Wi-Fi service suspended near EVMs at Surat college

A Congress candidate from Kamrej had complained of possible hacking and tampering with the electronic voting machines kept on campus

The Wi-Fi service at a college here was suspended after the Congress candidate from the Kamrej Assembly seat complained of possible hacking and tampering with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), used in the recently held Gujarat Assembly polls, kept on its campus.

Paramilitary soldiers stand guard outside a gate leading to a strong room containing Electronic Voting Machines in Ahmedabad. Pic/AFP

Following a complaint by Congress nominee Ashok Jariwala, the Wi-Fi service was suspended on the campus of the Gandhi Engineering College, in the Athwa Lines locality. “We detected that a Wi-Fi network was available near the strong room (in the college), after which we asked the collector to take action,” Jariwala said.

He said they had made a similar complaint two days back, after which the collector had ordered the suspension of the Wi-Fi service on the campus. “But we found it active again today. We cannot take a chance as there is a possibility of hacking and tampering with the EVMs,” said Jariwala.

Surat Collector and District Election Officer Mahendra Patel ordered the college to suspend the Wi-Fi service on their campus. The complainant feared a possibility of tampering with the EVMs stored inside the strong room, using Wi-Fi, Patel said.

Patidar quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, had raised the issue of a possibility of EVM hacking. Hardik Patel yesterday said on Twitter that if a human body, made by god, could be tampered with, then why not an EVM, which is made by humans? “If ATMs can be hacked, why not an EVM!!! (sic),” he asked.

All eyes on Gujarat
Counting of votes will be held today for the Gujarat Assembly polls, considered a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state and a litmus test for new Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Counting of votes for Himachal
The fate of 337 candidates including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and predecessor Prem Kumar Dhumal will also be known today as counting of votes is taken up in Himachal Pradesh.

851
Number of candidates in the fray in Gujarat

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