Concerns on electoral rolls, EVMs baseless

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday dismissed claims of tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs) as "baseless," stressing that the Supreme Court has repeatedly vouched for the reliability of these devices.

- Aditi Agrawal

NEW DELHI:

Addressing accusations of voter roll manipulation and EVM rigging, he emphasised that all changes to electoral rolls are carried out following due process, with political parties kept in the loop throughout.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the Delhi assembly election dates, Kumar addressed recurring concerns raised by political parties over issues such as voter roll additions and deletions, voter turnout discrepancies, and EVM reliability. He reassured the public about the robustness of India's electoral process and the measures in place to ensure its credibility.

"From the preparation of electoral rolls to the counting of votes, there are about 70 steps where political parties and candidates are involved," he said.

He urged political parties to refrain from making sweeping accusations and instead file specific complaints that could be investigated by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Kumar highlighted the scale of electoral operations in India, noting that there are approximately 1.05 million polling booths across the country, each staffed by four to five polling officials. "These officials are randomised in front of the candidates two-to-three days before they reach the booth and teams are formed," he said.

On electoral rolls