The Election Commission’s all-party meeting ended on the issue of EVM. After the meeting, the Election Commission has challenged all the parties to hack the EVMs. The Commission has given the parties Sunday and Monday time for this. The Election Commission had called this meeting after the opposition party, including the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party, had feared a manipulation of EVMs from around 16 opposition parties.
What happened in the meeting?
In today’s meeting, among the 7 national parties, 35 out of 48 recognized regional parties were present. The meeting began with the speech of Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi. Apart from tampering EVMs, they talked about the proposed use of the Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). After this, the IT experts called by the IIT told the delegates about the safety standards used in the EVM. In the meeting, the representatives of all parties were given 5 minutes to speak.
Split-faced opposition
In the all-party meeting, Bhupendra Yadav from BJP, KC Tyagi from JDU, Manish Sisodia and Saurabh Bhardwaj from the Aam Aadmi Party, DP Tripathi from NCP and Satish Chandra Mishra from BSP joined the all-party meeting. But in the meeting, the opposition split. So far, talking about Temparing in EVM, Saurabh Bharadwaj spoke of VVPAT elections. At the same time, the BSP was in favor of holding elections from ballet paper. On the other hand, JCU K.C. Tyagi said that the EC will restore trust.
Election Commission’s ‘Challenge’
Last month, the Election Commission had said that he would give an open challenge to the parties raising questions on the EVM to tamper with machines. For this the Commission has asked all the parties to send their three nominations to the meeting. One of these will be a technical expert. Election Commission has arranged for live demos of EVM machines.
Apart from EVM, there were also meeting issues
There were many other important issues in the agenda of the meeting. Election Commission has informed the representatives of the parties about the use of the Voter Variable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Election Commission has planned to use VVPAT machines on every booth since 2019.
The receipt of every vote from these machines will come out, which will go out of the machine in 7 seconds and move directly to the box. In this machine the voter can see whether his vote has been corrected or not.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Challenge
The issue of tampering in EVM was first raised by Mayawati after the defeat in the UP assembly elections. Last day, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj had given a live demo of the EVM in the EVM in the Delhi Assembly. Saurabh Bharadwaj will represent the party in today’s meeting. The party claims that they will prove the vulnerability of EVMs during the meeting. The other leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party including Kejriwal are demanding that all parties’ committee be constituted for the investigation of EVM tenting.
The questions were raised after the election results
Let us know that after the results of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections, the opposition had questioned the EVM. Firstly BSP supremo Mayawati had opposed it, after which Akhilesh Yadav had even talked about it. At the same time Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also questioned the outcome of Punjab elections. Aam Aadmi Party had also given the process to BJP’s historic victory in the recently concluded Delhi MCD election, that it is not victory of Modi but the victory of EVMs.
EC Has ordered for VVPAT
After the continuous questions on the EVM, the Election Commission has made preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha election from VVPAT. Central Government sanctioned Rs. 3173 crores 47 lakhs for VVPAT, and the EC handover the order to make machines without delay, to the two special companies of the country. The Commission has given order to prepare 8 lakh 7 thousand 500 machines for both PSU companies ECIL and BEL.
