine. Work becomes paperless. What I can say, I have complete faith in EVMs,” Pawar said.

    Asked about media reports of a recent forensic study by a US-based firm which claimed that key evidence was “planted” on computer of an activist arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, Pawar said he does not have information about it.

    The deputy chief minister, however, said the stance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is that no innocent person should be troubled in any case.

    Action will be taken against the guilty, if any, as per the law and the Constitution, he said.

    The chief minister and key people in the government will take a decision on whether an SIT needs to be formed to probe into the allegation of evidence planting, Pawar said.

    The deputy chief minister trashed speculation about the BJP and the NCP getting closer after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Konkan region, a Shiv Sena stronghold, on Sunday.

    “There is absolutely no truth in it,” Pawar added.

    “it is a new information that has come to me from the media. We will check if something of that sort has happened. We will take decisions after doing so (examining the information),” Pawar said sarcastically.

    The NCP leader said no one should pay attention to such discussions.

  • Supreme Court​ refuses to entertain plea seeking to stop use of EVMs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the poll panel to stop using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections by asking that the high court should be approached first.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde was hearing the plea which said that voting through ballot papers was a more ‘reliable and transparent’ method for the electoral process.

    During the brief hearing, the court got irked when it was argued that the right to vote was a fundamental right and the continuous use of EVMs in polls by the Election Commission infringes this right.

    “From where you get this that voting right is a fundamental right,” the bench said and asked the lawyer to withdraw the PIL.

    “After some arguments, the petitioner prays for withdrawal of this petition with liberty to approach the appropriate High Court. Prayer is allowed. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn with the liberty aforesaid,” ordered the bench, which also comprised justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

    The plea filed by Kanyakumari-based advocate C R Jaya Sukin, had said that several developed countries like the US, Japan, Germany, and others have rejected EVMs during elections, and have chosen the ballot system of voting and this should indicate that EVMs are not satisfactory instruments to be used for the electoral process of a country.

    EVMs can be hacked.

    But the ballot system is extremely safe, it had said.

    “EVM hacking is a threat that has been given not only in India but in many other countries, which is why several of them have banned it. EVMs, like all other machines, are prone to errors and malfunctioning. No machine ever made anywhere in the world is infallible,” the lawyer had claimed.

  • SC dismisses PIL seeking use of ballot papers in assembly, LS polls

    The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking use of ballot papers instead of EVMs during upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not agree with the contention of NGO ‘Nyay Bhoomi’ that electronic voting machines are capable of being misused and they should not be used in the polls to ensure free and fair elections.

    “Every system and machine is capable to be used and misused. Doubts will be everywhere,” the bench said, while dismissing the PIL.