EVMs absolutely robust and tamper-proof, says Election Commission

Against the backdrop of some leaders questioning the reliability of EVMs, the Election Commission (EC) asserted on Tuesday that the machines are "absolutely robust and tamper-free".

After the ruling NDA took a lead over the opposition Grand Alliance in the poll trends for Bihar on Tuesday, Congress leader Udit Raj raised questions on the reliability of EVMs, asking why the machines cannot be hacked if satellites can be controlled from the earth.

But another Congress leader, Karti Chidambaram, said the electronic voting machine (EVM) system is robust, accurate and dependable.

"This has always been my view. I stand by it. There have been doubters of the EVM from across political parties, particularly when the results don't go in their favour. Till now no one has demonstrated scientifically their claims. Whatever be the outcome of any election, it's time to stop blaming the EVM. In my experience, the EVM system is robust, accurate and dependable," he tweeted.

Responding to a question on doubts being raised by some politicians, Deputy Election Commissioner in-charge of EVMs Sudip Jain told reporters here that the machines are absolutely robust and tamper-proof.

"It has been clarified time and again that EVMs are absolutely robust and tamper-proof. Even the Supreme Court has upheld their integrity more than once," he said.

Jain recalled that in 2017, the commission had offered an "EVM challenge" to political parties.

"The integrity of EVMs is absolutely without any doubts and merits no other clarification," he said.

Udit Raj asked if Donald Trump could have lost in the US presidential polls had EVMs been used.

"If the direction of satellites to Mars and Moon can be controlled from the earth, then why can't EVM be hacked," he wrote on Twitter.

"If elections were held in America with EVMs, could Trump have lost," he asked.

Udit Raj is the Congress party's national spokesperson. He is a former BJP MP from Delhi.