EC rejects charges against EVMs, says they are 'fully tamperproof' 

Amid the raging row over alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs) following the results of  recent assembly elections in five states ~ with the BSP chief Mayawati and AAP's Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal levelling these allegations while questioning the credibility and reliability of EVMs ~ the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday rejected such allegations as "baseless, speculative and wild", asserting that its EVMs are "tamper proof" and that it is "fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVMs". 

In the wake of their crushing defeat in these assembly polls, including in states like UP and Punjab, Mayawati and Kejriwal have alleged that EVMs might have been manipulated there to benefit the ruling BJP camp and damage their prospects. Sections of the SP and Congress have also echoed such charges.

The ECI issued a lengthy, comprehensive statement to debunk all these allegations. "Today, the Commission once again completely reaffirms its faith in the infallibility of the EVMs. These are fully tamper-proof, as ever," the country's apex poll body stated.  

Noting that such allegations and concerns have been periodically raised before the ECI as well as various High Courts and even the Supreme Court, the Commission said they have always been dismissed.

"ECI unequivocally reiterate that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not temperable and integrity of electoral process is preserved," the Commission said, adding that since 2000 EVMs have been used in 107 state assemblies polls and 3 Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014. 

Detailing the "uniqueness" of its EVMs and its "technical, procedural and administrative" safeguards, the ECI said, "The Commission has put in place an elaborate technical and administrative system of safeguards to ensure error-free functioning of EVMs in elections," adding that "These safeguards are implemented by ECI transparently with the active and documented involvement of political parties, candidates and their representatives at every stage to build their confidence on efficacy and reliability of EVMs". 

The ECI's statement pointed out that the Commission had earlier repeatedly offered opportunities to those alleging the tamperability of EVM but to date "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".

Maintaining that its "faith" on EVMs has "never wavered" through the conduct of numerous elections, the ECI, however, said that it will "further enhance confidence of citizens in ECI's electoral process by deploying Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)" too in a phased manner. 

The ECI said it has proposed to implement VVPAT along with EVM at every polling station in the country in the next general elections in 2019. The Commission said it has asked the central government for Rs.3174 crore for this purpose. The Supreme Court has also permitted it to implement the VVPAT system in a phased manner. 

Since 2014, according to the ECI, the Commission has been "relentlessly pursuing with the government" for sanction and release of Rs.3174 crore for the requisite number of VVPATs so that they could be used throughout the country in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.