Opposition parties and the ruling BJP on Monday moved the Election Commission claiming "hundreds" of EVMs and paper trail machines deployed for Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly bypolls developed snags and were not replaced for hours.

But the Election Commission termed as "exaggerated projection of reality" reports of 'large scale' failure of EVMs during Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and said adequate number of reserve machines are provided for any eventuality.

Sources in the poll panel did say that shoddy handling of VVPAT machines by the ground staff, especially when the temperature is high, led to their heating, resulting in their malfunctioning.

SP leader Ramgopal Yadav and RLD chief Ajit Singh along with others met top EC officials claiming that the faulty EVMs were not replaced on time.

The leaders demanded that repoll should be announced in polling stations where EVMs were not replaced for over one-and-a-half hours. At polling stations where EVMs were replaced within one-and-a-half hours, additional time should be granted to voters to exercise their franchise, they told reporters after meeting the EC.

They alleged that poll officials "took their own time" in replacing EVMs in rural areas, the base of their voters. The EVMs were, however, replaced with alacrity in urban areas.

A BJP delegation, including general secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Arun Singh besides its media head Anil Baluni, informed the Election Commission that EVM machines were dysfunctional for a long period in 197 booths in Kairana and Noorpur.

Yadav told reporters that they urged the EC to hold repolling in booths were election process was severely affected.

They asked the EC to send observers to identify such booths and also find out reasons for EVM malfunction.

Concerns were also raised about the functioning of paper trail (VVPAT) machines. Sources in the EC noted that failure on part of the ground staff led to heating of the machines.

An official said those who skipped training programmes and "spent time on their phones during training sessions" placed the machines at places where 'heat sensitive' nature of the device created problems.

A poll panel spokesperson later said a joint delegation of the RLD, SP and Congress and a separate delegation of BJP representatives met the EC and brought to its notice concerns about functioning of VVPAT machines in some of the polling booths in bypolls today.

"The Commission assured them that all necessary action will be taken on issues raised. They were also assured that the concerns related to VVPAT have been verified on ground and appropriate actions have been taken by the District Election teams. The Commission has also informed that on the basis of reports of RO, DEO and Observers, further action will be taken."

The EC said voters who have queued up outside polling stations will be allowed to cast votes despite end of polling hours.

But in a statement, poll panel denied that the failure of the voting machines was unusual.

"... the Commission allocates sufficient reserve of EVMs and VVPATs for every general and by election to the Lok Sabha or state assembly.

"It is pertinent to mention that during commissioning of EVMs and VVPATs, apart from EVMs and VVPATs required for deployment at every polling station, adequate number of reserve EVMs and VVPATs (around 20-25 per cent) are prepared to replace any defective machine on poll day at the polling station," it said.

It said the reserve EVMs/VVPATs are kept with sector officers, who replace the defective EVMs/VVPATs. Since each sector officer is entrusted with only 10-12 polling stations, the time taken to replace any EVM/VVPAT is normally less than 30 minutes.

"The replacement of defective EVMs/VVPATs during actual polls is a normal process and does not vitiate the integrity or credibility of the poll process in any way whatsoever," the statement read.

The poll panel also rejected reports that polling was cancelled in 35 booths in Bhandara-Gondiya LS constituency in Maharashtra.&nbsp

"Also, the reports emerging in some quarters about EVMs/VVPATs failing in 25 per cent polling booths in the same constituency are also incorrect. It is clarified that voting has not been cancelled in any polling station in Bhandara-Gondiya constituency and voting is continuing smoothly after necessary replacements," it said.

As and when a report from poll officials regarding long interruption of polling is received, the Commission takes a decision on those matters on case to case basis, it said.

"The Commission undertakes a comprehensive examination and root-cause analysis of all defects observed in the machines through the Technical Experts Committee of the Commission and necessary remedial actions are being taken for smooth conduct of poll process," the statement added.&nbsp

Parties said that EVMs and paper trail machines in UP developed snags and were not replaced for hours.

Opposition parties and the ruling BJP on Monday moved the Election Commission claiming "hundreds" of EVMs and paper trail machines deployed for Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly bypolls developed snags and were not replaced for hours. But the Election Commission termed as "exaggerated projection of reality" reports of 'large scale' failure of EVMs during Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and said adequate number of reserve machines are provided for any eventuality. Sources in the poll panel did say that shoddy handling of VVPAT machines by the ground staff, especially when the temperature is high, led to their heating, resulting in their malfunctioning. SP leader Ramgopal Yadav and RLD chief Ajit Singh along with others met top EC officials claiming that the faulty EVMs were not replaced on time. The leaders demanded that repoll should be announced in polling stations where EVMs were not replaced for over one-and-a-half hours. At polling stations where EVMs were replaced within one-and-a-half hours, additional time should be granted to voters to exercise their franchise, they told reporters after meeting the EC. They alleged that poll officials "took their own time" in replacing EVMs in rural areas, the base of their voters. The EVMs were, however, replaced with alacrity in urban areas. A BJP delegation, including general secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Arun Singh besides its media head Anil Baluni, informed the Election Commission that EVM machines were dysfunctional for a long period in 197 booths in Kairana and Noorpur. Yadav told reporters that they urged the EC to hold repolling in booths were election process was severely affected. They asked the EC to send observers to identify such booths and also find out reasons for EVM malfunction. Concerns were also raised about the functioning of paper trail (VVPAT) machines. Sources in the EC noted that failure on part of the ground staff led to heating of the machines. An official said those who skipped training programmes and "spent time on their phones during training sessions" placed the machines at places where 'heat sensitive' nature of the device created problems. A poll panel spokesperson later said a joint delegation of the RLD, SP and Congress and a separate delegation of BJP representatives met the EC and brought to its notice concerns about functioning of VVPAT machines in some of the polling booths in bypolls today. "The Commission assured them that all necessary action will be taken on issues raised. They were also assured that the concerns related to VVPAT have been verified on ground and appropriate actions have been taken by the District Election teams. The Commission has also informed that on the basis of reports of RO, DEO and Observers, further action will be taken." The EC said voters who have queued up outside polling stations will be allowed to cast votes despite end of polling hours. But in a statement, poll panel denied that the failure of the voting machines was unusual. "... the Commission allocates sufficient reserve of EVMs and VVPATs for every general and by election to the Lok Sabha or state assembly. "It is pertinent to mention that during commissioning of EVMs and VVPATs, apart from EVMs and VVPATs required for deployment at every polling station, adequate number of reserve EVMs and VVPATs (around 20-25 per cent) are prepared to replace any defective machine on poll day at the polling station," it said. It said the reserve EVMs/VVPATs are kept with sector officers, who replace the defective EVMs/VVPATs. Since each sector officer is entrusted with only 10-12 polling stations, the time taken to replace any EVM/VVPAT is normally less than 30 minutes. "The replacement of defective EVMs/VVPATs during actual polls is a normal process and does not vitiate the integrity or credibility of the poll process in any way whatsoever," the statement read. The poll panel also rejected reports that polling was cancelled in 35 booths in Bhandara-Gondiya LS constituency in Maharashtra. "Also, the reports emerging in some quarters about EVMs/VVPATs failing in 25 per cent polling booths in the same constituency are also incorrect. It is clarified that voting has not been cancelled in any polling station in Bhandara-Gondiya constituency and voting is continuing smoothly after necessary replacements," it said. As and when a report from poll officials regarding long interruption of polling is received, the Commission takes a decision on those matters on case to case basis, it said. "The Commission undertakes a comprehensive examination and root-cause analysis of all defects observed in the machines through the Technical Experts Committee of the Commission and necessary remedial actions are being taken for smooth conduct of poll process," the statement added.

Parties say EVMs, VVPATs malfunctioned; EC says reports exaggerated

In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).&nbsp;

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SC dismisses Congress&#39; plea seeking directions to EC to count &amp; cross verify at least 25% of VVPAT paper trail with EVM votes. <a href="https://t.co/uabJs37oJ5">pic.twitter.com/uabJs37oJ5</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941600200316960768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Just three days prior to the counting of votes for held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress party had today approached the apex court demanding cross-verification.&nbsp;

Senior lawyers and Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal had appeared for the Congress in this regard.&nbsp;

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Congress moves Supreme Court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to count and cross verify at least 25% of the VVPAT paper trail with the EVM votes. Abhishek Manu Singhvi &amp; Kapil Sibal to appear for Congress, matter likely to be heard today.
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The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in the Gujarat assembly polls.

This year in July, the EC had made it mandatory to verify the paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5 per cent of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections.

VVPAT machines were inducted to generate a printed slip confirming the voter&#39;s choice when he voted on an EVM. 
&nbsp;

The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in Gujarat assembly polls.

In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). SC dismisses Congress' plea seeking directions to EC to count & cross verify at least 25% of VVPAT paper trail with EVM votes. pic.twitter.com/uabJs37oJ5 — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × Just three days prior to the counting of votes for held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress party had today approached the apex court demanding cross-verification. Senior lawyers and Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal had appeared for the Congress in this regard. Congress moves Supreme Court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to count and cross verify at least 25% of the VVPAT paper trail with the EVM votes. Abhishek Manu Singhvi & Kapil Sibal to appear for Congress, matter likely to be heard today. — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in the Gujarat assembly polls. This year in July, the EC had made it mandatory to verify the paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5 per cent of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections. VVPAT machines were inducted to generate a printed slip confirming the voter's choice when he voted on an EVM.

Congress approaches SC seeking cross verification of at least 25% VVPAT slips, plea dismissed

&nbsp;Th<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/vvpats-to-be-used-in-all-future-elections-indias-election-commission-15508">e Election Commission of India(ECI) </a>had told&nbsp;the Supreme Court that convicted MPs and MLAs should be banned from contesting elections.

The Election Commission <a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/explained-why-election-commission-believes-evms-in-india-are-hack-proof-14490">said that it had written to the government to amend</a> the law in this regard.

However, the government differed from Election Commission, insisting before the top court that a 6 year-disqualification served the purpose.

In July, India&#39;s top court had rapped the ECI for not taking a clear stand on a plea seeking barring convicted politicians for life, declaring that the election body could not remain silent on the matter.

&ldquo;Is silence an option for you (ECI)? You must say either &lsquo;yes&rsquo; or &lsquo;no&rsquo; on whether you are supporting the petitioner. You are the ECI and here is a citizen of India who has come here to seek lifetime debarment of convicted persons. Can you say I will be silent? No, you cannot,&rdquo; the bench had said.

&ldquo;If you (ECI) feel constrained by the legislature, then let us know. If you are even constrained to the extent of giving your view, feel free and say so clearly,&rdquo; it said.

The Centre, in its affidavit, had said the prayer sought by the petitioner seeking lifetime bar on convicted lawmakers was not maintainable and the plea should be dismissed.&nbsp;

However, the ECI affidavit said it was in favour of setting up special courts to decide the criminal cases related to people&rsquo;s representatives, public servants and members of the judiciary, in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.

The affidavit was filed in response to a PIL which is also seeking setting up special courts for trial of criminal cases against people from the legislature, executive and judiciary.&nbsp;

The poll panel had said the issues raised by the petitioner were &ldquo;not adversarial&rdquo;.

The Election Commission said that it had written to the government to amend the law in this regard

The Election Commission of India(ECI) had told the Supreme Court that convicted MPs and MLAs should be banned from contesting elections. The Election Commission said that it had written to the government to amend the law in this regard. However, the government differed from Election Commission, insisting before the top court that a 6 year-disqualification served the purpose. In July, India's top court had rapped the ECI for not taking a clear stand on a plea seeking barring convicted politicians for life, declaring that the election body could not remain silent on the matter. “Is silence an option for you (ECI)? You must say either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on whether you are supporting the petitioner. You are the ECI and here is a citizen of India who has come here to seek lifetime debarment of convicted persons. Can you say I will be silent? No, you cannot,” the bench had said. “If you (ECI) feel constrained by the legislature, then let us know. If you are even constrained to the extent of giving your view, feel free and say so clearly,” it said. The Centre, in its affidavit, had said the prayer sought by the petitioner seeking lifetime bar on convicted lawmakers was not maintainable and the plea should be dismissed. However, the ECI affidavit said it was in favour of setting up special courts to decide the criminal cases related to people’s representatives, public servants and members of the judiciary, in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. The affidavit was filed in response to a PIL which is also seeking setting up special courts for trial of criminal cases against people from the legislature, executive and judiciary. The poll panel had said the issues raised by the petitioner were “not adversarial”.

Life ban for convicted MPs, MLAs: Election Commission to Supreme Court

Paper slips generated out of a total of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indias-election-commission-to-hold-live-demo-of-evms-vvpats-today-amid-tampering-allegations-15813">250 Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machines - the VVPAT-</a> will be subjected to &ldquo;mandatory verification&rdquo; in the upcoming state assembly elections in&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Simply put, paper slips from at least <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/vvpats-to-be-used-in-all-future-elections-indias-election-commission-15508">one VVPAT machine from each assembly constituency</a> will be tallied with the results recorded in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The Election Commission of India has decided to conduct this verification on a pilot basis on one VVPAT machine from each of the assembly constituencies, mainly to allay apprehensions surrounding the alleged tamperability of the EVMs.

Himachal Pradesh will vote on November 9 to elect 68 legislators for its state assembly, while the Gujarat will also go to polls shortly to elect 182 MLAs.&nbsp;

One VVPAT machine from each of these 250 constituencies will be used to conduct the physical verification of the paper slips generated by these machines.

VVPAT machines are connected to the EVMs and generate an immediate paper trail once the vote is cast.

Once generated, the paper slip, containing the name and symbol of the candidate one voted for, is visible through a glass for seven seconds before it gets deposited in a compartment within the machine. This slip can be used to resolve any dispute regarding the election at a later date.

One polling station per assembly constituency will be randomly selected for this pilot verification of VVPAT paper slips and the verification exercise will be taken up after the completion of the last round of counding of votes recorded in EVMs.

The Election Commission has mandated that the verification of VVPAT paper slips will be done in a &ldquo;VVPAT Counting Booth&rdquo; which will be specially prepared for this purpose inside the Counting Hall. &ldquo;The booth shall be enclosed in a wire mesh just like a bank cashier&#39;s cabin so that no VVPAT paper slip can be accessed by any unauthorized person,&rdquo; the EC has said.

It was earlier this year that the EC had decided to mandatorily tally paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in five percent of polling stations in each assembly seat for all state and Lok Sabha elections.

The introduction of this mandatory verification of VVPAT paper slips is likely to cause a slight delay in the announcement of poll results.

Earlier, there was no mandatory tallying of VVPAT slips with the EVM results. It used to be done only when results of a polling station were disputed by a candidate or polling agents on the counting day.

Paper slips from at least one VVPAT machine from each assembly constituency will be tallied with the results recorded in the Electronic Voting Machines

Paper slips generated out of a total of 250 Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machines - the VVPAT- will be subjected to “mandatory verification” in the upcoming state assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Simply put, paper slips from at least one VVPAT machine from each assembly constituency will be tallied with the results recorded in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Election Commission of India has decided to conduct this verification on a pilot basis on one VVPAT machine from each of the assembly constituencies, mainly to allay apprehensions surrounding the alleged tamperability of the EVMs. Himachal Pradesh will vote on November 9 to elect 68 legislators for its state assembly, while the Gujarat will also go to polls shortly to elect 182 MLAs. One VVPAT machine from each of these 250 constituencies will be used to conduct the physical verification of the paper slips generated by these machines. VVPAT machines are connected to the EVMs and generate an immediate paper trail once the vote is cast. Once generated, the paper slip, containing the name and symbol of the candidate one voted for, is visible through a glass for seven seconds before it gets deposited in a compartment within the machine. This slip can be used to resolve any dispute regarding the election at a later date. One polling station per assembly constituency will be randomly selected for this pilot verification of VVPAT paper slips and the verification exercise will be taken up after the completion of the last round of counding of votes recorded in EVMs. The Election Commission has mandated that the verification of VVPAT paper slips will be done in a “VVPAT Counting Booth” which will be specially prepared for this purpose inside the Counting Hall. “The booth shall be enclosed in a wire mesh just like a bank cashier's cabin so that no VVPAT paper slip can be accessed by any unauthorized person,” the EC has said. It was earlier this year that the EC had decided to mandatorily tally paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in five percent of polling stations in each assembly seat for all state and Lok Sabha elections. The introduction of this mandatory verification of VVPAT paper slips is likely to cause a slight delay in the announcement of poll results. Earlier, there was no mandatory tallying of VVPAT slips with the EVM results. It used to be done only when results of a polling station were disputed by a candidate or polling agents on the counting day.

Gujarat, Himachal polls: VVPAT machines from each constituency to be tallied with EVM results

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a live demonstration of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPATs) today&nbsp;in Delhi.

It will also hold a press conference on the &quot; EVM Challenge&quot;.

Earlier this week, the poll panel had said it would offer an &quot;opportunity&quot;&nbsp;to the political parties to prove that EVMs used in the recently-held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards.

The poll body also convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms.

In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the poll panel sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPATs.

Last month,&nbsp;16 opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs.

However,&nbsp;the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated.

The federal cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly Rs&nbsp;3,200 crore to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the Election Commission.

Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules.

On Tuesday, the AAP, during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with.

Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a &#39;look-alike&#39;&#39; which was made to function in a &#39;tampered&#39; manner.

A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP yesterday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the Election Commission to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not.

&nbsp;(ANI) 
&nbsp;

The poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a live demonstration of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPATs) today in Delhi. It will also hold a press conference on the " EVM Challenge". Earlier this week, the poll panel had said it would offer an "opportunity" to the political parties to prove that EVMs used in the recently-held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards. The poll body also convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms. In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the poll panel sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPATs. Last month, 16 opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs. However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated. The federal cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly Rs 3,200 crore to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the Election Commission. Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules. On Tuesday, the AAP, during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with. Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a 'look-alike'' which was made to function in a 'tampered' manner. A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP yesterday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the Election Commission to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not. (ANI)

India's Election Commission to hold live demo of EVMs, VVPATs today amid tampering allegations

The Election Commission today will convene an all-party meeting over the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and other electoral reforms in New Delhi today.

In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the Commission sent a status paper on EVMs and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, VVPAT.

The poll panel will try to assure parties that the EVMs cannot be hacked in any manner.

Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs.

However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated.

The poll panel intends to use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units attached with EVMs in the coming elections for greater transparency and to keep voters&#39; confidence in the electoral process.

The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly 3200 crore rupees to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the EC.

Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules.

On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with.

Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a &#39;look-alike&#39;&#39; which was made to function in a &#39;tampered&#39; manner.

&quot;It is common sense that gadgets other than ECI EVMs can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI EVMs will behave in the same manner because the ECI EVMs are technically secured and function under an elaborate Administrative and Security Protocol,&quot; an official release said.

&quot;Such so-called demonstration on extraneous and duplicate gadgets which are not owned by the ECI cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the Commission in its electoral process,&quot; it added.

Conducting a mock poll on an EVM machine, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj demonstrated how despite giving two votes each to various parties; the final count showed that votes of some parties had been transferred to one party.

A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP on Thursday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all-party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the EC to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not.

(ANI)

In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the Commission sent a status paper on EVMs and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, VVPAT

The Election Commission today will convene an all-party meeting over the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and other electoral reforms in New Delhi today. In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the Commission sent a status paper on EVMs and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, VVPAT. The poll panel will try to assure parties that the EVMs cannot be hacked in any manner. Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs. However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated. The poll panel intends to use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units attached with EVMs in the coming elections for greater transparency and to keep voters' confidence in the electoral process. The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly 3200 crore rupees to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the EC. Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules. On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with. Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a 'look-alike'' which was made to function in a 'tampered' manner. "It is common sense that gadgets other than ECI EVMs can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI EVMs will behave in the same manner because the ECI EVMs are technically secured and function under an elaborate Administrative and Security Protocol," an official release said. "Such so-called demonstration on extraneous and duplicate gadgets which are not owned by the ECI cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the Commission in its electoral process," it added. Conducting a mock poll on an EVM machine, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj demonstrated how despite giving two votes each to various parties; the final count showed that votes of some parties had been transferred to one party. A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP on Thursday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all-party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the EC to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not. (ANI)

Election Commission to convene all-party meet today, EVM issue, electoral reforms on agenda

The Election Commission of India ( ECI) on Friday said it would offer an &#39;opportunity&#39; to the political parties to prove that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the recently held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with the safeguards laid down.

&quot;The Election Commission will hold a challenge and offer an opportunity to the political parties to demonstrate that EVMs used in the recently concluded elections were tampered or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards,&quot; Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said after the all-party meet.

He further announced that all the future elections will be held under the VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail system).

Zaidi also said the poll panel has &quot;no favourites&quot; and it was equidistant from all parties.

&quot;You should be convinced that EC has no favourites...we maintain equidistance from all parties and groups. It is our constitutional and moral duty to stand dead centre of the circle drawn around us by 56 political parties,&quot; he added.

The Election Commission earlier in the day convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms.

In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the poll panel sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPAT.

Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs.

However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper proof and cannot be manipulated.

The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly Rs. 3,200 crore to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the Election Commission.

Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules.

On Tuesday, the AAP, during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with.

Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a &#39;look-alike&#39;&#39; which was made to function in a &#39;tampered&#39; manner.

A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP yesterday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the Election Commission to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not. 
 
(ANI)

 
&nbsp;

The poll body said it would offer an 'opportunity' to political parties to prove EVMs used in recently-held assembly polls were tampered with

The Election Commission of India ( ECI) on Friday said it would offer an 'opportunity' to the political parties to prove that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the recently held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with the safeguards laid down. "The Election Commission will hold a challenge and offer an opportunity to the political parties to demonstrate that EVMs used in the recently concluded elections were tampered or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said after the all-party meet. He further announced that all the future elections will be held under the VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail system). Zaidi also said the poll panel has "no favourites" and it was equidistant from all parties. "You should be convinced that EC has no favourites...we maintain equidistance from all parties and groups. It is our constitutional and moral duty to stand dead centre of the circle drawn around us by 56 political parties," he added. The Election Commission earlier in the day convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms. In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the poll panel sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPAT. Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs. However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper proof and cannot be manipulated. The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly Rs. 3,200 crore to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the Election Commission. Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules. On Tuesday, the AAP, during a special session of the Delhi assembly, conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with. Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a 'look-alike'' which was made to function in a 'tampered' manner. A day before the all-party meeting, the AAP yesterday forwarded a new demand, calling for an all party committee to be formed under the monitoring of the Election Commission to ascertain whether EVMS were hacked in the recently held elections or not. (ANI)

VVPATs to be used in all future elections: India's Election Commission

The Election Commission of India will require Rs 3,174 crore from the Central government in addition to a 30-month time frame from the time this money is released to get the 15.5 lakh<a href="http://eci.nic.in//ECI_Main/IIIDEM/VVPAT_Film/VVPAT%2003.04.14.mp4"> Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail </a>(VVPAT) machines it now requires to implement its plan of having a VVPAT machine at every polling station in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

And given the fact that there doesn&#39;t seem to be much movement from the Centre&#39;s side as far as the release of this money is concerned, having VVPATs in all polling stations by April 2019&mdash;when India votes to elect its next Lok Sabha--appears to be a pipe dream for now.

In an ongoing case in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has recently intimated the apex court that it will get the requisite number of VVPATs manufactured in 30 months time from the time of release of fund by the government. But the fact that this requirement of Rs 3,174 crore was raised as early as 2014 and has still not seen any action on the release of funds has put a big question mark on the ECs ambitious move to have these machines at all polling stations.

The VVPAT machines are back in focus after some political parties raised apprehensions over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were used in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/electronic-voting-machines-are-fully-tamper-proof-election-commission-13463">recent elections to the state legislative assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur &amp; Goa</a>. Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have alleged tampering of these EVMs during the recent polls.

Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate along with the recording of vote in Control Unit so as to ensure that in case of a dispute, the paper slip can be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the Balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip generated by the VVPAT remains visible for just 7 seconds through a transparent window.

Presently, the Election Commission has around 53,500 VVPAT units available with it and in the recent elections to five states, it deployed around 52,000 of these units. From the time it first used VVPATs in Nagaland in 2013, the EC has used these machines in 255 Assembly Constituencies and 9 Parliamentary Constituencies across the country so far. In the recenly held Goa elections, VVPAT machines were deployed in all the 40 assembly constituencies.

EC officials say that since 2014, the poll watchdog has been &ldquo;relentlessly pursuing&rdquo; with the Central government for sanction and release of the Rs 3,174 crore it needs to procure the 15.5 lakh VVPATs it needs for all parliamentary constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The design of the VVPAT machines was made by BEL and ECIL and was approved by EC in 2013 and shown to persons who were pursuing matters in the Supreme Court. The rules were also amended for its introduction.

(WION)

Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate

The Election Commission of India will require Rs 3,174 crore from the Central government in addition to a 30-month time frame from the time this money is released to get the 15.5 lakh Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines it now requires to implement its plan of having a VVPAT machine at every polling station in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019. And given the fact that there doesn't seem to be much movement from the Centre's side as far as the release of this money is concerned, having VVPATs in all polling stations by April 2019—when India votes to elect its next Lok Sabha--appears to be a pipe dream for now. In an ongoing case in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has recently intimated the apex court that it will get the requisite number of VVPATs manufactured in 30 months time from the time of release of fund by the government. But the fact that this requirement of Rs 3,174 crore was raised as early as 2014 and has still not seen any action on the release of funds has put a big question mark on the ECs ambitious move to have these machines at all polling stations. The VVPAT machines are back in focus after some political parties raised apprehensions over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were used in the recent elections to the state legislative assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur & Goa. Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have alleged tampering of these EVMs during the recent polls. Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate along with the recording of vote in Control Unit so as to ensure that in case of a dispute, the paper slip can be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the Balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip generated by the VVPAT remains visible for just 7 seconds through a transparent window. Presently, the Election Commission has around 53,500 VVPAT units available with it and in the recent elections to five states, it deployed around 52,000 of these units. From the time it first used VVPATs in Nagaland in 2013, the EC has used these machines in 255 Assembly Constituencies and 9 Parliamentary Constituencies across the country so far. In the recenly held Goa elections, VVPAT machines were deployed in all the 40 assembly constituencies. EC officials say that since 2014, the poll watchdog has been “relentlessly pursuing” with the Central government for sanction and release of the Rs 3,174 crore it needs to procure the 15.5 lakh VVPATs it needs for all parliamentary constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The design of the VVPAT machines was made by BEL and ECIL and was approved by EC in 2013 and shown to persons who were pursuing matters in the Supreme Court. The rules were also amended for its introduction. (WION)

EC promises to attach every EVM with VVPAT machine in next Lok Sabha elections, Centre fails to release funds

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