Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16, 2017, assured all citizens that EVM of ECI are temper proof and it is fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM. ECI will further enhance confidence of citizens in ECI’s electoral process by deploying Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail ( VVPAT) in phase manner.
The ECI said it had not received any specific complaints or concrete material from political parties/candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process. At this stage, baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserves to be rejected, according to a PIB release. However, if any specific allegation with material facts is presented before the ECI, the same will be looked into with all seriousness on administrative sides, it said.
“The Election Commission would like to underline that it always had a firm conviction and complete satisfaction that EVMs could not be tampered with. Its faith on the machine has never wavered through the conduct of elections in the last many years including the nationwide general elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014. To date, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated. What has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled “look-alike of ECI-EVMs” and not the actual ECI-EVM. However, the extraordinary measure of requiring demonstration in ECI HQs in 2009 was undertaken by the Election Commission in fulfilment of its responsibility not to allow even a small shade of doubt about any aspect of its operation and in order to set at rest any misgiving anywhere. The Commission once again completely reaffirms its faith in the infallibility of the EVMs. These are fully tamper-proof, as ever,” it said in a press release
The Election Commission has observed that after declaration of results of the recently held General Elections to the State Legislative Assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, some political parties have raised voice against the credibility of the ECI-EVMs, alleging tampering of EVMs during the said elections. One representation was received from National General Secretary, BSP, without any specific allegation on March 11,2017