EC rejects AAP's demand to change motherboard in EVM hackathon

Virtually rejecting the AAP's demand to reconsider the terms of the EVM hackathon, the Election Commission of India on Thursday asked the party to submit "material evidence" to prove the basis of its allegations on EVM tampering.

While replying to the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) request to allow it to change the motherboard of the electronic voting machine (EVM) in the hackathon, the Commission said in a statement: "It is the considered view of the Commission that allowing any change of the motherboard or any internal circuit of the EVM is like saying that anyone should be permitted to manufacture a new machine and introduce newly made EVMs in ECI, which is implausible and irrational."

The AAP on Wednesday urged the Commission to "reconsider" the terms of the EVM challenge, saying it should not set any rules and regulations and allow it to be an open "hackathon".

The Commission stated that it seeks cooperation from the party in aiding continuous improvements towards strengthening of the electoral process.

"The Commission requests the party to submit any material evidence or credible proof to unravel the basis of allegations of EVM tampering," the EC said in a statement.

The Election Commission earlier this month announced it will hold a hacking challenge from June 3 to prove that its EVMs cannot be tampered with or hacked and came out with a framework of conditions under which this will be done.

The hackathon challenge follows allegations by the AAP and other opposition parties of EVMs being hacked during the assembly and the Delhi civic election to benefit the BJP.

--IANS

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