Oppn parties raise concerns over reports of alleged EVM tampering; Pranab also steps in

Barely two days before the Lok Sabha vote count amid projections of a return of the BJP-led NDA, Opposition parties Tuesday raised concerns over reports of alleged tampering of EVMs and asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting.

As protests erupted in Uttar Pradesh after videos of alleged movement and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) went viral on social media, a concerned former President Pranab Mukherjee also stepped in to say that the onus is on the EC to put all speculation around these machines to rest.

Reacting to the protests, the Congress said the EC should take immediate and effective steps to address the complaints of movement of EVMs from strongrooms in various parts of the country.

Dismissing as "frivolous" and "unfounded" the allegations of EVM tampering, the EC said the voting machines used for the seven-phase polls that began on April 11 and ended on May 19 are "absolutely safe" in strongrooms
Amid allegations and complaints that fresh EVMs were being switched with those used in elections ahead of counting of votes on Thursday, the Commission came out with a statement to "emphatically and unambiguously" clarify that all such reports and allegations are "absolutely false, and factually incorrect."