Data Shared With Congress Over Mismatch In EVMs Is ‘Not Based On Facts’: Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh

Following former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s allegations regarding the discrepancy in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) numbers in his constituency, Rajnandgaon, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state took to ‘X’ to address the issue. The CEO clarified in a series of posts that the purported mismatch in EVM numbers shared with Baghel is unfounded.

According to the CEO, the EVMs utilized during the polls correspond exactly to the list of machines shared by the Returning Officer after randomization with the contesting candidates. Any changes in the list were attributed to mechanical or technical faults during the polling process, and this information was communicated to the candidates. Additionally, the CEO highlighted that polling agents had authenticated the paper seals used to seal the EVMs before the commencement of polling.

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Furthermore, during scrutiny the day after the polls, in the presence of independent Observers, no issues regarding this matter were raised by any of the contesting candidates. The CEO emphasized that all paper seals could be verified with their corresponding numbers mentioned in Form 17(C) during the actual counting process. Similarly, the unique numbers of Ballot, Control units, and VVPATs could also be cross-checked with the lists shared before and after the polls with the candidates. Thus, the CEO concluded that the allegation of changes in EVMs post-polling is unsubstantiated.

In response, Baghel reiterated his concerns, stating that according to the information provided in Form 17C after the voting in his constituency, the numbers of many machines had changed. He demanded answers from the Election Commission and expressed similar complaints from other Lok Sabha constituencies.

Baghel urged the Election Commission to clarify the circumstances under which the machines were changed and to assign responsibility for any potential impact on the election result. While acknowledging a lengthy list of changed numbers, Baghel called for transparency and accountability in the electoral process.