The Supreme Court will hear a plea from Congress leaders regarding the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the Haryana Assembly elections. The petition urges the Election Commission to establish a protocol for examining burnt memory and microcontrollers, highlighting a lack of procedures that could undermine public trust and democracy. Urgent action is sought within eight weeks.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday a significant plea filed by Congress leaders seeking directions for verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used during the Haryana Assembly elections. The plea, listed before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, seeks urgent intervention to address concerns regarding the burnt memory/microcontroller of EVMs.
The petition calls for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to establish a memorandum for verifying the original burnt memory and microcontroller of the four EVM components—Control Unit, Ballot Unit, VVPAT, and Symbol Loading Unit. Filed by Karan Singh Dalal, a five-time MLA, the plea emphasizes that the ECI has not issued any formal procedure for such checks in compliance with the Supreme Court’s April judgment.
Earlier this year, in April, a bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna (now CJI) and Justice Dipankar Datta had directed that 5% of EVMs must undergo verification for tampering or modifications upon a written request by candidates securing the second and third highest votes in an election. The court had instructed that the exercise be conducted by engineers from EVM manufacturers, with candidates and their representatives allowed to observe the process.
The petition highlights the lack of a clear protocol for examining burnt memory and microcontrollers, a gap the petitioners argue is detrimental to the democratic process.
“The absence of any procedure for verification of burnt memory for tampering shows reluctance on the part of the ECI to subject the original burnt memory microcontroller from any scrutiny whatsoever,”
contends the plea.
The petition underscores the matter’s urgency, stating that
“the issue affects the functioning of democracy in the country and elections being held across various states.”
It seeks a directive for the ECI to implement the verification process within eight weeks, ensuring the protocol applies to forms already submitted to the ECI.
Last week, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale referred the plea to the CJI for consideration by the bench that had previously ruled on EVM verification. The Supreme Court registry has placed the papers before the Chief Justice, who will decide the matter’s listing.
The plea, filed through advocate Neha Rathi, underscores the significant public importance of ensuring EVM integrity. The petitioners stress that a failure to address these concerns undermines public trust in electoral processes, thereby affecting the foundation of democracy.
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