Bypolls in 10 States: Amid 'EVM Rigging' Charge, Here's a Look at How Safe Are the Machines Used For Elections in India
The charges of EVM rigging was levelled by the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia, along with the Samajwadi Party and RLD in UP's Kairana.
New Delhi, May 28: The Opposition has submitted written complaints to the Election Commission alleging "EVM rigging" amid the ongoing by-election in 10 states. In Uttar Pradesh's Kairana, where the Lok Sabha bypoll is underway, the RLD candidate claimed "faulty EVMs" have been placed in over 175 polling booths. In Noorpur, where the assembly by-elections are being conducted, the Samajwadi Party claims malfunctioning EVMs were installed in around 140 polling booths. Meanwhile, voting in 35 polling booths in Maharashtra's Palghar has been suspended due to the technical snag developed by the machines.
Amid the 'EVM rigging' charge, here's a look at how safe are the machines used for elections in India
The EVM machines are stored in Strong Rooms under the watch of the Returning Officer, minimising the scope of rigging, the Election Commission argues The voting machines are allotted at various booths under a lottery method, which rules out the charge that the ruling party ensures the installation of manipulated EVMs at booths where the Opposition is strong.
Before being dispatched to the booths, the EVMs are paper sealed with a unique security code. The seal is broken and the EVM is installed only after every candidate or their authorised agent signs on the seal.
The data stored in the EVMs is encrypted, which prevents manipulation, the EC adds. The Commission further points out that India is the only country which uses EVMs which are not networked or connected to internet. In countries where instances of EVM rigging have been recorded, the elections were conducted using machines which were connected to the internet.
The Election Commission conducts mock poll at all polling booths, in presence of candidates' agents, to check if buttons are rigged.
Despite the security measures, the EC conducted an 'EVM hackathon' last year to rebuke the charges of manipulation levelled by the Opposition. The polling body invited representatives of political parties, who doubted the technical security of EVMs, to hack the machines and manipulate the results.
However, no political party turned up as the EC had refused to allow the replacement of motherboard. "We can easily prove how EVMs can be rigged if they allow us to replace the motherboard," AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj had said.
The then Chief Election Commissioner, Nasim Zaidi, however, refuted the charge, saying, "If you replace the motherboard, then it is a new machine altogether. The challenge is to rig or manipulate an EC-authorised electronic voting machine."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2018 01:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).