Election Commission rules out rigging in recently held state assembly polls; EVMs are temper proof:ECI

Amid growing concerns --raised primarily by some losers in the recently held elections in five states in India –over the credibility of fair elections in the world largest democracy, Country’s Election body, The Election commission of India (ECI) has said snubbed those raising such doubts and said its EVMs ( Electronic Voting Machines) are technically sound and temper proof .

In an official statement, triggered apparently by cacophony over the EVMs efficacy and possibility of hacking, The ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not temper able and integrity of electoral process is preserved. Since 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 General Elections to State Legislative Assemblies and 3 General Elections to Lok Sabha held in 2004, 2009 & 2014. In 2009, in a case before Delhi High Court, all earlier allegations about EVM temper abilities were raised.

However, Delhi High Court satisfied with detailed reply of ECI why EVM cannot be rigged and about ECI efforts on developing VVPAT decided and disposed of the case in 2012 that VVPAT may be developed early in consultation with political parties. 

As explained above, the Commission has put in place an elaborate technical and administrative system of safeguards to ensure error-free functioning of EVMs in elections. The statement has said.

“The Commission is thus fully satisfied with the tamper proof functioning of the ECI-EVMs. It may be stated that such allegations and suspicions have not been raised for the first time. Even on earlier occasions, the Commission has offered opportunities more than once to those alleging the tamperability of EVM, no one has been able to demonstrate to the Commission that the EVM with ECI and used in the country's election process, can be manipulated or tampered with. The Commission does not find any merit in such allegations and reject all such allegations and suspicions raised by some political parties. ECI assures all citizens that EVM of ECI are temper proof and fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM. ECI will further enhance confidence of citizens in ECI's electoral process by deploying VVPAT in phase manner.”

Further, ECI did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties/candidates about alleged tempering of EVMs during recently held election process. At this stage, baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserves to be rejected. However, if any specific allegation with material facts is presented to ECI, the same will be looked into with all seriousness on administrative sides.

The statement said The Election Commission would like to underline that it always had a firm conviction and complete satisfaction that EVMs could not be tampered with. Its faith on the machine has never wavered through the conduct of elections in the last many years including the nationwide general elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

“To date, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated. What has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled "look-alike of ECI-EVMs" and not the actual ECI-EVM. However, the extraordinary measure of requiring demonstration in ECI HQ in 2009 was undertaken by the Election Commission in fulfilment of its responsibility not to allow even a small shade of doubt about any aspect of its operation and in order to set at rest any misgiving anywhere. Today, the Commission once again completely reaffirms its faith in the infallibility of the EVMs. These are fully tamper-proof, as ever.”

Informatively, Both BSP's Mayawati and Aam Adnmi Party leaders have raised serious doubts over fairness of recently held polls in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. While Mayawati raised suspicions over landslide victory of BJP- which bagged 325 seats out 403 seats - and AAP saw its crashing around it in Punjab where the new outfit was sure to clinch power given their own feedback from Assembly segments and voting patterns. BSP got only 18 seats in UP while AAP 22 seats including two to its partner.