2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election dates announced: EVMs can't be tampered with like pagers, says ECI

Pic/PTI

The Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held on November 20 and the counting will be held three days later, the Election Commission of India stated on Tuesday, October 15. The poll body also informed that Jharkhand will vote in two phases: November 13 and 20 and the verdict for the state assembly will be declared along with Maharashtra.

During the press briefing, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar also said that electronic voting machines (EVM) cannot be tampered with or hacked like pagers. "People have asked if pagers can explode, why can't EVMs be hacked. We want to clarify that pagers are connected [to an electronic device] while EVMs are not. The first-level checking of EVMs is done five-six months before the polls," Kumar said, adding that ECI has received 20 complaints about the machine and that the poll body will be responding on each of it "fact-by-fact".

"We are duty-bound to clear the doubt of every candidate in writing and we will be doing it soon," he stated.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rashid Alvi cited the example of Israel hacking pagers of militant outfit Hezbollah and claimed that EVM's could be manipulated.

"In Maharashtra, the opposition should put pressure to insist on voting by paper ballot and not EVMs. Otherwise, in Maharashtra, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government and EC can do anything. If Israel can kill people by using pagers and walkie-talkies, then where does EVM stand? The PM (Prime Minister) has very good relations with Israel. Israel is an expert in such things," Alvi said.

When asked about critics alleging irregularities in the polling process during the recently concluded Haryana Assembly polls, CEC said, "Kuch to log kahenge, logon ka kam hai kehna (people will say things, it is their job to say such things)".

"Election by election, the participation in the process is increasing, violence is reducing and there are record seizures. Voters are giving a clear indication that they have belief in the electoral process and they are very participative.... Other than that I can only say kuch to log kahenge, logon ka kam hai kehna," Kumar told the media.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)