As tampering charges zoom, demand for VVPAT checks peaks
Two days before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls, the Opposition revived the charges of EVM tampering and moved the Election Commission (EC) to press for their demand for tallying VVPATs with the electronic voting machine figures. They also said the counting be first concluded in the centres where doubts have emerged. The EC has rejected the charges.
Leaders of as many as 22 Opposition parties, including those from Congress, TMC, SP, BSP, TDP, RJD and Left, met the EC and demanded verification of VVPAT slips of randomly-selected polling stations before the counting of the votes polled in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. They also demanded that if any discrepancy is found during VVPAT verification, 100 per cent counting of the paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that particular Assembly segment should be done and compared with the electronic voting machine (EVM) results.
“We told the EC that the VVPAT machines should be counted first and if there is any discrepancy, then all of them in that segment should be counted. During elections, there were many EVMs which malfunctioned and in many cases, when votes for one political party were cast, it showed votes for some other party, specially the BJP. These things we have told the EC. We, in the last three-four years have been complaining about the EVMs in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and even in States,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said after meeting EC officials.
Azad’s party colleague Abhishek Singhvi said after several requests to the EC for months, the poll body has now agreed to meet us on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
“Even if the EC disagrees with us, it should consider that 75 per cent of the electorate represented by these 22 parties is before it. How does it matter if its changes the rules? It will be only a change in guideline or procedure. The EC has not decided for six weeks and now they are saying they will decide tomorrow,” Singhvi said.
Earlier in the day, several videos of the alleged movement of EVMs from one unauthorised storage house to another went viral. Videos showed some EVMs were reportedly stored at shops, others were seen stacked in the boot of private vehicles.
However, terming it as frivolous and unfounded, the EC rejected allegations of discrepancies in the handling of EVMs and VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Trail Machines) in some districts of Uttar Pradesh and maintained that all machines are safe and secure.
“After the close of polls, all polled EVMs and VVPATs are brought under security cover to the designated strongrooms, which is sealed with double locks in the presence of the candidates and in the presence of observers of the EC. The entire process of storage and sealing of the strongrooms is covered under videography. Continuous CCTV coverage is done till completion of counting. Each strongroom is guarded with round-the-clock security by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Further, the candidates or their designated agents remain present at the strongroom for 24X7 vigil at all times,” the EC said in a statement.
“On the counting day, the strongrooms are opened in the presence of the candidates/ agents and observers under videography,” said the Election Commission.
Before the counting of EVMs commences, the counting agents are shown the address tags, seals and serial number of the EVMs to satisfy themselves to the genuineness and authenticity of the machines used in the actual polls,” the EC said. “The visuals seen viral on media do not pertain to any EVMs used during the polls,” it added.
BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took a swipe at the Opposition, saying EVMs were fine when its leaders like Mamata Banerjee, N Chandrababu Naidu, Amarinder Singh and Arvind Kejriwal win elections and come to power but they turn unreliable when “it appears that Modi will come back to power”.
Earlier, in a meeting attended by Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Abhishek Singhvi of the Congress, TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu, Satish Chandra Mishra of the BSP, Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M), D Raja of the CPI, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Derek O’Brien of the TMC, Ramgopal Yadav of the SP, Kanimozhi of the DMK, Manoj Jha (RJD), Majeed Memon (NCP) and Devinder Rana (NC) among others discussed the VVPAT issue along with larger strategy of formation of a non-BJP Government at the Centre. The leaders then approached the EC to raise the issue of VVPAT.
“We are asking the EC to respect the mandate of the people. It cannot be manipulated. If there is a blood test and it shows some discrepancy, then the whole body should be scanned. Similarly, we demand that if discrepancy shows up in one VVPAT, then all of them in that Assembly segment should be counted,” Naidu said addressing the media along with the other leaders.
BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra alleged that “there is large-scale bungling relating to EVMs in Uttar Pradesh. We demand deployment of Central forces”. The Opposition parties also raised concerns over the transportation of EVMs ahead of counting of votes and urged the EC to probe the issue.