All 7 National, 49 State Parties Invited to Prove EVM Tampering

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the EC has no favourites and believes in complete transparency.

Election Commission officials demonstrating use of EVM. Image used for representational purposes. (Photo: PTI)

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said that its open challenge to prove manipulation of EVMs will be held from 3 June. All seven national and 49 state parties have been invited to the event.

EVM Challenge open to national and state parties which can nominate three authorised persons. They will need to confirm their interest by 5 pm on 26 May... ECI throws opens the challenge to all national and state political parties from 3 June onward.

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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi announced the schedule, venue and rules of the EVM challenge at a press conference.

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Referring to the accusations of EVM tampering made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) without naming the party, Zaidi said:

The Commission believes in total transparency and has nothing to hide from the stakeholders... It maintains equidistance from all parties and groups and has no favourites.

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Zaidi reiterated that the machines cannot be manipulated.

People who questioned the reliability of EVMs have not yet submitted any proof or credible material to support their claim.

Nasim Zaidi

To this, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal responded:

Zaidi also added that the “sophisticated technological features, one-time programmable chips, dynamic key codes, date and time stamping and advanced tracking technology” further ensure that the EVMs or their components cannot be physically tampered with.

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Every microchip has an identification number and the digital signature of our manufacturers. Any attempt to replace microchips is detectable. It also makes the machine inoperative.

“There is no possibility of manipulation during transportation or storage. It is equipped with double locks and is periodically checked,” asserted the CEC.

Refuting the claim of using machines made abroad, Zaidi said:

All our electronic machines are made in India. Our software code is written in-house and approved by leading technocrats with strict security and highest levels of integrity... The fusion of our software programme is conducted in-house.

EC Acting Under Political Pressure: AAP

Hours before the EC’s press conference, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the poll panel of working under political pressure, claiming that it was "delaying the EVM hackathon".

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the people have serious questions regarding EVM tampering which should be answered.

EC should conduct a hackathon where the experts from AAP can prove before the EC officials that EVMs can be hacked. I want to know under whose pressure the Election Commission is delaying its promise to conduct the EVM hackathon.

He said 18 political parties had met President Pranab Mukherjee and the EC and demanded the use of paper ballots instead of EVMs.

The poll panel had announced after an all-party meeting on 12 May that it will hold the challenge to let political parties prove their claim that the EVMs used in the February-March assembly elections were, or could be, tampered with.

(With inputs from news agencies.)