NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the use of ballot papers instead of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi did not accept the contention of NGO ‘Nyay Bhoomi’ that EVMs are capable of being misused and they should not be used in the polls to ensure free and fair elections and said, “Every system and machine is capable for use and misuse. Doubts will be everywhere.” The petitioners had contended that the ballot system is more transparent, while the EVMs can be tampered with.
At present, all state and general elections are held with EVMs. Many opposition parties including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have expressed doubt over the reliability these machines and have alleged that they are not tamper-proof. Several issued had cropped up in EVMs during the recently concluded Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh.
However, the state’s electoral authorities had said after voting had ended that the machines were replaced to ensure that voting was restarted as soon as possible. During the polls, the Congress had also raised allegations that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had tampered with the machines at several places.
Opposition to EVMs
Several political parties have alleged that the electronic voting machines can be tampered with and that the BJP has indulged in such practices in several elections. They favour a ballot system, which they say is transparent.