Disputing the allegations made by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh regarding Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the Election Commission of India (ECI) asserted its “full faith” in the use of EVMs in elections.
The response from the ECI comes after Jairam Ramesh penned a letter to the Election Commission, seeking an appointment to discuss the matter of VVPAT with the delegation of INDIA bloc leaders.
In its reply, the ECI emphasized that literature available in the public domain, including the latest updated FAQs, adequately addresses all reasonable and legitimate aspects of EVM usage. The Commission pointed out that rules governing VVPAT and paper slip handling were introduced by INC on August 14, 2013.
The ECI noted that it comprehensively addressed queries in response to earlier letters, dated August 9, 2023, and August 23, 2023, covering various aspects of EVMs. The recent letter dated December 30, 2023, was stated not to raise any new issues on EVM/VVPAT that had not been addressed previously.
The Election body stressed that the current EVMs used in Indian elections comply with the existing legal framework and jurisprudence developed over 40 years by the Constitutional Courts of India. It added that any issues beyond this framework are beyond the Commission’s singular domain.
The ECI highlighted the dismissal of petitions against EVM/VVPATs in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, emphasizing that the courts imposed costs on the petitioners for filing frivolous petitions. It also mentioned that various aspects related to VVPAT are sub judice in the Supreme Court.
The Commission reiterated that political parties and candidates are involved at every stage of handling EVMs, and based on the outcomes of elections, legal framework, jurisprudence, technical security, and administrative safeguards, it maintains full faith in the use of EVMs.
The letter from Jairam Ramesh on January 2 sought an appointment for a delegation of INDIA party leaders to discuss VVPAT-related concerns, emphasizing the need for a reasonable and legitimate discussion. The INDIA parties’ delegation had previously requested meetings to address EVM-related concerns, and the letter highlighted the lack of response from the ECI to their specific concerns.
In the resolution passed during the fourth meeting of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc on December 19, 2023, concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the suspension of MPs from Parliament were addressed.-