New Delhi:

What is the Standard Operating Procedure for Electronic Voting Machines after polls are over, the Supreme Court asked today in response to a petition that sought data from the machines not be deleted even after the counting of votes is over. For now, do not delete any data from EVM nor reload any data, said a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna.

The Election Commission has to provide information to the court about the process of burning EVM memory and microcontroller after elections

“This is not adversarial,” said the Chief Justice. “If the losing candidate wants clarification, the engineer can give clarification that there has been no tampering,” he added.

The top court was told that engineers of BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) had loaded dummy symbol and data in the EVMs and data of the original machine was cleared.

CJI Khanna questioned the poll body why the data was cleared and ordered that it ensure that EVM data is not deleted.

The court’s comments came while it was hearing a petition by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), Haryana, and a group of Congress leaders. The petitions sought that the court directs the Commission to formulate policy for checking original burnt memory/microcontroller of EVM components.

The petition has also demanded that the burnt memory and microcontroller of EVM be verified by  engineers to prove that EVM has not been tampered with.

The next hearing will be held on March 17.

The Congress has claimed that ally Omar Abdullah’s approach to issues concerning the opposition has changed since he became Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The dig followed the National Conference leader junking allegations about the manipulation of EVMs or Electronic Voting Machines – raised by the Congress and several opposition parties.

Manickam Tagore, a senior Congress parliamentarian, said the recent allegations about EVMs following the Maharashtra election results were made by the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Samajwadi Party.

“It’s the Samajwadi Party, NCP, and Shiv Sena UBT that have spoken against EVMs. Please check your facts, CM @OmarAbdullah. The Congress CWC resolution clearly addresses the ECI only. Why this approach to our partners after being CM?” asked Mr Tagore.

Read: “Can’t Say You Don’t Like EVMs Because…”: Ally Junks Congress’ Charge

Opposition allegations over the functioning of EVMs had re-emerged recently with veteran politician Sharad Pawar raising doubts over the outcome of the Maharashtra polls. Mr Pawar’s party – split by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who now heads the ‘original’ NCP – suffered its worst defeat in the recent polls.

None of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners could win even 10% of the total seats in the elections, which saw the opposition parties allege discrepancies in the voting method.

A resolution by the Congress Working Committee – also shared by Mr Tagore in response to Mr Abdullah – said the poor performance appeared to be a “clear case of targeted manipulation”. It also raised questions over the “partisan functioning” of the Election Commission.

Read: “No Mismatch”: Election Body On Opposition’s Maharashtra Vote Fraud Charge

Asked about the allegations, Omar Abdullah, whose party is part of the INDIA alliance, said that one must be “consistent” in questioning the machines that are used to hold elections across the country.

“When you get a hundred plus members of parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can’t then a few months later turn around and say… we don’t like these EVMs because now the election results aren’t going the way we would like them to,” Mr Abdullah said.

The NC leader said that political parties that do not trust the voting method should not contest polls.

Mr Abdullah’s party and the Congress had contested the October elections in Jammu and Kashmir together.

Claim: The video shows protests erupting against the use of EVMs in Maharashtra after the Assembly election results.
Fact: The claim is misleading. The video shows a protest against EVMs in Delhi in January 2024.

After a crushing defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has raised concerns about the manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Reports suggest that MVA leaders are preparing to launch a campaign calling for EVMs to be scrapped in favour of returning to the traditional ballot paper system. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has also stepped in, voicing concerns about the reliability of EVMs and stressing the importance of ensuring transparency in the electoral process.

Against this backdrop, a video of a large crowd raising slogans for the removal of EVMs has been circulating on social media. The accompanying claim suggests the video shows protests erupting against EVMs in Maharashtra after the State Assembly election results.

A user on X shared the video and wrote, “Protest against EVM started in Maharashtra, even the biggest parties of the country are saying that they don’t want EVM machines. Remove EVM and bring valid papers!” (Archive)

Another X user shared a screengrab from the video and wrote, “People are out on the streets against the Election Commission in many villages of Maharashtra over EVM.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the video shows a protest against EVMs in Delhi in January 2024.

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the video’s keyframes, we found it shared by X and Facebook users in February 2024. The posts were about a rising movement for a ban on EVMs which the ‘mainstream media was not covering.’ (Archive)

Taking this lead, we ran a keyword search and came across multiple X posts of January 31 stating that Bharat Mukti Morcha and other organisations had organised protests against EVMs at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The posts can be seen here, here and here.

In the viral video and in the videos posted on January 31 and February 1, we noticed identical visuals such as the board of the Janta Dal United (JDU) office.

Upon further investigation, we discovered that the JDU office in New Delhi is located at 7 Jantar Mantar Road. Additionally, we came across a report by Zee Bihar Jharkhand detailing the history of the JDU office at this location. The report featured the same boards at the entrance of the party office.

In a post on X dated January 31, NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar mentioned the protest organised by Bharat Mukti Morcha at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, advocating for a ban on EVMs and a return to ballot papers. He also shared images from the protest, which featured visuals similar to those in question.

Addressed the protest organized by Bharat Mukti Morcha at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

This protest was organised to ban EVM, bring ballot back, the National President of Bharat Mukti Morcha, Hon. Vaman Meshram ji was also present. pic.twitter.com/B65313XSdX

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 31, 2024

We also found reports by Amar Ujala and Dainik Bhaskar dated January 31. Both media outlets reported a protest at Jantar Mantar organised by several groups, including Bharat Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, and Bahujan Mukti Party against electronic voting machines (EVMs). Protesters from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Bihar gathered, holding banners that read, “Remove EVMs.”

Hence, we conclude the video showing a protest against the use of EVMs is from Delhi in January 2024, not Maharashtra. The claim is misleading.

Claim Review: The video shows protests erupting against the use of EVMs in Maharashtra after the Assembly election results.

Claimed By: X users

Claim Reviewed By: NewsMeter

Claim Source: X

Claim Fact Check: Misleading

Fact: The claim is misleading. The video shows a protest against EVMs in Delhi in January 2024.

(This story was originally published by Newsmeter, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)
 

Mumbai:

The Maha Vikas Aghadi – thumped last week in the Maharashtra election – is planning a national protest against the credibility of EVMs, or electronic voting machines, which it blames for its defeat.

The MVA – fronted by the Congress and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar – also plans to move the court to return to ballot papers.

Mr Thackeray and Mr Pawar met defeated MVA candidates Wednesday to form legal teams, at the state and national levels, to address the longstanding concern for opposition parties.

The MVA has loudly protested the result of the Maharashtra election that was won by the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions of the Sena and NCP.

The Mahayuti cruised to victory, winning 235 of 288 Assembly seats. The BJP won 132 – its best-ever score in a Maharashtra election – on its own and is expected to lead the next government.

The MVA won just 49 seats; the Thackeray Sena got 20, the Congress 16, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP group just 10 to record the veteran leader’s worst ever electoral performance.

Mr Pawar’s party had contested 86 seats, and he has urged his losing candidates to request an analysis of the VVPAT, or Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, to confirm the voting numbers. Senior NCP leaders, including grandnephew Rohit Pawar, have alleged fraud while vote-counting.

Like the NCP, the Congress is also furious over its low strike rate; the party contested 101 seats and won just 16. The Thackeray Sena, meanwhile, fielded 95 candidates but won just 20 seats.

The opposition bloc – which has protested against EVMs earlier too, including after a surprise defeat in the Haryana Assembly election last month – has been indignant since; Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded a return to ballot papers, like the United States.

Nana Patole, the ex-chief of the Congress’ state unit, Nana Patole, who quit after the results were announced, similarly denounced EVMs, insisting it is not being taken seriously.

These complaints come after the Supreme Court – which gave EVMs a thumbs-up in April, when the Lok Sabha election was being held – dismissed a petitioner’s plea to return to ballot papers.

The court pointed out faulty EVMs are not flagged when the opposition wins an election.

READ | “EVMs Not Tampered When You Win?” Court’s “No” To Paper Ballots

That reasoning has also been flagged by the BJP. Senior Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who is widely expected to be named the next Chief Minister, responded sharply to claims about rigged EVMs by pointing out the Congress had won the Jharkhand election.

“JMM (and Congress) won in Jharkhand….The election there was ‘fair’… but if we get a huge victory in Maharashtra, then the Election Commission is ‘biased’ and EVMs were ‘hacked’?”

READ | “Jharkhand Election Fair But If We…”: D Fadnavis On EVM Moans

The Congress has also been criticised, obliquely, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking before the Winter Session of Parliament. He slammed his rivals for being “rejected by the people 80-90 times” and, in a pre-emptive strike, accused them of already disrupting the House.

The row over EVMs rears its head after every major election, with the opposition accusing the BJP of engineering victories by hacking the machines. The BJP has steadily refuted the claims.

READ | In VVPAT Case, Court’s 2 Big Directions On EVMs, Symbol Units

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has hit back at the Congress

After the Haryana election results were questioned the EC criticised the party for making “baseless allegations… when faced with inconvenient electoral outcomes”, and warned it, and others, against “unfounded and sensational complaints” during an election and as votes are cast and counted.

After the Haryana election a furious Congress refused to accept the verdict – a record third consecutive term for the BJP, which won despite conceding a large early lead. The Congress insisted the EVMs had been hacked and questioned alleged delays in publishing voting data.

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Smarting from the crushing loss in Maharashtra, months after the Haryana debacle, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today protested against the use of voting machines or EVMs and suggested a return to ballot paper.

“We should all unite and move forward together and push them aside. I do not wish to speak about elections, but I would surely say the votes of all the poor and oppressed communities are going to waste. They should all demand voting by ballot paper,” the 82-year-old Congress chief said speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan’ function at Talkatora stadium in Delhi.

“Let them keep EVMs with them. We don’t want EVMs, we want voting on ballot paper. Then they will know what their position is and where they stand,” he said referring to the BJP.

The demand comes on the same day the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking to go back to ballot paper voting in elections in the country, saying allegations of tampering with voting machines is raked up only when people lose polls.

Mr Kharge also called for a campaign on the scale of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra for return to the ballot paper.

“From our party, we should start this campaign to make everyone aware that they should want ballot paper back. We will speak to other political parties also,” Mr Kharge said, urging Rahul Gandhi to launch a movement.

“We should start a campaign like Bharat Jodo Yatra to bring back the ballot paper,” he stressed.

Earlier today, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress chief Nana Patole refused to accept the Maharashtra Assembly election results, saying that the “EVM issue” is not being taken seriously.

The Congress managed to win just 16 seats in the Maharashtra polls, while the BJP scooped up 132 seats, emerging the single largest party and is set to form the government. 

“Whatever election results have come, they are not acceptable to anyone, not even to the people of Maharashtra,” Mr Patole told news agency ANI.

Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 57 seats while Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction secured 20 seats. Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s party managed to win only 10 seats while his nephew Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Parry won 41 seats. 

“So we have brainstormed on this issue and if you see social media in Maharashtra today, the public says that the government has not come with our votes, so the Congress party has always respected the sentiments of the public,” he told the news agency.

He said that no one is listening to the problems raised by the people of alleged mismatch of votes, leaving a mass movement to be the only option left for them.

“No one is listening on this (EVM issue), we also went to the Supreme Court, they said to prove it. Public sentiment says that we give our vote to X but it is being marked in the name of Y, so no one is listening to the problems. So it seems except a mass movement there is no other way,” he added.

In the Haryana state polls in October, which the Congress was widely expected to win, but did not, the party had alleged tampering of EVMs in some seats where machines with varying battery strength gave out different results.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had underlined that the voting machines are safe and robust, questioning if there is any example anywhere in the country where there is so much thrust on disclosure and participation.

The EVMs are not connected, hence they can’t be hacked into, the top poll officer had explained.

New Delhi:

Dismissing allegations of ‘varying EVM battery levels’, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said Electronic Voting Machines are totally “safe and robust,” and have batteries like a calculator, not like a mobile which will be charged everyday.

CEC Kumar explained that EVMs had three-layered security including the batteries and in each level signatures of political party representatives were taken to ensure transparency.

“People also ask, if pagers can be hacked then why can’t EVMs be hacked? Pagers are connected but EVMs are not,” he said during a press conference while announcing the poll dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections on Tuesday.

Notably, Israel had hacked pagers of terrorist outfit Hezbollah.

He explained that the batteries put in EVMs are single-use batteries, and the signatures of each political party’s representative are also taken on them.

“This is a single use battery… like a calculator, not like a mobile which will be charged everyday. One battery can be used for around five years,” the CEC said.

“When a machine is commissioned, the battery is put on that day, this is done five or six days before voting. .. even on the battery there are signatures of party representatives. We also do not know when we made this rule, but now it is useful to us,” he said.

CEC Kumar also explained that EVMs had three-layered security and signatures of political party representatives were taken to ensure transparency.

“When the EVMs are sealed, they will be double locked, there will be a three-layer security, where CAPF must be there, and observers will be there too. On the day of polling the whole process will be repeated and it is also videographed,” he added.

“This sort of system, with public disclosure, participation, please tell me where else is there such a robust system,” Mr Kumar added.

Congress delegation had raised 20 complaints to the ECI, which CEC Rajiv said will be replied to individually and will be posted for everyone to see too.

“We have gotten around 20 complaints regarding EVMs, we will address them individually, fact by fact. We will convey to each candidate our response, because it is our duty and tell it soon. We will also publish our responses for everyone,” CEC Rajiv Kumar added.

Notably, Congress had alleged that varying EVM battery levels across different polling stations in Haryana might have impacted the poll results on October 8 in which the BJP returned to power third time in a row, defying poll predictions. Congress claimed that on EVMs with 99 per cent charge Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won, whereas other machines which had 60 per cent charge Congress won.

Speaking to ANI on October 12, Congress leader Pawan Khera, also said, “We have sent a list of 20 seats to the Election Commission regarding which our candidates have submitted written and verbal complaints of 99 per cent battery charge. This is a strange coincidence that the machines which displayed 99 per cent battery charge were the ones on which Congress lost. The machines with 60-70 per cent battery charge are the ones on which Congress won. Why did this happen?”

The Congress in Haryana could not capitalise on the 10 years of anti-incumbency of the BJP government. The BJP won 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana assembly, while Congress managed to win 37 seats. Independents won 3 seats, and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured 2 seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

No one in India is talking about eliminating the Indian Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as these are undoubtedly tamper-proof; none can hack them or influence them using human or artificial intelligence. The current election gave a resounding thumbs-up to the faith 1.4 billion Indian citizens have in India’s EVMs.

Today, Mr Elon Musk has stated that “we should eliminate electronic voting machines”. Maybe he is talking only about the American democratic process and US Electronic Voting Machines, which may be unsafe and could be hacked.

His statement cannot apply to Indian EVMs. As per the last count, nearly 400 crore votes have been cast on EVMs in India, and not a single case of hacking has ever been proven. In fact, this massive sample size of 400 crores is the single largest scientific experiment ever undertaken in the world, with no proof of cheating.

The Election Commission of India says no incident of EVM tampering has ever been found, and Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said the EVMs just can’t be hacked. Even the Supreme Court has echoed the same.

An expert on EVMs, computer scientist Prof Rajat Moona, Director of IIT Gandhinagar, told NDTV, “India loves the tamper-proof domestically manufactured EVMs. The 2024 Festival of Democracy, where 642 million Indians voted digitally, shows that the unique EVMs are at the heart of free and fair voting in the world’s largest democracy, and no, they will not be eliminated from India anytime soon. 1.4 billion Indians trust the secure ecosystem that makes the swadeshi EVMs a clear winner.”

The world’s largest democracy started using EVMs in 1982, well before Mr Musk had even become a teenager; he was born in 1971. In this election, 5.5 million EVMs were deployed from the high Himalayas to the Great Nicobar Island, and the stunning results only made the Indian voter realise how reliable and robust the Indian election apparatus is, with the EVMs at the heart of the operation.

Problems due to “hanging chads” and networked EVMs made by the private sector being hacked are all stories that echo and emerge from US elections. None of this happened in the 2024 festival of democracy that India celebrated, choreographed by the very able and independent Election Commission of India.

Here are some of the reasons why Indian EVMs defy the logic Mr Musk propounds.

While pontificating and generalising about EVMs, Mr Musk says the “risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high”. Mr Musk, next time, please do not cancel your visit at the last moment; Indian election officials can easily show you how artificial intelligence and even human hacking of Indian EVMs is an impossibility.

Today, India uses the third generation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or the M3 EVM machines. They are tamper-proof, and if tampered with, they go into a ‘Safety Mode’ and become inoperable. Each is a standalone device almost akin to a basic calculator. Even the latest third-generation EVMs-the M3 machines that the ECI is using-are not connected to the internet and cannot connect to Bluetooth or WiFi, making them impenetrable through remote devices, a big bugbear for hackers as today most hacking is done via the internet in connected devices.

“Indian EVMs are different from other EVMs in the world. The M3 EVMs have no connection to any other device, not even mains power supply,” asserts Prof. Dinesh K. Sharma, a specialist in microelectronics and solid-state electronics at the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay. “An EVM is a dedicated system designed for voting and not a general-purpose computing device with a loaded program for electronic voting,” Professor Sharma said. “Each EVM is a unique electronic island in itself, and this makes them super secure.”

Prof Moona, a well-known expert in computer science and cybersecurity, smart cards, and cyber-physical security, told NDTV that “No tampering has ever been recorded in Indian EVMs. They are an exceptional and user-friendly technology made by Indians for Indian people to suit the unique needs of Indian democracy.”

Prof Moona adds, “India invented the zero and in 1982, India became the world’s first country to use that ‘zero’ in electronic voting machines since electronics is all about zeroes and ones. In 2024, 642 million votes were cast on tamper-proof third-generation EVMs. So there should be no doubt that India, which is the mother of democracy and today an advanced digitally empowered democracy, was a pioneer in using electronic voting machines and remains the fountainhead of innovation for secure electoral voting.”

Even today, just about 25 countries in the world use digital voting. According to the Election Commission of India, the countries using EVMs are the USA, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Namibia, Nepal, Bhutan, Armenia, and Bangladesh, to name a few.

Globally, there are several types of digital voting. There is fully electronic voting like India has, and then there are some countries only the counting is electronic. There are some countries like Estonia that have started using internet-based remote voting, and some have internet-based voting at designated polling stations. Some use optical scanners, both networked and non-networked machines.

In most countries, electronic voting devices are made by private companies, which are considered less cyber secure compared to the government-owned facilities of India that manufacture the EVMs. The world’s most advanced country, the USA, uses several different forms of electronic voting and has no country-wide standard.

Many foreign experts have often complained that India’s EVMs are antiquated and need to be modernised. Experts at the ECI say sometimes being obsolete gives electronic technology that level of extra security since if one has to hack EVMs, then 5.5 million individual EVMs will have to be hacked, which is a near impossibility, and subsequently, the randomisation provides that additional security.

In addition, India’s elections today are the most secure and advanced since the same departments that helped make India’s atom bombs make the Electronic Voting Machines.

“The beauty of India’s EVMs is that they are under-designed for a 21st-century electronic gadget, and hence this makes them tamper-proof and hacking-resistant,” explains Prof Moona, who assisted the ECI in designing the EVMs.

No one in India is asking for the elimination of EVMs; the mute machines gave a clean and eco-friendly election of the kind the world has never seen before.

Prof Moona says, “The USA can learn the art and science of conducting free, fair, and insurrection-free elections from India!”

(Pallava Bagla is the Science Editor of NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
 

New Delhi:

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Sunday that Elon Musk’s take on eliminating electronic voting machines (EVMs) from voting is a “huge sweeping generalisation” which holds no truth, inviting the Tesla CEO to come and learn some lessons in India.

Responding to the tech billionaire’s post on X, which alleged that electronic voting machines should be eliminated as the “risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high,” Mr Chandrasekhar said this is not the case at all.

READ | “We Should Eliminate EVMs”: Elon Musk Flags Risk Of Poll Rigging

“This is a huge sweeping generalisation statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong,” replied the former minister.

This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. @elonmusk ‘s view may apply to US n other places – where they use regular compute platforms to build Internet connected Voting machines.

But Indian EVMs are custom… https://t.co/GiaCqU1n7O

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@RajeevRC_X) June 16, 2024

According to Mr Chandrasekhar, Mr Musk’s view may apply to the US and other places where they use regular computing platforms to build “Internet-connected Voting machines.”

Mr Musk had reacted to Puerto Rico’s primary elections which allegedly experienced voting irregularities.

Mr Chandrasekhar further rejected Mr Musk’s statement, saying that Indian EVMs are custom-designed, secure and isolated from any network or media.

“No connectivity, no bluetooth, wifi, Internet; there is no way in. Factory-programmed controllers that cannot be reprogrammed,” informed the former minister.

“Electronic voting machines can be architected and built right as India has done. We would be happy to run a tutorial, Elon,” Mr Chandrasekhar added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk has advised against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), citing concerns about their potential vulnerabilities to hacking. His remarks come amidst growing debates over the security of EVMs worldwide, especially following allegations of irregularities in Puerto Rico’s recent primary elections.

“We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high,” Musk posted on X.

We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high. https://t.co/PHzJsoXpLh

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2024

The spotlight on EVM security has intensified due to recent controversies in Puerto Rico. The primary elections there were plagued by numerous irregularities linked to EVMs. However, a paper trail allowed election officials to identify and correct vote tallies.

Musk’s remark was in response to, Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of former US President John F Kennedy and an independent hopeful for the 2024 US Elections, who wrote, “Puerto Rico’s primary elections just experienced hundreds of voting irregularities related to electronic voting machines, according to the Associated Press. Luckily, there was a paper trail so the problem was identified and vote tallies corrected. What happens in jurisdictions where there is no paper trail?”

Kennedy Jr advocated for a return to paper ballots to prevent electronic interference in elections, ensuring that every vote is counted and elections remain secure.

While concerns over EVMs are gaining traction in the United States, the scenario in India presents a contrasting picture. India uses the third generation of EVMs, known as M3 EVMs, which are designed to be tamper-proof. These machines enter a ‘Safety Mode’ and become inoperable if any tampering attempts are detected.

A dedicated team of professors from three prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has been instrumental in the latest upgrades of Indian EVMs. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is supported by an eminent Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on EVMs, ensuring that the devices are robust and secure.

READ | Top Experts From IIT Who Helped Design India’s Most Tamper-Proof EVMs

Professor Dinesh K Sharma, a specialist in microelectronics and solid-state electronics from IIT Bombay, told NDTV, “Indian EVMs are different from other EVMs in the world. The M3 EVMs have no connection to any other device, not even mains power supply.”

The Supreme Court this year addressed the issue of cross-verification of votes cast on EVMs through paper slips generated by Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent cross-verification, maintaining the current practice of verifying five randomly selected EVMs per Assembly constituency.

READ | “Blindly Doubting System…”: Big Supreme Court Order On VVPAT Verification

However, the court issued two directives to the Election Commission. Firstly, after symbols are loaded into an EVM, the symbol loading unit must be sealed and secured in containers signed by the candidates and their representatives. Secondly, these sealed containers, along with the EVMs, should be kept in storerooms for at least 45 days after the declaration of results.

Hyderabad:

A video titled “Congress MLA breaks voting machine due to fear of an impending defeat” (translated from Malayalam) has gone viral on social media showing several men smashing an EVM (electronic voting machine) inside a polling booth in Andhra Pradesh.

The 32-second clip posted by an X user featured the logo of the mainstream Malayalam news channel Asianet News from May 22, 2024. (Archive)

The post was captioned “Footage of MLA breaking EVM at a polling booth in Andhra Pradesh.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The video shows YSRCP legislator P Ramakrishna Reddy vandalising an EVM in the Macharla constituency of the Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh.

A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes has revealed that several mainstream news portals as well as local news channels in Andhra Pradesh have also reported the incident. NDTV covered the incident under the title ‘On Camera, Andhra MLA Flings VVPAT To Ground In Polling Booth,’ where they reported that the Election Commission (ECI) stated that the MLA was captured vandalising EVMs in seven polling centres.

In the CCTV footage, Reddy is seen forcefully entering a polling station, seizing control of the voting device, and throwing it on the ground. A local Telugu news portal reported that the incident occurred on May 13 of this year during the polling for both Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

The same video featuring the Asianet’s logo is available on their YouTube channel with the title ‘After the footage went viral, the Election Commission announced an inquiry against the YSRCP MLA’.

While the Election Commission (EC) has instructed the Andhra Pradesh chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena to pursue criminal action against him, Reddy has reportedly gone into hiding since the video went viral. According to reports from The Indian Express, sources indicate that the MLA has crossed over into Telangana to evade police action.

Hence, the claim that a Congress MLA vandalised a voting machine is false.

(This story was originally published by NewsMeter, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)