Electronic voting machine i.e. EVM dispute is not going to pause. Allegations of EVM tampering were levelled in assembly elections in five states and local bodies elections in Maharashtra held last month. Many questions were raised for EVM tempering. Now the junk's genie has come out of the bottle. The centre-point of the dispute is Bhind in Madhya Pradesh where slips with only lotus symbol were coming out during Voter Verified Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) in Ayas programme.
Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh Saleena Singh on Friday last, taking a stock of EVM before Ater by-election pushed two different buttons, a lotus print came out of the VVPAT. However, being summoned by the Election Commission, the State Election Commission denied but at the time of the demo, when asked by the reporters the Chief Electoral Officer lost her temper and even threatened them to be jailed. Give it Mayawati was the most pronounced over the BJP's surprise victory in Uttar Pradesh, who alleged of EVM tempering.
Meanwhile Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal is time and again alleging the same time and demanding that ballot papers be used for the elections for Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The Election Commission have once again dismissed the charges by the Aam Aadmi party. Dismissing the charges from AAP, the EC said that it's a wrong move to hold the EVM tempering responsible for the poor performance in the elections. The commission also said the EVM is not only fully reliable but no tempering is possible with it too. The commission is fully satisfied with the EVMs in terms of security. Meanwhile the commission also said that it has decided to by M-3 type EVMs. it is notable that new EVM has no possibility of being tempered. M-3 EVM has a self-diagnostic system for accuracy of the machine. It will come with its certification system. Only an accurate EVM can communicate with another EVMs. It must be manufactured by Energy PSUECIL or Defence PSUBEL. A machine manufactured by any other company may not communicate with other machines. As such the wrong machines will be disclosed.
It's good that these new modern machines will be available before the Loksabha 2019 elections but should the statement of the EC mean that the EVM machines being used at present may be tempered with? If the EC says that new machines will stop working in case of tempering, It means that the existing machines have chances of tempering? Fair and free election system is essential in any democratic system. it the foundation of the democracy upon which the building rests. Free and fair Election Commission has been constituted to maintain it and not for
working under any type of pressure. If the existing EVM machines have any chances of tempering, the commission should admit it. It should give the people levelling charges of tempering to prove them. In my opinion, the EC should avoid the political statements. It should not say that the party should review the causes of its defeat instead of levelling charges of EVM tempering. The case is in the Supreme Court. The Election Commission has to prove before the apex court that tempering is not possible with the existing EVMs.
* Anil Narendra
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