EC rejects Opp’s ballot demand for fear of rigging

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday sought to allay the apprehension of major Opposition parties over the conduct of polls through electronic voting machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) saying that returning to ballot paper could lead to revival of the menace of booth capturing.

The EC said there will be “satisfactory solution” to the issues raised in the  all-party meeting on Monday. Several  major parties demanded reverting to paper ballots while there were mixed views on simultaneous polls.

“The EC will take all the suggestions, examine and whatever needs to be done to improve the delivery of elections will be done. Some political parties have said there are problems with EVMs and VVPAT. These things have been noted down by the Commission,” Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said after meeting representatives of all political parties.

In the meeting, Opposition leaders demanded a return to paper ballots for the upcoming general elections expressing doubts about the authenticity of EVMs and technical glitches in the VVPAT system.

However, in a fresh appeal to the EC, the Congress has again requested the poll body to bring back ballot papers for the 2019 general elections. “The EC had earlier sent a questionnaire which didn’t include any question on the EVMs. But 70 per cent of the Opposition parties that attended the meeting today told the EC to return to physical ballot. That’s our primary demand and we are restarting it,” Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said. 

The Congress suggested to the EC that comprehensive reversal to EVMs wasn’t possible, the EC should mandate matching of EVM results with paper trails in at least 30 per cent of the machine. This will give a broad pattern on a given constituency because trends are mostly similar, argued Congress. Among Opposition parties that attacked the EVMs were NCP, SP, BSP, AAP, RJD, JDS, Sections of the Left and RLD.

Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav said ballot paper system should be preferred if the EC could not dispel people’s “growing doubts” on the authenticity of EVM.

Representatives of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Admi Party, Janta dal (Secular), Rashtriya Janta Dal, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and sections of the Left and RLD were among those which raised these issues and many of them also suggested going back to the ballot paper.

The BJP supported the proposal of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together whereas some Opposition parties dubbed the idea as untenable at the all-party meeting convened by the EC.

Some parties also suggested that the number of constituencies where results of EVM and paper audit trail device are matched be increased to enhance the confidence of voters and parties in the reliability of the voting mode.   “Nothing final has been decided yet, but one way to allay fears is to increase the number of constituencies where EVM and paper trail machine results are matched,” a senior EC functionary said after the meeting.

Responding to repeated questions on EVMs, Rawat said the EC takes a comprehensive view.  “Some of the parties said going back to ballot is really bad as it will bring back booth capturing...We don’t want (that). At the same time, some parties said there are problems with EVMs, there are issues with VVPAT slip count so why not EC takes a call on this,” Rawat said. 

Asked about the stand of the EC on EVMs and whether it remains the “same” as it was in the past, the CEC dubbed it as a “hypothetical question”.