Synopsis
Maharashtra’s Chief Election Officer confirmed the accuracy of EVMs after counting 1445 VVPAT slips, finding no mismatches. This follows allegations of EVM malpractice by Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders and Sharad Pawar’s advocacy for paper ballots. Authorities are investigating and pursuing legal action against those spreading false tampering claims, including an individual residing abroad.
PTIThe Chief Election Officer of Maharashtra S Chockalingam on Tuesday said that the Election Commission of India (EC) had five VVPAT machines at each assembly segment to be counted and matched with the numbers in the EVM as per Supreme Court Orders.
The EC counted a total of 1,445 VVPAT slips on November 23, the day of counting, and there was no mismatch found in any of the VVPAT slips matching with their concerned EVM numbers, said the statement.
The mandatory counting of VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations in each assembly constituency was completed successfully, the ECI said in a statement. Opposition parties in the state had questioned the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition won a landslide victory in the November 20 elections. The counting of VVPAT slips aims to verify the tally of votes recorded EVMs against the corresponding VVPAT slips, the ECI said, adding that representatives of candidates were present throughout the process.
Special enclosures were established at each counting centre and entire process was recorded on CCTV, the footage of which has been preserved, it further said. The counting of VVPAT slips from five polling stations in every constituency is mandatory under the Commission’s guidelines. The counting process is considered incomplete and no winner can be declared until this verification is concluded, the poll body said.
On Sunday, NCP-SP’s Sharad Pawar said it was time for a change in the way the country votes as he advocated the need for paper ballots to be used in future elections.
On December 2, Chockalingam had warned of strict legal action against individuals spreading false claims or insinuations regarding tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
His statement comes amid ongoing allegations from Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders about EVM malpractices during the recent Maharashtra assembly elections.
Chockalingam had underlined that any attempts to sensationalise these matters will be dealt with severely as authorities intensify investigations into the issue.
Earlier, Maharashtra NCP-SP chief Jayant Patil raised concerns about the use of EVMs in the recent assembly elections, questioning the rise in voter turnout after 5 pm. He called for the return of ballot papers to restore public trust in the electoral process.
Notably, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback in the recently held Maharashtra elections, with Congress winning just 16 out of 288 assembly seats. Its alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), won 20 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured only 10 seats.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious with 132 seats, while its allies, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
