The INDIA Bloc plans to approach the Supreme Court over alleged EVM manipulation, sources revealed. Opposition parties, including Sharad Pawar’s, have faced significant losses in Maharashtra, heightening concerns. With Delhi’s assembly elections on the horizon, the bloc sees the move as a crucial step in ensuring electoral fairness. Advance planning is reportedly underway to address these issues effectively.
New Delhi: The Opposition INDIA bloc preparing to approach the Supreme Court, claiming that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were manipulated during the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra.
This decision made during a meeting between veteran political leader Sharad Pawar and former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Sources indicate that the Opposition, including Pawar’s party, has faced significant losses in Maharashtra, prompting a need for strategic planning ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi.
Kejriwal’s AAP previously won the last two assembly elections in Delhi, but the BJP aims for a stronger performance this time, especially in light of corruption allegations involving leaders of the ruling party, including Kejriwal himself. Prashant Jagtap, a leader of the NCP and one of the candidates who lost in the Hadapsar constituency in Pune, announced the decision.
Historically, the Supreme Court consistently supported the integrity of EVMs, reaffirming their reliability in multiple judgments.
During a recent hearing, judges criticized petitioners for their tampering claims, questioning,
“Are EVMs not tampered when you win?”
The court noted that EVMs provide substantial advantages, such as eliminating booth capturing by restricting the vote casting rate to four votes per minute, which helps prevent the insertion of bogus votes. It also highlighted that EVMs have resolved the issue of invalid votes, a common problem with paper ballots that often led to disputes during counting.
The Election Commission has dismissed the Opposition’s allegations, stating there was “no mismatch” between the Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips and their corresponding EVM numbers.
Notable lawyer and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi attended the meeting, along with several other leaders from Pawar’s party who also lost in the elections. The INDIA bloc contends that their losses in Maharashtra were due to EVM manipulation favoring the BJP-led ruling coalition, Mahayuti.
In the recent elections, the BJP-led coalition secured 235 of the 288 assembly seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi, buoyed by their performance in the Lok Sabha polls, managed to win only 46 seats.
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The INDIA Bloc (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) is a coalition of opposition parties in India, created to challenge the ruling party and enhance collaborative electoral strategies. Its objectives include tackling urgent national concerns, such as the integrity of democratic processes, fairness in elections, and governance issues, while promoting solidarity among various political factions.
EVM manipulation refers to claims or worries regarding the tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to influence the results of elections. Detractors argue that potential vulnerabilities in EVMs may compromise the integrity of the electoral process, whereas election officials typically defend their reliability and security. These allegations often emerge during critical elections, leading to discussions about the transparency and fairness of the voting system.
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