A report by report by Mumbai-based Mid-Day newspaper (later taken down) on Ravindra Waikar's victory from Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha seat in the just concluded Parliamentary election has reignited the debate on the transparency of our electoral process and the soundness of our electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Post the publication of the report, a political slugfest had erupted in Maharashtra after a news report claimed that a relative of Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency, was found using a mobile phone ‘connected’ to the electronic voting machine (EVM) during the counting of votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on June 4.
Mid-Day newspaper has issued a clarification on Monday. In a clarification the Mid-Day said, "The report 'Waikar's kin had phone that unlocks EVM' (page 6, June 16) inadvertently erroneously mentioned that the accused person used his mobile phone to generate an OTP to unlock EVMs. The error is regretted".
These allegations have snowballed into a major political slugfest between the Opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party, even as a poll official claimed that an EVM was a standalone system with "robust administrative safeguards" to protect it from manipulation and that an OTP was not needed to unlock it.
The report was cited by many Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, alleging 'serious concerns' about 'transparency' in India's electoral process.
"EVMs in India are a "black box," and nobody is allowed to scrutinise them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability," Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X, citing the report.
How Ravindra Waikar victory from Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha seat has reignited the debate around EVMs
What is the controversy?
On Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders, citing a report by Mid-Day newspaper that alleged that a relative of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer-thin margin of 48 votes in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was found using a mobile phone “connected” to an EVM during the counting of votes on June 4 of the general elections.
How the news report raised questions about EVM's soundness
According to the news report, the phone was connected to the Electronic Voting Machine and used to generate an 'unlocking' OTP. The publication said that the police had found an "Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System for Service Voter which is also used after using EVM machines". It claimed that Gurav had used the mobile phone in question to generate an OTP. Allegedly Kirtikar had lost his lead once the votes on the ETPBS were counted.
Why EVMs were pitched as an alternative
The Electronic Voting Machine was pitched as an answer to a question of scale and security. The technology could simplify the electoral exercise that catered to a democracy of India’s size, and also eliminate voter tampering and manipulation. Over the decades, this solution has produced scepticism. Analysts and political leaders have questioned its transparency, reliability, and the value of a solution that seemingly reproduces similar problems.
Tesla CEO joins the EVM debate
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the EVMs or electronic voting machines “eliminated” as he believes they carry a risk of getting hacked by humans or artificial intelligence. Musk made the remark on Saturday, while reacting to a report of alleged voting irregularities due to the EVMs in the Puerto Rico elections. The Twitter CEO’s inputs on the much debated topic have also spread to the Indian political discourse, sparking a renewed focus on the issue.
Rajeev Chandrashekhar counters Elon Musk
Ex-Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar called it a 'sweeping generalisation' that lacked a factual basis, as Musk suggested EVMs can be hacked. Rajeev stated it might apply to US and other regions where standard computing platforms are used to build 'Internet-connected voting machines'. However, Chandrasekhar asserted that this is not the case in India, EVMs are custom-designed, secure, and isolated from any network or media.
Rahul Gandhi urges EC to ensure transparency
The Wayanad and Raebareli MP-designate urged the election Commission to ‘ensure transparency’ or abolish the use of electronic voting machines. The remarks came even as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction indicated plans to approach the Supreme Court over its defeat from Mumbai North West by a mere 48 votes.
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