The Election Commission of India (ECI) has refuted claims made in a news report alleging malfunctioning electronic voting machines (EVMs) during a mock poll in Kerala's Kasaragod district. The denial came during a hearing before the Supreme Court, where the ECI labeled the news report as "totally false."
An ECI official, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas, informed a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta that thorough verification of the allegation had been conducted with the district collector, revealing no truth to the claims. Vyas assured the court that a detailed report addressing the issue would be submitted.
The controversy arose when advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms,' highlighted a news report during the hearing. The report suggested that four EVMs were recording an extra vote for the BJP during a mock poll in Kerala, sparking concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the electoral process.
In response, the ECI official explained the functioning of EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems, emphasizing that the manufacturer does not pre-determine button allocations for parties or machines for states. He further stated that there had been no instances of mismatch between EVMs and VVPAT slips.
The bench expressed the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the electoral process, highlighting the significance of VVPAT as an independent vote verification system. VVPAT allows voters to verify whether their votes were correctly cast, generating a paper slip that can be opened if disputes arise.
Currently, VVPAT slips from 5 randomly selected EVMs in each Assembly segment undergo verification, ensuring transparency and confidence in the electoral process.