CEC Rajiv Kumar dismisses EVM tampering allegations

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar

Courts have ruled on 42 occasions that EVMs are not hackable and allegations of tampering are totally baseless, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Tuesday, rejecting claims by opposition parties about the voting machines being compromised.

Announcing the schedule of the Delhi Assembly polls, the CEC advised the public against "jhooth ke gubbare" (spreading lies). "EVMs are commissioned only seven to eight days before polling day and candidates are kept informed through their agents at every step. Courts have ruled on 42 occasions that EVMs are not hackable... allegations of tampering with the machines are totally baseless,"

Kumar said addressing a press conference. The CEC reiterated that it is impossible to change voter turnout data and a misconceived narrative is being spread about an increase in voting after 5 pm. "Disclosure is our main pillar, detailed guidelines and datasets are available on our website," he said.

No discrepancy in VVPAT slips

The CEC underscored the integrity of India's electoral process, asserting that not a single discrepancy has been found in votes counted through electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. "Let me tell the nation today. After the Supreme Court mandated in 2019 that five VVPATs must be counted from each assembly constituency, over 67,000 VVPATs have been checked.

"This translates to more than 4.5 crore (VVPAT) slips being verified. And let me assure you that not even the difference of one vote has been found with the new machines since 2019," he said. The CEC also pointed out that any minor errors, such as technical glitches in some of the older machines or mock poll data not being cleared, are handled with precision.

Electoral roll manipulation

Kumar dismissed allegations of manipulation in the electoral roll, saying no deletion can occur without thorough documentation, field verification, and giving the concerned individual an opportunity to be heard. Kumar emphasised that the process for additions and deletions is transparent, rigorous, and immune to arbitrary changes.

"Every step of the electoral roll process is rooted in transparency and accountability. Deletion of names is not possible without adhering to strict protocols, and every party has the right to raise objections at various stages," the CEC said. Kumar also detailed the comprehensive process governing the maintenance of electoral rolls. For additions, names are included only after thorough foot-and-field verification by booth-level officers (BLOs), he said.

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