'Machines not the problem, it's electoral machinery': Tharoor on EVMs issue

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor defended EVMs after Maharashtra Assembly elections, but raised concerns about the integrity of the 'electoral process' in the country

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor diverged from his party’s official stance on the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) following the party’s disappointing performance in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

 

Tharoor defended the reliability of EVMs in a social media post. However, he also pointed out concerns about potential manipulation within the electoral system. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “This is the most serious issue to emerge from the Maharashtra elections. I have never joined those who alleged that EVMs could be tampered with; I believe they are a vast improvement on paper ballots and that’s why they were brought in to our elections.”

 

 

This is the most serious issue to emerge from the Maharashtra elections. I have never joined those who alleged that EVMs could be tampered with; I believe they are a vast improvement on paper ballots and that's why they were brought in to our elections. However, whether entire… https://t.co/KWXZY9gBwM

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 28, 2024

  Tharoor stressed that the issue wasn’t with the ‘machines’ themselves but with the ‘machinery’ of the electoral process. He further raised a concern about the possibility of entire EVM machines being added to the count, leading to inflated voter turnout figures. “However, whether entire EVM machines could be added to the count, dramatically inflating voter turnout figures, is another issue altogether,” he said.

Election Commission’s silence raises questions

The Congress leader said there is a need for transparency and accountability, urging the Election Commission (EC) to address the matter. “The charges made here raise serious and legitimate questions that @ECISVEEP MUST answer. Their silence on the subject is baffling and discredits the entire process that supports and legitimizes our democracy,” Tharoor said.

Tharoor clarifies his position on paper ballots

Although Tharoor raised concerns about the legitimacy of EVMs in the context of the Maharashtra elections, he said that reverting to paper ballots would not solve the issue. “Of course, paper ballots are still not the answer: if illegitimate EVMs could be added to the count, so could illegitimate ballot-boxes stuffed with false votes. It’s not the ‘machines’ that are the issue, but the ‘machinery’ of the electoral process,” he said.

 

The Congress MP said that the Election Commission has a constitutional responsibility to assure the public and restore faith in the process. “On that, the Election Commission has a constitutional duty to set the public’s minds at rest,” he said.

Kharge advocates for paper ballots

Tharoor’s view differs from that of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who has advocated for a return to paper ballots. Kharge criticised the current EVM system, suggesting that marginalised communities such as Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were being sidelined. “We don’t want EVMs. Let them stay in Modi’s or Amit Shah’s godowns in Ahmedabad. Just hold elections on paper ballots, and you will see where you stand,” Kharge said.

Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024

In the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a resounding victory with 235 out of the 288 Assembly seats, winning a two-thirds majority. In contrast, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance got only 48 seats.