The Election Commission of India has rejected allegations of EVM tampering and voter list manipulation ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized EVM reliability and transparency in voter list preparations, countering claims by various political parties. He assured adherence to due processes and public availability of relevant data.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has firmly dismissed allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering and voter list manipulation ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for February 5, with counting set for February 8.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, while announcing the poll dates, reaffirmed the integrity of EVMs and emphasized their reliability. He stated,
“EVMs are not hackable. Every claim of manipulation has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. This technology has consistently upheld the principles of free and fair elections.”
Addressing persistent concerns, Mr. Kumar highlighted that EVMs have passed judicial scrutiny 42 times, earning the trust of India’s courts repeatedly. He described allegations of tampering as “baseless” and underscored the technological advancements that make EVMs tamper-proof.
“These machines represent years of technological evolution and are a matter of national pride,”
Mr. Kumar said, stressing that the Election Commission prioritizes transparency and accountability in all electoral processes.
The controversy extends beyond EVMs, with allegations of voter list tampering taking center stage. Political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, have raised concerns over wrongful deletions and additions to electoral rolls.
Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader and former Chief Minister, has alleged a “massive operation” by the BJP to remove over 11,000 names from the voter list in Shahdara. He also claimed a similar “Operation Lotus” was being carried out in his constituency, New Delhi.
The BJP has strongly denied these allegations, accusing AAP of inflating voter rolls by adding fake names to gain an advantage.
Mr. Kumar categorically refuted these claims, reiterating that the preparation of voter lists follows a transparent process.
“The preparation of electoral rolls is a transparent process involving political parties at every stage. These allegations are baseless,”
he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner also emphasized the ECI’s commitment to due process in any changes to voter lists.
“All deletions and additions are done following the due process of law. There is no room for manipulation,”
he added.
Mr. Kumar stressed that detailed guidelines and datasets are publicly available on the ECI website, ensuring full disclosure. Political parties are provided ample opportunities to raise objections at every stage of the process.
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