Evm Row

SC asks Election Commission response on pleas for EVM verification

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Election Commission of India's response on the pleas seeking verification of the burnt memory and symbol loading units in EVMs in compliance of its judgement. A special bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta asked the poll panel to refrain from erasing or reloading data during the verification process. The pleas sought a direction to the poll panel to check and verify burnt memory/micro-controllers and the symbol loading unit (SLU) of electronic voting machines (EVM). The bench asked the poll panel to file its response within 15 days and explain the procedure adopted and posted the matter in the week commencing March 3. Irked over suppression of the fact relating to a similar petition which was dismissed as withdrawn, the bench said it would not hear a fresh plea filed by former Haryana minister and five-time MLA Karan Singh Dalal seeking a policy for the verification of EVMs. The bench issued notices to the

Delhi HC rejects plea on use of EVMs in elections across constituencies

The court noted that the appellant had filed the petition requesting the Election Commission of India (ECI) to comply with the provisions of Section 61A of the Representation of the People Act

EVM verification plea should go before bench that gave verdict in April: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said the plea seeking a policy for verification of electronic voting machines should go before the same bench that delivered a verdict in April rejecting the demand for bringing back the old paper ballots. When the plea on EVMs came up for hearing, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale told petitioner's counsel senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, "Why don't this matter go before the same bench?" Sankaranarayanan informed the court about its April judgment on a batch of pleas over EVMs. "That is what I am saying. It (plea) should go before the same bench," Justice Nath reiterated. The bench further said, "To our understanding, the reliefs claimed by means of this petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India would require interpretation/modification/implementation of the directions issued by this court vide judgement dated April 26, 2024 ..." In its verdict on April 26, the apex court termed the suspicion of manipulation of the EVMs

INDIA bloc to approach Supreme Court over EVM issue: NCP (SCP) leader

He said that the INDIA alliance has faith in the apex court and hoped that it will give a decision in their favour

Police deployed after Maha villagers urge 're-election' with ballot papers

Heavy police security was deployed on Tuesday at a village in Maharashtra's Malshiras assembly segment after some locals cast doubt on the EVMs and insisted on conducting a "re-election" with ballot papers, officials said. The Malshiras sub-divisional magistrate on Monday imposed prohibitory orders, under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, from December 2 to 5 in the area to avoid any conflict or law and order situation due to the "repoll" plan of some locals, an official said. Residents of Markadwadi village under Malshiras segment in Solapur district have put up banners claiming a "repoll" will be held on December 3. The village comes under the Malshiras assembly constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar defeated BJP's Ram Satpute by 13,147 votes in the November 20 state polls, the results of which were declared on November 2. Though Jankar won the seat, Markadwadi residents claimed he polled less votes in their village against Satpute which was not

Ask your CMs, leaders to resign: BJP hits back at Cong over EVM allegations

The BJP on Saturday hit back at the Congress for questioning the electoral process, including EVM's integrity, saying its chief ministers and other elected representatives like Rahul Gandhi should first resign and announce that they will contest only after ballot papers are brought back. Such a stand will underscore their trust in the issues being raised by them, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters, adding that their allegations will otherwise be nothing but empty words. The Congress should move the courts over the issue too, he said, while stressing that the Supreme Court has quite a few times endorsed the transparency of the electoral process and the integrity of Electoral Voting Machines. Congress chief ministers, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should resign as they were elected through the same electoral process the opposition party is questioning, Bhatia said. It was ironic that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned EVMs on a day Priyanka Gandhi Va

SC, EC need to take drastic decision on EVM irregularities, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday joined the political slugfest over the electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the Supreme Court and the Election Commission need to take a drastic decision on the issue. AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that his party has been raising the incidents of irregularities related to the EVMs for long but were mocked by the BJP. Singh alleged that there were 80 Lok Sabha seats won by the BJP in the recent polls and claimed "if proper counting of votes on these seats happened, the current BJP government will collapse". These 80 seats are in Maharashtra, UP, Bihar and other states, he said. Citing the controversy related to EVM in North West Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, Singh said "The Supreme Court and the Election Commission should now take a strict decision over the EVM issue." A fresh political slugfest has erupted over EVM tampering claims with the Congress and other opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of the Shi

Explained: EVM 'hacking' row

Elon Musk sparks fresh debate on EVMs: How do e-voting machines work?

Reacting to alleged voting irregularities in Puerto Rico, Elon Musk's Saturday remark has fuelled Indian political debate on EVM

Rahul, Aaditya should apologise for remarks over EVMs: Sanjay Nirupam

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray should apologise for disseminating "false" information based on a news report on the EVMs. A political slugfest erupted on Sunday over EVM tampering claims with Gandhi, Thackeray and other opposition leaders citing a media report which alleged that a relative of Shiv Sena's Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat candidate Ravindra Waikar was found using a mobile phone "connected" to an EVM during the counting of votes on June 4. The media report said a relative of Waikar, who won from seat by just 48 votes, had used a mobile phone to "unlock" an electronic voting machine (EVM) when the votes were being counted. Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of the constituency, however, dismissed the report in 'mid-day' newspaper as "false news" and said a defamation notice has been issued to the publication. She asserted that the EVM is a standalone system, not programmable and has

Political uproar over EVM 'unlocking'; Elon Musk joins debate. Key points

After claims that a relative of a Shiv Sena candidate used a phone to 'unlock' an EVM during vote counting, the poll body denied the allegations. Elon Musk's tweet on EVM hacking sparked a debate

'Huge sweeping generalisation': BJP counters Elon Musk over EVM remark

The BJP on Sunday accused billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk of making a "huge sweeping generalisation" by calling for eliminating EVMs, saying his views may apply to the US but not to India. In a recent post on X, Musk had said, "We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high." Countering the Tesla CEO's criticism of EVMs, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. Elon Musk's view may apply to the US and other places - where they use regular compute platforms to build Internet connected Voting machines." "But Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure and isolated from any network or media - No connectivity, no bluetooth, wifi, Internet. ie there is no way in. Factory programmed controllers that cannot be reprogrammed," the former minister of state for information technology said on X. Chandrasekhar also

Mumbai poll official refutes news on mobile phone-EVM link, calls it false

A poll official on Sunday said an EVM was a standalone system that does not need an OTP to unlock it. Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was reacting to a report in Mid-day newspaper about a kin of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer thin margin of 48 votes, using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during vote counting on June 4. "The EVM is a standalone system and there is no need for an OTP to unlock it. We have issued notice to Mod-day newspaper under sections 499, 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news," Suryavanshi said in a press conference on Sunday. Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Waikar was booked on Wednesday for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced, a police official said on Saturday. The Vanrai police station official said the case was registered for Pandlikar's his

Probe 'terrible mismanagement' of Lok Sabha polls in Kerala: Congress to EC

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said the elections in Kerala were "grossly mismanaged", leading to considerable delays in numerous polling booths

Congress should apologise for questioning integrity of EVMs: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress should apologise to the country for doubting the integrity of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking at an election rally here, he also said Goa was a model of the BJP 'saturation approach' to the implementation of the central government's schemes, which was true secularism and means of doing social justice. Congress lied about EVMs and tried to instigate people, but the Supreme Court has held in its recent ruling that there was nothing wrong with EVMs, the prime minister said, adding that Congress should apologise to the country for its stand. "Goa is a model of the BJP's saturation approach (to welfare scheme) which has benefited farmers, the poor, fisherfolk, women. Modi lives to fulfill your dreams and aspirations," he said, The coastal state is the land of patriots and known for its magnificent temples and churches, Modi added. The 2024 elections are a fight between the NDA's ideology which seeks to fulfill .

SC rejects pleas seeking 100% verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips

The court also said that regressive measures to revert to paper ballots or any alternative to the EVMs that does not adequately safeguard the interests of Indian citizens have to be eschewed

Supreme Court rejects all pleas seeking 100% EVM-VVPAT verification

The top court was hearing petitions seeking a complete verification of VVPATs generated by EVMs during the elections

After EC's reply to SC queries, verdict on EVM-VVPAT case likely today

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court panned EVM criticism and the calls for a return to ballot papers, saying that efforts should not be made to undermine the electoral process

Can't control polls or pass directions on basis of suspicion, SC on EVM

The Supreme Court said on Wednesday it cannot "control the elections" or issue directions simply because doubts have been raised about the efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), as it reserved its judgement on a clutch of petitions claiming the polling devices can be tinkered with to manipulate the results. The court said it cannot change the thought process of those doubting the advantages of polling machines and advocating going back to ballot papers. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), after taking note of the answers to queries it had posed to the Election Commission. It sought answers from an official of the poll panel to five questions related to the functioning of EVMs including whether the microcontrollers fitted in them are reprogrammable. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas, who had

Poll body answers SC's queries, Court reserves judgement in EVM-VVPAT case

The Supreme Court said it is clear from the Election Commission of India's replies that the flash memory of the microcontrollers in EVMs cannot be reprogrammed